Health & Care Information Learn all about Substernal Chest Pain its diagnosis, symptoms and treatment options. Chest pain comes in many varieties, ranging from a sharp stab to a dull ache. Some chest pain is described as crushing or burning.
Chest pain can be caused by acute pericarditis, perhaps following a viral illness. In this condition, chest pain radiates to the back, neck, or shoulders and often worsens when the patient inhales. It improves if the patient sits upright or leans forward. The pain is traditionally accompanied by dyspnea and fever.
Heart attacks can cause substernal chest pain because the heart is deprived of oxygen, causing chest complications, as noted by Right Diagnosis. Hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol are all factors that lead to heart attacks. Chest pain is a prime indication of a heart attack, but sufferers do not always exhibit this type of pain. Others may confuse heart attack pain with less serious problems, such as a panic attack. Substernal chest pain is caused by such ailments as pneumonia, anemia, hypertension, heart attack and pulmonary embolism.
There are various factors which lead to Substernal Chest Pain, some of which can be extremely serious to include Pulmonary Embolism, Aortic Stenosis, Stable Angina Pectoris, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Myocardial Infarction, Atrial Fibrillation and the like. It is estimated that about 25% of people in the United States experience Substernal chest pain for one reason or another.
Substernal chest pain usually can be diagnosed by history and physical examination if other etiologies have been excluded. Measurement of the sedimentation rate generally is not helpful in making the diagnosis in unusual situations, radiography may be helpful. The treatment for Substernal Chest Pain solely depends on the underlying cause of the pain. Drugs and some surgical procedures are used to treat this type of chest pain.
Substernal Chest Pain
Substernal Chest Pain can be quite painful. If an individual experiences pain just below the sternal bone, then it is termed as Substernal Chest Pain. Typical chest pains are related to heart complications, and substernal pain falls under this category. Substernal pain may also occur on the left side of the chest, and while typical pain is normally constant, a creeping discomfort can grow severe for a few minutes. The pain usually begins in the chest and travels to other parts of the body, such as the jaws or arms.
Substernal Chest Pain Diagnosis
Substernal Chest Pain which may not be caused due to a cardiac cause but it is still imperative for the individual to undergo diagnostic studies to rule out a potentially cardiac cause of the pain, as it is difficult to differentiate Substernal Chest Pain caused due to cardiac causes or non-cardiac causes. Some of the diagnostic tests are as under:
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Blood Tests
• Chest X-Ray
• CT scan
Substernal Chest Pain ICD-10Code
Substernal chest pain ICD-10 code is R07.2. Coders should focus on chest pain coding, among other areas, to prepare for ICD-10-CM. Chest pain is a common complaint and could be a symptom of serious conditions. To accurately assign an ICD-10-CM code for a Myocardial Infarction, coders will need to know both the wall and the artery involved in the Myocardial Infarction. Additionally, a code is needed to report the reason why the procedure was cancelled.
Substernal Chest Pain Symptoms
Substernal chest pain can be symptomized by:
• Presence of a sour taste in the mouth or a sensation of regurgitation where that the swallowed food reenters the mouth
• Individual having problems with swallowing
• Presence of chest tenderness with deep palpation
• Individual having symptoms of heartburn with a burning sensation behind the breastbone.
• Pressure, fullness or tightness in your chest
• Crushing or searing pain that radiates to your back, neck, jaw, shoulders and arms particularly your left arm
• Pain that lasts more than a few minutes, gets worse with activity, goes away and comes back or varies in intensity
• Cold sweats
• Dizziness or weakness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Pain that gets better or worse when you change your body position
• Pain that intensifies when you breathe deeply or cough
Substernal Chest Pain Treatment
Substernal chest pain treatment depends on the underlying cause of pain. These pains are usually treated with medications but the medications are selected depending on the cause of the pain.
Medical treatments include the prescription of followings:
• Artery Relaxing Medications
• Cardiac Related Medications
• Medications to Dissolve Clots
• Blood Thinners
• Acid-suppressants
• Antidepressants
On the other hand Substernal chest pain can be treated surgically by following methods:
• Balloons and stent placement
• Bypass surgery
• Dissection
• Lung reinflation
Although not the only cause of chest pain, these heart problems are common causes: Coronary Artery Disease, or CAD.