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Chest Pain Discharge Instructions


About this topic


Chest pain is felt in the upper part of your body from your neck to your belly. You may feel pain, pressure, or tightness. Your heart and lungs are common sources of pain. You can also have pain from your chest muscles or the tendons and nerves in your chest. Your chest pain may be caused by a serious health problem or by something not as serious. ‚  
Treatment will depend on what is causing your chest pain. ‚  


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What care is needed at home?


  • Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
  • Get lots of rest. Ask your doctor how much activity and rest you need.
  • You doctor may give you drugs for pain. Make sure to take all the drugs ordered by your doctor.
  • Avoid things that can make you angry or stressed.

What follow-up care is needed?


  • Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
  • Your doctor will tell you if other tests are needed.
  • You doctor will tell you if you need to see a specialist like a heart doctor or cardiologist.

What drugs may be needed?


If chest pain is caused by a heart-related problem, the doctor may order drugs to: ‚  
  • Thin the blood
  • Dissolve a blood clot
  • Lower cholesterol
  • Lessen the work of your heart
  • Correct or prevent an abnormal heartbeat
  • Lower your blood pressure
  • Increase blood flow to the heart muscle
  • Relax the heart and help avoid spasms in the arteries

If chest pain is caused by a something other than your heart, the doctor may order drugs to: ‚  
  • Help with pain
  • Treat stomach problems
  • Help with breathing
  • Help you relax
  • Control coughing

Will physical activity be limited?


  • Limit activities that can trigger chest pain.
  • You may need to be less active at first, and then slowly return to normal levels. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you.

What changes to diet are needed?


Ask your doctor if you need to make changes in your diet. ‚  

What problems could happen?


  • Heart attack
  • Other heart problems
  • Blood clot in the lungs

What can be done to prevent this health problem?


  • If you smoke, stop.
  • Keep a healthy weight. If you are too heavy, lose weight.
  • Keep blood pressure, cholesterol, and high blood sugar (diabetes) under control.
  • Exercise at least 3 to 4 times a week.
  • Eat lots of fiber, fruits, starches, and vegetables and stay away from foods that are high in fats.

When do I need to call the doctor?


Activate the emergency medical system right away if you have signs of a heart attack. Call 911 in the United States or Canada. The sooner treatment begins, the better your chances for recovery. Call for emergency help right away if you have: ‚  
  • Signs of heart attack:
    • Chest pain
    • Trouble breathing
    • Fast heartbeat
    • Feeling dizzy
  • Not had chest pain before and it does not go away with rest after 5 minutes. Do not drive yourself to the hospital or have someone drive you. The emergency rescue people can begin to treat you the minute they arrive.

If your doctor has given you nitroglycerin for heart pain, sit or lie down. ‚  
  • Place a pill under your tongue and allow it to dissolve. If your mouth is dry, take a small sip of water.
  • Wait 5 minutes and if the chest pain does not go away, call for help and put a second nitro pill under your tongue.
  • Sometimes, your doctor will tell you to take a third pill after another 5 minutes.

Teach Back: Helping You Understand


The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚  
  • I can tell you about my pain.
  • I can tell you when I can go back to my normal activities.
  • I can tell you what I will do if I have signs of a heart attack or stroke.

Where can I learn more?


American Heart Association ‚  
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/AboutHeartAttacks/About-Heart-Attacks_UCM_002038_Article.jsp ‚  
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/SymptomsDiagnosisofHeartAttack/Angina-Chest-Pain_UCM_450308_Article.jsp ‚  
FamilyDoctor.org ‚  
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/angina.printerview.all.html ‚  
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute ‚  
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/angina/ ‚  

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer


This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚  

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