In many Kolkata homes, a heavy feeling in the chest after a big meal is quickly blamed on "gas" or "acidity". Often that is true, but heart pain can feel very similar, and guessing wrong can cost precious time. If you have chest pain right now, stop reading: call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
Chest pain now? Get emergency help first
Call 112 (India's emergency number) or your local ambulance service, and go to the nearest hospital emergency department now if chest pain, pressure or tightness:
is sudden or severe
lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
comes with sweating, breathlessness, nausea, dizziness, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw, neck or back
While you get help:
Don't drive yourself. If an ambulance cannot come quickly, ask someone to take you straight to hospital.
Don't wait to "see if it's gas". In a heart attack, every minute counts.
Don't start any new medicine on your own. Follow the emergency operator's advice, or the plan your own doctor has already given you.
Pain that has settled still counts. If you had chest pain in the last 3 days that lasted more than about 15 minutes, go to a hospital emergency department today, even if you now feel fine. Do not wait for a clinic appointment.
জরুরি: এখন বা গত ৩ দিনে বুকে ব্যথা?
বুকে ব্যথা বা চাপ ধরা ভাব হঠাৎ বা তীব্র হলে, কয়েক মিনিটের বেশি থাকলে বা কমে গিয়ে আবার ফিরে এলে, অথবা সঙ্গে ঘাম, শ্বাসকষ্ট, বমি ভাব, মাথা ঘোরা, কিংবা হাত, চোয়াল, ঘাড় বা পিঠে ব্যথা ছড়িয়ে পড়লে:
এখনই 112 বা স্থানীয় অ্যাম্বুলেন্সে ফোন করুন এবং নিকটতম হাসপাতালের ইমার্জেন্সিতে যান।
নিজে গাড়ি চালিয়ে যাবেন না। "গ্যাস কিনা দেখি" ভেবে অপেক্ষা করবেন না।
গত ৩ দিনে ১৫ মিনিটের বেশি বুকে ব্যথা হয়ে থাকলে, এখন কমে গেলেও আজই হাসপাতালের ইমার্জেন্সিতে যান।
Why you can't tell gas from a heart attack at home
Heart attack pain is not always "crushing". It can feel like burning, fullness or indigestion. Nausea and upper-stomach discomfort can happen with both acidity and heart problems. Chest discomfort with a cold sweat should always be treated as an emergency.
Only hospital tests can sort this out, mainly an ECG (a recording of the heart's electrical activity) and blood tests for heart muscle damage. Even one normal ECG is not enough: an early ECG can look normal during a heart attack, so doctors often repeat tests over a few hours.
Heart attack warning signs
The most common sign is discomfort in the centre of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or comes and goes. Watch for:
Pressure, squeezing, heaviness or tightness in the centre of the chest
Pain spreading to one or both arms, the jaw, neck, back or upper stomach
Breathlessness
A cold sweat
Nausea or vomiting
Light-headedness or dizziness
Unusual, unexplained tiredness
Symptoms can start slowly and feel mild, and you do not need to have all of them.
Symptoms can be different in some people
Women: Chest discomfort is still the most common symptom. But the American Heart Association notes that women are more likely than men to have breathlessness, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain. These are easy to mistake for acidity or tiredness.
Older adults: Older people may have breathlessness, dizziness or unusual weakness rather than classic chest pain.
People with diabetes: Diabetes can damage the nerves that carry pain signals. A person with diabetes may feel little or no chest pain during a heart attack, and notice only breathlessness, sweating, nausea or sudden tiredness. Do not ignore these signs.
Signs that point more toward acidity or muscle strain
A burning feeling behind the breastbone after meals or when lying down, with a sour taste or food coming back up
Pain that started after a strain or injury and hurts when you press on one spot
But be careful. If the pain is new, severe, different from your usual acidity, or comes with any warning sign, treat it as an emergency. Burping, or feeling better for a while after an antacid, does not rule out a heart problem.
Other serious causes of chest pain
Sudden, severe, tearing pain that goes through to the back can be a sign of a tear in the body's main blood vessel (aortic dissection).
