Chest pain is a very common symptom that can occur every day for benign reasons but also heart related reasons.
One condition that can cause chest pain on a daily basis is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is chronic acid reflux.
It will feel reassuring to the person who experiences chest pain nearly every day except during exercise, making them believe that it can’t possibly be heart related.
Unexplained chest pain, however, needs to be investigated by a doctor.
It may not be heart related, but may have some other serious cause such as cancer (e.g., lung, lymphoma) or a blood clot in the lung.
- The No. 1 reason that people present to emergency rooms is chest pain.
- Most of these patients are not diagnosed with a heart problem.
“There are many factors that contribute to the burden of daily chest pain,” says Lance S. Burns, MD, emergency medicine specialist, of Legacy ER & Urgent Care, Frisco East location.
“Such include the straining of chest wall muscle fibers and irritation within the lining of the lungs.
“One should always see their physician when chest pain is a concern, either daily or intermittently.”
Dr. Burns adds that “a cardiac stress test and blood work to evaluate for potential clotting may be indicated” when standard ER tests turn up negative.
“Certainly at a minimum a chest X-ray would be a useful diagnostic tool.”
What can a chest X-ray show?
A chest X-ray can help diagnose chest pain by providing images of the heart, lungs and chest wall.
It can reveal abnormalities such as:
• Fluid accumulation around the lungs (pleural effusion) or heart (pericardial effusion).
• Enlarged heart (cardiomegaly), which may indicate heart failure.
• Lung infections or diseases, like pneumonia or bronchitis.
• Collapsed lung (pneumothorax) or pulmonary embolism.
Dr. Burns has over 30 years of experience, and he specializes in emergency medicine as well as family medicine. For more info: Legacy ER & Urgent Care.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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