Chest Pain Specialist

What is chest pain?

Chest pain is a symptom. It includes any discomfort you feel in your chest area and might affect your lungs, back, ribs, or center of your chest. 

The type of pain you feel varies, depending on the cause. You may feel a dull ache or a sharp pain. The pain may last a few seconds, minutes, or hours, and it may come and go.

You can also have chronic chest pain, which is pain that lasts six or more months.

What causes chest pain?

Though not always a serious medical problem, chest pain is a symptom of a heart attack, and you should have it evaluated. Dr. Bomb provides comprehensive cardiac care and testing at RK Heart & Vascular Care and can determine if your heart is causing your chest pain.

However, chest pain has other causes, including:

• Heartburn
• Gallstones
• Esophagitis
• Hiatal hernia
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism
• Broken rib
• Muscle strain
• Panic attack

If you have chest pain during physical activity, you may have angina. That type of chest pain means your heart isn’t getting an adequate supply of oxygen-rich blood. Angina is a symptom of a heart problem.

If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

What can I expect during a chest pain evaluation?

You can expect a comprehensive evaluation when you visit Dr. Bomb for chest pain. He takes a holistic and patient-centered approach to care to fully understand the cause of your symptoms.

Dr. Bomb inquires about your family and personal medical history, performs a physical examination, and orders blood work. He also performs tests to assess heart health and function if needed. Testing might include:

Electrocardiogram (EKG)

An EKG is a painless and quick test that measures the electrical activity in your heart. Dr. Bomb performs this test to check for heart diseases like arrhythmia or coronary artery disease (CAD). It may also help him see if you’ve had a heart attack in the past.

Stress testing

Stress testing measures the electrical activity of your heart when it’s pumping hard, usually during exercise. It’s easier to find heart problems when your heart is really pumping. 

Dr. Bomb offers many types of stress tests, including the exercise stress test, echocardiogram stress test, and nuclear stress test. 

After your evaluation, Dr. Bomb talks to you about his findings and creates a plan to improve your overall heart health, which might include preventative cardiology.

Find out what’s causing your chest pain by calling RK Heart & Vascular Care or booking an appointment online today.