“Are chest pains always an emergency?”
My mom was having chest pains the other day, and I wanted to take her to the hospital but she told me that she was okay and refused to go. It turned out that she was dealing with a little acid reflex, and it went away after a few hours. But I still think that she should have gone to the emergency room to have it checked out. For future reference, when do chest pain warrant a visit to the ER?
2 Answers
Any chest pains can be concerning. Yes it can be nothing or something. A lot depends on age and health history. Anyone that has had a previous cardiac event or a diabetic or other health problems such as obesity, high cholesterol or hypertension should be immediately evaluated. Age is an important part of the decision as well. The older you the more likely you may be having a cardiac event. Better to be safe than sorry at any age. However, she could be having acid reflux and a cardiac event so it is important for her to now follow up with a cardiologist to make sure. Some cardiac events or heart attacks present differently in men than women and vary from person to person. I advise her to see a cardiologist as soon as possible and if the chest pain returns, go immediately to the ER.
Women can especially have atypical symptoms. It is wise to take your Mom for further heart testing.
