Chest Pain

21st August 2019

Chest Pain

London Medical provides cardiology care from leading experts to help keep your heart healthy

Chest pain is a frightening symptom, however most chest pain is not caused by problems with your heart. Your lungs, ribs, muscles and digestive system can all cause pain and discomfort in your chest. London Medical’s cardiac physicians are experts in identifying, treating and preventing cardiovascular disease. If you are concerned about pain, London Medical offers the latest cutting-edge investigations for chest pain, so that treatment can be targeted to relieve your symptoms and safeguard your future health.

When chest pain is an emergency

Some chest pain cannot wait for a routine appointment and investigations. You should call 999 and get urgent care if you develop sudden pain in your chest that:

Feels tight, heavy or crushing
Continues for more than 15 minutes
Spreads into the arms, neck, jaw or through to the back
Is associated with breathlessness, clamminess or sweating
Makes you feel unwell, weak or nauseous

You may be having a heart attack, which needs immediate emergency treatment.

A clot in the lung causes sharp chest pain that’s worse on breathing in. It may be linked to breathlessness and coughing up blood. A Pulmonary Embolism is a medical emergency and should also be treated urgently in hospital.

Investigation of chest pain at London Medical

London Medical state-of-the-art cardiology clinic offers the latest investigative procedures for patients with chest pain. Some of the UK’s most renowned cardiologists provide expert assessment and treatment, supported by a team of dedicated cardiac nurses, ultrasound specialists, and physiology technicians. Depending on your symptoms, your examination and your health investigations could include:

ECG recording
Treadmill exercise stress tests
Echocardiography
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring using the latest technology
Ambulatory ECG recorders
24 hour tape to look for cardiac arrhythmias

Assessment of your risk of developing heart disease

London Medical offers an in-depth assessment of your individual risk of developing heart disease. A range of non-invasive tests are available from London Medical’s laboratory and the state-of-the-art imaging suite. The results are used to identify risk factors and evaluate your current heart health. Tests include:

Screening for diabetes
BP monitoring
Comprehensive cholesterol and lipid profile: London Medical provides cutting-edge cholesterol and lipid testing to help assess your risk of cardiac disease. In addition to traditional cholesterol testing, London Medial exclusively offers LDL particle number analysis, one of the most powerful tools for predicting heart attack risk.
Carotid artery ultrasound: Scanning the carotid artery in the neck is an effective, low-radiation way of measuring the lining thickness and the size of any fatty plaques. A coronary artery calcium score is also assessed and these results are used in conjunction with the findings from the cholesterol blood tests to provide an overall assessment of personal risk.

Our Consultants

Dr George Amin-Youssef

Heart failure, valve and coronary artery disease, echo cardiograph. Exercise and stress echocardiography.

Professor Thomas F. Lüscher

Cardiology (from Prevention to Intervention)

Professor Carlo Di Mario

Director Structural Interventional Cardiology University of Florence & Honorary Consultant Cardiologist Royal Brompton Hospital London

Dr Fadi Jouhra

Consultant Cardiologist in Heart Failure and Complex Devices at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Simon Woldman

Dr Woldman is the chairman of the North Central London Heart Failure task group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is at risk of cardiovascular disease?

Anyone can get heart disease, however some people are more at risk. Your age, your lifestyle and your general health can all affect your vulnerability to coronary artery disease:

Smoking
Obesity
Increasing age
Family history of heart attacks or angina particularly in people less than 60 years of age
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Raised levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol

Should I have cholesterol levels checked?

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is also known as a myocardial infarction. It happens when one the vessels that supply blood to the muscles in the heart gets blocked. This can be caused by a fatty deposit breaking off and a clot forming. The thrombosis cuts off the blood supply to part of the muscle causing pain. Without prompt treatment, the muscle will be damaged permanently and the heart function may be impaired.

What does a heart attack feel like?

A heart attack usually causes pain in the chest that doesn’t go away. The pain may feel heavy and crushing and can spread into the arms, neck or jaw. Many people feel breathless, sick and faint and the heart may feel as if it’s racing. Those around you may notice that you look pale, clammy and unwell.

It’s vital to act fast if you’re worried about chest pain. Call 999. Swift and effective treatment can prevent heart damage and may save your life.