Chest pain has many causes — most are not immediately life-threatening, but some require emergency attention. This page helps you understand when chest pain is urgent, what the common causes are, and what assessment you need at Mascot Healthcare.
Most chest pain in Lagos presenting to a GP clinic is not a heart attack — but cardiac causes must always be assessed first and excluded. Common non-cardiac causes include GERD, costochondritis, and anxiety.
Crushing, pressure-like central or left chest pain — radiating to left arm, jaw, or shoulder. Sweating, breathlessness, nausea. A medical emergency. Call for help immediately.
Burning pain in the centre of the chest — worse after meals, lying flat, or at night. Often confused with cardiac pain. Responds to antacids.
Sharp pain at the junction of ribs and breastbone — reproducible when you press the area. Very common, not dangerous. Responds to NSAIDs.
Sharp chest pain — worse on breathing in and lying down, relieved by sitting forward. Often follows a viral infection. Requires ECG and assessment.
Sudden breathlessness + chest pain + rapid heart rate — especially after a long journey, surgery, or prolonged immobility. A medical emergency.
Palpitations, chest tightness, breathlessness, dizziness — triggered by stress. Real and distressing, but not life-threatening. Cardiac causes must be excluded first.
ECG (Electrocardiogram) — A 10-second trace of the heart's electrical activity — identifies heart attack, arrhythmia, and pericarditis. Done immediately at Mascot Healthcare.
Blood Pressure + Pulse Oximetry — Elevated BP, low oxygen saturation, or irregular pulse guide the urgency of further assessment.
Chest X-Ray — Assesses heart size, lung fields, and mediastinum — available on request.
Full Blood Count + D-Dimer — Elevated D-dimer with clinical suspicion prompts CT-PA for pulmonary embolism.
Lipid Profile + Fasting Glucose — Cardiovascular risk factor assessment for anyone with cardiac-sounding chest pain.
Crushing chest pain, arm radiation, sweating, breathlessness, or collapse: call someone, chew 300 mg aspirin if available (not if allergic), and go to hospital immediately.
Chest pain that is not crushing but has been present for more than 30 minutes, or is recurrent, requires a same-day ECG and assessment.
Burning after meals (likely GERD), reproducible pain on pressing the chest (likely costochondritis) — still warrants assessment but is less urgent.
Note when they happen, how long they last, and whether they are associated with chest pain, breathlessness, or dizziness. An ECG during palpitations is diagnostic.
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