Heart Attack or Angina - Dubai Cardiology Clinic

Do I have Angina or a Heart attack?

When you get chest pain, don’t ignore it, but don’t panic because you need to act in a reasonable way to clear the matter very soon without further trouble. If you are feeling any heart attack symptoms you can call +97142798200. DRHC is Dubai's best cardiology centre for diagnosing heart attack symptoms.

There are many causes of chest pain. I will list them down, and then I will focus on the ischemic chest pain, which needs special attention:

• Coronary artery disease(CAD).
• Parietal chest pain: this pain increases with deep breathing and palpation of the area.
• Gastroesophageal reflux and esophagitis: associated with heartburn or what we call acidity, especially after a big meal, and are relieved by antacids.
• Anxiety and neurotic pain: anxiety attacks and anxious personality can be the cause.
• Pneumonia and pleurisy: Pneumonia is associated with (fever, cough, dullness on percussion, rales or rhonchi by auscultation). For pleurisy, the pain increases with deep breathing and chest movement.
• Cardiac failure: associated with shortness of breath on exertion or lying flat, and sometimes leg swelling.
• Pulmonary embolism: associated with severe chest pain with tachycardia and tachypnea – fever – DVT or recent operation or baby delivery. A blood test for D-dimer can help to clarify the situation.
• Pneumothorax: patient would not be able to lie flat – very anxious – CXR gave the diagnosis immediately.
• Acute pericarditis: usually associated with a history of a cold 2 weeks ago – the pain improves when the patient is sitting and leaning forward.
• Aortic dissection: chest pain radiates to the back – Pulse and blood pressure are different in the upper arms. CT of the chest is clear, the diagnosis. DRHC offers all kinds of heart disease treatment.

Read: Heart attack symptoms in women

Did you hear about a Silent heart attack or a Silent myocardial infarction?

• Shingles or Zona in the left chest wall: pain or severe burning sensation on the left side, and a red rash follows to clarify the diagnosis.

Now, let us go to our goal, ischemic pain(coronary artery disease), which has a wide range:

I – Angina pectoris: chest pain with exertion or emotional stress radiating to the left arm or shoulder or jaw, lasting for a few minutes and relieved by rest and sublingual nitroglycerin.

II – Unstable angina: chest pain at rest or anginal pain lasts more than a few minutes or is more severe than before.

III – Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), severe chest pain radiating to both shoulders – lasting 20 minutes or more, associated with diaphoresis – fear, apprehension – nausea or vomiting, pale color, and the patient looks unwell.

Investigations like an ECG will show:

• ST-segment elevation or depression,
• left bundle branch block (new),
• Q waves,
• Deep T wave inversion,

Now we have to send the patient to the hospital to confirm the diagnosis of heart attack by Echocardiography and a blood test of Troponin I. If the diagnosis (STEMI, we will transfer the patient to the Cath. Lab for coronary angiography and angioplasty, and if it is (NSTEMI), we stabilise the case, then do a coronary angiogram the next day.

You will ask about STEMI and NSTEMI – STEMI means myocardial infarction with ST elevation and positive troponin I, which needs angioplasty within 90 minutes, whereas NSTEMI means myocardial infarction without ST elevation, which could be managed by medicine and needs coronary angiography later on in 1-2 days.

Meet our Cardiologist to know about heart attack symptoms, signs of heart attack, types of heart attacks, different levels of heart attacks, what causes heart attacks, and healthy heart foods. Dubai Cardiology clinic at Dr Rami Hamed Center provides you with one of the best cardiologists in Dubai for treating hypertension, heart attack, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, Holter monitoring, stress test, chest pain, and echocardiography.