If it hurts to breathe or you have cold sweats
Chest pains that are caused by heart disease can often mimic other conditions, such as gastrointestinal issues. However, there is one major difference: if your chest pains are accompanied by other symptoms of serious cardiovascular problems, you should seek emergency medical attention. If you experience any of these symptoms while experiencing chest pain, see an ER physician right away: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; fever and chills; sharp chest pain radiating through to your back or jaw; sweating without being hot. Another reason to visit an emergency room rather than urgent care: X-rays taken in urgent care could be read wrong – even accidentally mislabeled – because they aren’t read by board-certified radiologists but rather doctors who are trained as sonographers. One study found that 10 percent of CT scans in urgent care settings were incorrectly labeled! In contrast, ER imaging departments use specialized radiology services for reading x-rays and other tests, ensuring correct results. This type of error could have life-threatening consequences – especially for someone suffering from atrial fibrillation (AFib). Although those who suffer from AFib may not know it, every year about 400,000 people will suffer from strokes caused by their condition. Another roughly 600,000 will end up with smaller, nonfatal stroke like brain bleeds or transient ischemic attacks. Sadly, many of these individuals didn’t have access to appropriate treatment before their stroke occurred – and some might not have made it out alive had they waited too long between onset of symptoms and seeking treatment. Atrial fibrillation occurs when electrical signals in your heart become chaotic – causing irregular rhythm and thus inadequate blood flow throughout your body. Because those with AFib can go years without experiencing debilitating symptoms like fatigue, dizziness or confusion, many don’t realize that anything’s amiss until something more dangerous sets in.
