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Chest Pain Left Side and Why You Need To See a Doctor

Chest Pain Left Side and Why You Need To See a Doctor

Whether by biological imperative or simply habit; the words “chest pain left side” automatically conjure up the possibility of a heart attack first and foremost. Given all of the information about heart disease and the emergency training; jumping to this conclusion is not surprising.

While seeking medical attention for chest pain is rarely a bad idea, you can also perform an in-home threat assessment, which can help you classify your chest pain left side a little easier. We will review how to evaluate your symptoms in this article.

Chest Pain Left Side with Heart Muscle Involvement

Pain in your chest cavity could very well mean you will soon experience a heart attack. That said, pay particular attention to how that pain is typically described and what side effects usually accompany it.

For instance, it is usually described as a feeling of pressure, squeezing, or fullness in the chest cavity. This sensation is accompanied by:

• Numbness, pain, prickling in the left arm
• Muscle weakness, pain, heaviness in the extremities
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue which overtakes the body
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Sweating or flushing prior to the heart attack
• Back pain or gastric discomfort

These are common signs of heart attack, but every patient presents differently, so it is important to know what to look for, even if it doesn’t affect you in the same way as it would someone else. However, if you experience one or more of the symptoms, and the symptoms begin to worsen within a short span of time, seek medical attention immediately.

Chest Pain Left Side other Causes

Like we said in the introduction; it’s usually better not to assume the absolute worst scenario. Consider your activity level and how much stress you’re under before thinking heart attack and discounting all other possibilities.

If you are incredibly physically active or under a lot of stress, you may have left-sided chest pain as a direct result of your lifestyle choices. Talking to a specialist is the best way to make the long-term changes to your lifestyle and reduce secondary health conditions because of those changes.

Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site.  Call us at (212) 367-8000.