Chest Pain: Understanding What Your Body Is Telling You
Chest pain is never something to ignore. Whether it's cardiac or non-cardiac, we provide comprehensive evaluation to identify the cause and protect your health.
If you're experiencing chest pain, you need answers—not reassurance without investigation. We use advanced diagnostics to determine exactly what's causing your symptoms.
What is Chest Pain?
Chest pain is defined as discomfort, pressure, tightness, or pain in the thoracic region that may radiate to the arms, jaw, neck, or back. It represents one of the most critical symptoms requiring urgent evaluation, as it may indicate life-threatening cardiac conditions including myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, or pulmonary embolism. However, chest pain can also arise from gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, respiratory, or psychological sources. Accurate diagnosis requires comprehensive assessment beyond standard ECG and blood work.
Common Misconception
Chest pain is always cardiac or it's just anxiety/indigestion
Medical Reality
Chest pain has multiple potential causes: cardiac (angina, heart attack, pericarditis, aortic dissection), pulmonary (pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, pneumothorax), gastrointestinal (GERD, esophageal spasm, gallbladder disease), musculoskeletal (costochondritis, muscle strain, rib fracture), and psychological (anxiety, panic attacks). Accurate diagnosis requires systematic evaluation of all systems. In Dubai's high-stress environment, both cardiac and stress-related chest pain are prevalent.
Common Accompanying Symptoms
- Pressure, tightness, or squeezing in the chest
- Pain radiating to arm, jaw, neck, or back
- Shortness of breath with chest discomfort
- Cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness
- Pain triggered by exertion or emotional stress
Any chest pain warrants immediate medical evaluation to rule out life-threatening causes.
What May Be Causing Your Chest Pain
Chest pain requires investigation for these potential underlying conditions.
Biological Mechanisms
Chest pain results from various mechanisms depending on the cause: (1) Cardiac ischemia—myocardial oxygen demand exceeds supply, causing angina from coronary artery disease or spasm; (2) Inflammation—pericarditis causes sharp, positional chest pain; (3) Pulmonary causes—pulmonary embolism causes pleuritic pain from lung ischemia, pneumothorax causes sudden sharp pain; (4) Gastrointestinal—acid reflux irritates esophagus, gallbladder disease causes referred pain; (5) Musculoskeletal—costochondritis causes inflammation of chest wall joints; (6) Neuropathic—intercostal neuralgia causes nerve-related chest wall pain. Understanding the mechanism guides appropriate diagnostic testing and treatment.
Contributing Factors
Coronary Artery Disease
Atherosclerosis narrows coronary arteries, restricting blood flow to heart muscle
Angina Pectoris
Temporary myocardial ischemia causes recurrent chest discomfort, typically exertional
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Stomach acid reflux irritates esophagus, causing burning chest pain
Costochondritis
Inflammation of chest wall cartilage causes localized chest wall pain
Pulmonary Embolism
Blood clot in pulmonary arteries causes sudden, sharp pleuritic chest pain
Environmental Triggers
- High stress in Dubai work environment
- Extreme heat affecting cardiovascular system
- Air quality and dust particles
- High altitude considerations for travel
Dietary Factors
- Heavy meals triggering reflux
- Caffeine and stimulant consumption
- Alcohol consumption
- Processed foods contributing to atherosclerosis
Lifestyle Factors
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Lack of regular cardiovascular exercise
- Chronic stress without management
How We Identify the Cause
Standard evaluation may miss subtle cardiac abnormalities. Our advanced testing provides comprehensive assessment.
Our Approach
At Healers Clinic, we take chest pain seriously. While not all chest pain is cardiac, we approach every case as if it could be until proven otherwise. Our integrative methodology combines conventional cardiac testing with functional medicine approaches to identify root causes—whether arterial blockages, inflammation, stress-related cardiac syndrome, or non-cardiac sources. We provide rapid triage to rule out emergencies while also addressing underlying contributors to recurrent chest pain.
12-Lead ECG
Purpose: Assess heart electrical activity and rhythm
Shows: Arrhythmias, ischemia patterns, previous heart attacks, conduction abnormalities
Cardiac Biomarkers
Purpose: Detect heart muscle damage
Shows: Troponin, CK-MB, BNP/NT-proBNP
Exercise Stress Test
Purpose: Evaluate heart response to physical stress
Shows: Exercise-induced ischemia, arrhythmias, exercise capacity
Advanced Lipid Panel
Purpose: Comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk
Shows: LDL, HDL, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), apolipoproteins
Cardiac Imaging
Purpose: Visualize heart structure and function
Shows: Echocardiogram, CT coronary angiography findings
Inflammatory Markers
Purpose: Assess systemic inflammation affecting heart
Shows: HS-CRP, homocysteine, fibrinogen
How We Treat Chest Pain
Depending on the cause, various interventions can provide relief while we complete the diagnosis.
Cardiac Evaluation
Rule out or confirm cardiac causes
Lifestyle Modification
Address modifiable risk factors
Stress Management
Reduce stress-related cardiac symptoms
Standard vs. Investigative Care
Standard Approach
Often orders ECG and basic blood work; if normal, may dismiss as anxiety or indigestion
- ×May miss microvascular disease
- ×Doesn't assess inflammation or novel risk factors
- ×Doesn't address root contributors
- ×May miss non-cardiac causes requiring different treatment
Our Approach
Comprehensive cardiac evaluation combined with assessment of inflammation, metabolic factors, and non-cardiac causes
- Identifies both cardiac and non-cardiac causes
- Assesses complete cardiovascular risk profile
- Enables targeted treatment based on findings
- Addresses lifestyle and environmental contributors
Expected Healing Timeline
Phase 1: Emergency Triage
First 24-48 hoursFocus: Rule out life-threatening causes, ECG and cardiac biomarkers, Clinical assessment
Expected Outcome: Confirm stability or identify emergency
Phase 2: Comprehensive Investigation
Week 1-2Focus: Advanced cardiac testing, Risk factor assessment, Secondary cause evaluation
Expected Outcome: Identify specific cause of chest pain
Phase 3: Targeted Treatment
Weeks 3-8Focus: Treatment based on findings, Lifestyle modification, Monitoring
Expected Outcome: Resolution or control of chest pain
At-Home Relief Strategies
While seeking evaluation, these strategies may help manage symptoms.
Rest and Monitor
Avoid exertion until evaluated; rest in comfortable position
Expected: Reduces cardiac demand
Avoid Triggers
Skip caffeine, heavy meals, and alcohol until evaluated
Expected: Reduces potential irritants
Document Symptoms
Record when pain occurs, duration, intensity, and triggers
Expected: Provides valuable diagnostic information
Deep Breathing
Practice slow, deep breaths if pain is non-emergency
Expected: May help if related to anxiety
Common Questions Answered
Heart-related chest pain (angina) typically presents as pressure, tightness, or squeezing that may radiate to the arm, jaw, or neck. It's often triggered by exertion or stress and relieved by rest. However, any chest pain warrants immediate medical evaluation. Call 998 if pain is severe, new, or accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, or cold sweat.