Emergency Care For Chest Pain and Heart Attacks in 77005

If you are experiencing chest pain,  you need to visit an emergency room or to call 911 immediately. If you have a cardiologist, have a a family member message the offie and tell them where you are headed.

We see patients with chest pain often, and there is usually no cause for immediate alarm. Sometimes the pain is due to the heart, which is a warning sign. However, we realize it can be hard to decipher if you do not have the training to identify the difference.

With the help of one of our board-certified Physicians, we have listed out key warning signs below.

If you do visit our facility, we have the experience and training to properly diagnose the cause of your chest pain and follow up treatment. Our emergency room is located in Rice Village near 77005. There are no wait times, and we are open 24/7 every day of the year.  We never leave you waiting for hours in a crowded waiting room.

You can check in online or call and tell us you are on your way.

Rice ER is not an urgent care or clinic. We are a certified emergency room with cardiac emergency care similar to a hospital ER. The difference is, we provide our clients with shorter wait times, and much better experience from the moment you walk in, to testing and discharge.

Our facility  has state-of-the-art equipment for X-rays, CT scans, laboratory for blood tests, and electrocardiograms, all of which are necessary tools a Physician needs to properly diagnose the cause of chest pain.

Here Is When You Should Visit An ER For Chest Pain. 

Get immediate emergency care when chest pain ranges from mild discomfort to severe pain accompanied by some of the following symptoms:

• A feeling of pressure on the chest, with burning, and/or tightness.
• A pressure or burning pain that radiates down one or both arms, or spreads to the back, neck, jaw, or shoulders.
• Your arm or hand may feel numb.
• The pain may last longer than a few minutes and gets worse with activity.
• The pain may go away briefly but return with more intensity.
• The pain is accompanied by shortness of breath.
• You break out in a cold sweat.
• You are also dizzy, weak, or lightheaded.
• It feels as though your heartbeat is racing.
• You may be nauseated or even vomit.

Medical Conditions That Cause Chest Pain

Below are specific heart-related conditions that cause chest pain:

• Heart attack. Blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, likely from a blood clot.
• Angina. This is caused by a blockage of the flow of blood to the heart muscle by a buildup of plaque in the arteries.
• Aortic dissection. The inner layers of the aorta separate. The aorta is the main artery in the body, and this is a life-threatening condition and needs immediate medical intervention.
• Pericarditis. There is inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart. It causes a sharp pain that worsens when lying or taking a deep breath.

Are there heart attack symptoms unique to women only?

Women will usually have the same symptoms when they are having a heart attack. Some do not even have chest pain, but experience some of the following symptoms:

• Pain in other areas of the body such as the shoulders, upper back, upper belly, jaw, or the neck.
• Shortness of breath
• Arm pain. Either in both arms or just one.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Heavy sweating.
• Dizziness.
• Abnormal fatigue.
• Heartburn due to indigestion.

What types of chest pain symptoms are unrelated to the heart?

Chest pain is less likely due to a heart problem if it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• A sour taste in the mouth or a sensation that food is reentering the mouth.
• You have trouble swallowing.
• When you change your body position, the pain gets either better or worse,
• Tenderness when you push on your chest
• Pain that continues for many hours

Warning: there can be false signals related to unknown or known diseases and illnesses. The only way to get an accurate answer is with medical testing.

Unrelated medical conditions that can cause chest pain.

• Digestive issues related to the pancreatitis, gallbladder, or heartburn.
• Sore muscles, injured ribs, costochondritis.
• Blood clot in the lung which is life-threatening.
• Panic attack.

Are there specific diagnostic tests used immediately to determine the cause of the chest pain?

There are immediate tests the ER Physician will order. At Rice ER, we have onsite laboratory and imaging services so that test results are provided quickly. This enables the Doctor to make a diagnosis and instigate treatment. The tests you will need include:

• An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This shows whether you have had a geart attack and whether your heart is beating too fast or too slow.
• Blood tests. This tells the Doctor if cardiac enzymes have leaked into your blood stream which happens if you have had a heart attack.
• Chest X-ray. This shows your heart, lungs, and the blood vessels and whether your heart is enlarged.
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan. This can tell if there is a blood clot or if there has been an aortic dissection.