Heart Related Emergencies

Angina

What is it?

Chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to your heart muscle.

Symptoms:

It can be hard to tell the difference from angina and other types of chest pain, such as indigestion.
Angina can be stable or unstable.
If your angina gets worse or changes, seek emergency medical help immediately.

Aortic Dissection

What is it?

A tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the large blood vessel branching off the heart. Blood rushes through this tear into the middle layer of the aorta, causing the inner and middle layers to separate (dissect).

Symptoms:

If you are having any of these signs or symptoms, they could be caused by an aortic dissection or another serious condition. Seek emergency medical help immediately.

Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack

Heart attacks and cardiac arrest are not the same thing.

Heart Attack:
Cardiac Arrest:

Chest Wall Pain

What is it?

A type of muscle pain in the chest.

Types of Chest Wall Pain:

If you have costochondritis, pressing on a few points along the edge of your breastbone often triggers considerable tenderness. If gently touching the area with your fingers causes chest pain, it's unlikely that a serious condition, such as a heart attack, is the cause of your chest pain.

Heart Attack

What is it?

A blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle due to a clot.

Symptoms:

A heart attack generally causes chest pain for more than 15 minutes. The pain may be mild or severe. Some heart attacks strike suddenly, but many people have warning signs hours or days in advance.
Someone having a heart attack may have any or all of the following:

Symptoms in Women:

Women often experience less obvious warning signs

Plan of Action:

Pericarditis

What is it?

Swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding your heart (pericardium).

Symptoms:

Pericarditis is usually mild and goes away without treatment. If it's severe, you may need medication or, rarely, surgery.
It may be difficult to tell the difference between sudden (acute) pericarditis and pain due to a heart attack. If you have sudden, unexplained chest pain, seek emergency medical help.

Pneumonia with Pleurisy

What is it?

Inflammation of the membranes that surround the lung (pleura).

Symptoms:

Unlike a true heart attack, pleurisy pain is usually relieved temporarily by holding your breath or putting pressure on the painful area of your chest.
If you've recently been diagnosed with pneumonia and then start having symptoms of pleurisy, contact your health care provider or seek immediate medical attention to determine the cause of your chest pain. Pleurisy alone isn't a medical emergency, but you shouldn't try to make the diagnosis yourself.

Pulmonary Embolism

What is it?

A blood clot in the lung.
It occurs when a clot, usually in the leg or pelvis, breaks free and gets stuck in a lung artery (pulmonary artery). The clot interrupts blood flow, making it more difficult for your lungs to provide oxygen to the rest of your body.

Symptoms:

Pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening. If you have symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, seek emergency medical help immediately.