Sudden breathlessness with chest pain, often worse when breathing in, can be a sign of a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism).
Both need emergency care: call 112. Sharp pain that is worse when breathing in or lying down needs a medical check the same day.
When to see a cardiologist soon
Some symptoms are not an emergency but should not be ignored. Arrange a prompt check-up with a heart doctor (cardiologist) if you have:
Chest pain while walking or climbing stairs that settles within a few minutes of rest. This can be angina (reduced blood flow to the heart). If it comes at rest, lasts longer or keeps getting worse, go to an emergency department.
New or worsening breathlessness when you are active
Palpitations (a racing, pounding or irregular heartbeat)
Swelling of the ankles or feet
Fainting: see a doctor the same day. If you faint during exercise or effort, or the faint comes with chest pain, palpitations or breathlessness, go to a hospital emergency department.
If any of these come with chest pain, fainting, severe dizziness or severe breathlessness, go to a hospital emergency department.
Who should be extra careful? People with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, excess weight, any tobacco use, or a family history of early heart disease. Indians and other South Asians also tend to get heart disease at a younger age.
Tests a cardiologist may advise
If you have chest pain now, do not come to the clinic for an ECG. Go to a hospital emergency department, where repeat ECGs and blood tests can be done. Your cardiologist decides which tests you need.
ECG: a quick test that records the heart's electrical activity. ECG is available at MCR in Behala.
Holter monitoring: a small portable ECG recorder worn for 24 to 48 hours or longer during daily life, to catch rhythm problems that a short ECG may miss. Holter monitoring is also available at MCR.
Blood tests: such as cholesterol (lipid profile) and blood sugar or HbA1c. Samples can be given at the clinic.
Other tests: such as an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or a stress test, if needed.
Lowering your heart risk
According to the WHO, most heart diseases can be prevented by tackling unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, tobacco and harmful alcohol use.
Check blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol as often as your doctor advises
Avoid all tobacco, including bidis, gutkha and khaini
Stay active: aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. If activity brings on chest discomfort, breathlessness or dizziness, stop and see a doctor before doing more. Ask your doctor what level of activity is right for you.
Eat more vegetables and fruit, with less salt, sugar and fried food
Take your prescribed medicines regularly, and don't stop or change them without asking your doctor
Heart check-ups at MCR, Behala
For symptoms that are not an emergency, such as chest discomfort on exertion that settles quickly with rest, palpitations or breathlessness, book a prompt check-up at our cardiology clinic, or have your risk factors assessed. Dr. Suman Halder (MBBS, MD (Physiology), DNB (Gen. Med.), DrNB (Cardiology)) consults on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, by appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Is left-side chest pain always the heart?
No. It can come from muscles, ribs, lungs, the food pipe or the stomach. Heart pain is often felt in the centre of the chest and may spread to the arm, jaw or back. The side of the pain alone cannot tell you the cause.
What should I do if someone collapses?
If someone collapses and is not responding or not breathing normally, call 112 at once, then start hands-only CPR even if you are not trained: push hard and fast in the centre of the chest, about 100 to 120 times a minute, until help arrives. If an AED (automatic defibrillator) is nearby, switch it on and follow its voice instructions.
Sources: American Heart Association (Warning signs of a heart attack; Heart attack symptoms in women); Gulati M, et al. 2021 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain, Circulation, 2021; World Health Organization (Cardiovascular diseases fact sheet).
How to book
For a non-urgent heart check-up, book a clinic appointment or call/WhatsApp +91 9830525004.
MCR Super Speciality Polyclinic & Pathology, 11A, Sourin Roy Road, near Behala Tram Depot, beside Ellora Cinema Hall, Behala, Kolkata 700034. Open Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 8 PM (Sunday closed).
Chest pain happening now? Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
General information: This article is general information and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
Doctor Consultations & Pathology Tests in Behala, Kolkata
Contact
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Address
11A, Sourin Roy Road, near Behala Tram Depot, beside Ellora Cinema Hall, Behala, Kolkata 700034
Open Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 8 PM. Sunday closed.