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Sharp chest pain
Hello I am seeking advise for a family member apparently yesterday in the middle of the night he experienced sharp chest pain that woke him up and scared him. He has been prescribed high blood pressure medication but denies to take them. He smokes and drinks daily has been told to quit. He performs construction work and works daily never misses work, and skips meals What shall I help him with?
I'm not a doctor but I would recommend he sees a doctor or go to the ER right away. What if it could be a heart attack? God forbid! The only thing similar I have had were from panic attacks. But they didn't have sharp pains and they never woke me at night. Please have him see a professional!
Thanks for replying and your right a Dr's visit would be the right direction
I agree, but I wouldn't wait a week to see a doctor; I'd go right now.
This person has a number of risk factors for heart disease and/or stroke.
Curious: Why won't he take the meds for high blood pressure? There a LOT of different drugs on the market for hypertension, and surely there must be one that would agree with him..
Good luck...
This person has a number of risk factors for heart disease and/or stroke.
Curious: Why won't he take the meds for high blood pressure? There a LOT of different drugs on the market for hypertension, and surely there must be one that would agree with him..
Good luck...
Hey there. Sounds like he needs a good wake up call and hopefully that was it. But he is a non compliant patient, so taking him to the doctor is only half the battle. As far as a heart attack goes, it is usually a feeling of pressure and tightness at the chest, accompanied by sweating, weakness and difficulty breathing. A sharp pain is more like indigestion or gallbladder. Anyway, don't tell him that. Get him to the doctor.
PS to answer your question, it sounds like he has an issue with alcohol. If he drinks daily and skips meals that could be a sign. He may not want to take the BP meds cause you can't drink with them. Why not ask him why he won't. Perhaps the thing you should help him with is the drinking.
A Heart Attack is different for different people. When I had mine it woke me up in the middle of the night too, felt like a strong ache dead center in my chest, radiating into both shoulders and L jaw. I was in denial and took pain med for it and it went away in a few hours. I didn't have what I thought were classic signs of a heart attack. Went to the Doctor the next day and he did bloodwork. He had to freeze it and send it somewhere to test troponin level. He called the next day and said I had elevated troponin level and to go to the ER immediately because I was having a heart attack. Turns out there was a 99% blockage in the R Coronary Artery and got a heart stent.
When I went to Cardiac Rehab and talked to others they were all different. Some described pain, some said it was pressure, one guy said he thought he just had indigestion. The ones that had pain and pressure all said it was dead center, radiating into one or both shoulders and possibly jaw.
A Doctor's Office can't always find a heart attack. A good friend had chest pains and went to the ER 3 times. They did EKG, stress test and who knows what other tests and kept sending him home. The chest pains would return in a day or 3. They finally did a heart cath and found a 98% blockage and he got a stent. He didn't have a heart attack but the cardiologist said he was on the verge of a massive heart attack.
The best thing you could do is have your Family Member checked out at the ER immediately (already too late for that). If it's the heart it will come back and next time it could be real bad. They might help avoid a heart attack if he didn't already have one. A heart attack always causes some heart damage so you might be able to prevent that. The sharp pain could be angina, I had it after my heart attack.
When I went to Cardiac Rehab and talked to others they were all different. Some described pain, some said it was pressure, one guy said he thought he just had indigestion. The ones that had pain and pressure all said it was dead center, radiating into one or both shoulders and possibly jaw.
A Doctor's Office can't always find a heart attack. A good friend had chest pains and went to the ER 3 times. They did EKG, stress test and who knows what other tests and kept sending him home. The chest pains would return in a day or 3. They finally did a heart cath and found a 98% blockage and he got a stent. He didn't have a heart attack but the cardiologist said he was on the verge of a massive heart attack.
The best thing you could do is have your Family Member checked out at the ER immediately (already too late for that). If it's the heart it will come back and next time it could be real bad. They might help avoid a heart attack if he didn't already have one. A heart attack always causes some heart damage so you might be able to prevent that. The sharp pain could be angina, I had it after my heart attack.
Sorry, wanted to add one thing. I learned a trick that takes away angina chest pain temporarily. I was told to take 10 separate sips of water without taking a breath. Don't know how or why it works but for me it was better than taking nitro which gives me an instant headache. If it's angina you'll know it if 10 sips takes the pain away.
I'm not a Doctor or Nurse, He needs to be checked out at the hospital.
I'm not a Doctor or Nurse, He needs to be checked out at the hospital.
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