Is Chest Pain a Heart Attack? Know the Difference

Chest Pain Vs Heart Attack – Chest pain and heart attack pain are quite similar but the intensity of the pain varies. At times people misunderstood chest pain with heart attack, it is quite usual for patients arriving in emergency for chest pain. However, most of the time, the chest pain and heart attack are two different things. In order to make the difference between the two we must know what exactly these two terms are. 

What is Chest Pain?

Chest pain occurs due to many reasons, or we can say there are various causes for chest pain. Chest pain can take many forms as well, signifying serious health concerns. Hence, the person must visit a doctor no matter how small the symptom is. Because some mild symptoms of chest pain often increase, affecting other body organs and taking the form of serious illness. 

Type of Chest Pain

• 1. Chest pain can be in the form of a sharp stabbing in the chest
• 2. Chest pain can occur as slow-growing pain that fades at some time but then suddenly starts
• 3. Chest pain can be felt with the breath; if we inhale, it increases, and with exhaling the air, it will decrease. 
• 4. Some chest pain gives a burning sensation.
• 5. While lying down, you feel crushing or heaviness, which is the other form of chest pain. 
• 6. At times the chest pain often moves up towards the neck and reaches the jaw lines; it also irritates the gums as well. 
• 7. In severe cases, the chest pain spreads toward the back and also causes pain in 1 or both arms. 
•  

Chest pain and heart attack are quite similar in accordance with the location of pain and the intensity of the pain. At times people misunderstand chest pain with a heart attack; it is quite usual for patients arriving in the emergency for chest pain. However, most of the time, chest pain and heart attack are two different things. In order to make the difference between the two, we must know what exactly these two terms are. 

There are various differences between heart pain and chest pain, some of them are shown in the table given below.

What is a Heart Attack?

Heart attack refers to a medical condition in which the blood flow towards the heart is blocked mid-way or decreased due to blocking or obstruction in the passage of blood flow. 

Types of cardiovascular problems:

1. 1. Myocardial infarction or heart attack
2. 2. Heart Failure
3. 3. Arrhythmia
4. 4. Stroke
5. 5. Stenosis (heart valve problems)
6. 6. Regurgitation (heart valve problems)
7.  

Reasons for heart attack

The major reasons behind the decreased blood reaching the heart are given below, 

1. 1. Blood clots: Clotting of blood refers to the development of lumps or aggregation of blood cells to form lumps which create hindrance in the flowing blood.
2. 2. Incomplete blood reaching the heart: Injury or cut to the blood vessels that cause leakage of blood out of the arteries thus. 
3. 3. Fat in arteries: Thickening of the arteries or veins due to high blood cholesterol deposition or fat that can not be easily dissolved is accumulated across the blood vessel lining. This fatty deposition makes the arteries, veins and capillaries thick and thus resulting in decreased lumen (space inside blood vessels in which blood flows). 
4.  

3 Signs your chest pain is Not a Heart Attack and Possible Causes

You can easily find out that your chest pain is not due to a heart attack but is due to some other reason, including lung infection, injury to the lungs, or alveoli, blocked air passage, etc. The following three symptoms can make it clear that your chest is simply due to various causes other than a heart attack.  

1. 1. If your chest pain increases with inhalation and decreases with exhalation
2. 2. When you are feeling heavy on your chest
3. 3. When you have a cough with chest pain or some other infectious disease.
4.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1. What is lumen?

Lumen is a space inside the blood vessels in which blood flows to and fro the heart.

Q.2. What is a heart attack?

Heart attack refers to the medical condition in which the blood flow towards the heart is blocked in the mid way or decreased due to blocking or obstruction in the passage of blood flow. 

Q.3. What are the different forms of cardiovascular problems?

Cardiovascular problems are the conditions in which either the heart or vessels carrying blood are affected, injured, or infected leading to different problems.

Types of cardiovascular problems:

1. 1. Myocardial infarction or heart attack
2. 2. Heart Failure
3. 3. Arrhythmia
4. 4. Stroke
5. 5. Stenosis (heart valve problems)
6. 6. Regurgitation (heart valve problems)
7.  

Q.4. What are the 3 Signs that tell that your chest pain is not a heart attack and what are the possible causes?

You can easily find out that your chest pain is not due to heart attack but it is due to some other reason, including, lung infection, injury to the lungs, or alveoli, blocked air passage, etc. Following three symptoms can make you clear that your chest is simply due to various causes other than heart attack.  

1. 2. If your chest pain is increasing with inhalation and decreasing with exhalation
2. 3. When you are feeling heavy on your chest
3. 4. When you have a cough with chest pain or some other infectious disease.
4.  

Q.5. What are the differences between heart pain and chest pain?

There are various differences between heart pain and chest pain, some of them are shown in the table given below.

Q.6. What is chest pain?

Chest pain occurs due to many reasons or we can say there are various causes for chest pain. The chest pain can take many forms as well, signifying serious health concerns. Hence, the person must visit a doctor no matter how small the symptom is. Because some mild symptoms of chest pain often increase affecting other body organs and take the form of serious illness. 

Q.7. What are the different forms of chest pain?

There are various types of chest pain, depending upon the cause. A few of the chest pain forms are given below;

• 1. Chest pain can be in the form of sharp stabbing in the chest
• 2. Chest pain can occur as slow growing pain that fades at some time but then suddenly start
• 3. Chest pain can be felt with breath, if we inhale it increases and with exhaling out the air it will decrease. 
• 4. Some chest pain gives a burning sensation.
• 5. While laying down you feel crushing or heaviness, which is the other form of chest pain. 
• 6. At times the chest pain often moves up towards the neck and reaches the jaw lines, it also irritates the gums as well. 
• 7. In severe cases the chest pain spreads toward the back and also causes pain in 1 or both the arms. 
•  

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