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Chest Pain Center - Allentown, PA

WebMD Physician Directory

Allentown, Pennsylvania

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Chest Pain

Introduction

Chest pain is one of the most common complaints that will bring a patient to the Emergency Department. Seeking immediate care may be lifesaving, and considerable public education has been undertaken to get patients to access medical care when chest pain strikes. While the patient may be worried about a heart attack, there are many other causes of pain in the chest that the healthcare provider will need to consider. Some diagnoses are life threatening, while others are less dangerous.

Deciding the cause of chest pain is sometimes very difficult and may require blood tests, x-rays, CT scans and other tests to sort out the diagnosis. Often though, a careful history taken by the healthcare provider may be all that is needed to find the answer.

What are the sources of chest pain?

The source of pain may arise from a variety of potential sources:

  • the chest wall including the ribs, the muscles, and the skin;
  • the back including the spine, the nerves, and the back muscles;
  • the lung, the pleura (the lining of the lung) or the trachea;
  • the heart including the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart);
  • the aorta;
  • the esophagus;
  • the diaphragm, the flat muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities;
  • referred pain from abdominal organs like the stomach, gallbladder, and pancreas.

While each source of chest pain may have a classic presentation of signs and symptoms, there is significant overlap among the symptoms of each condition, and the symptoms may also be affected by age, gender and race.

What are the causes of chest pain?

Pain can be caused by almost every structure in the chest. Different organs can produce different types of pain but unfortunately the pain is not specific to each cause. Each of the following ca...

Recommended Reading Related to Chest Pain

Angioplasty and Stents »

What is balloon angioplasty?

Balloon angioplasty of the coronary artery, or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), was introduced in the late 1970's. PTCA is a non-surgical procedure that relieves narrowing and obstruction of the arteries to the muscle of the heart (coronary arteries). This allows more blood and oxygen to be delivered to the heart muscle. PTCA, is now referred to as percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, as this term includes the use of balloons, stents, and atherectomy devices. Percutaneous coronary intervention is accomplished with a small balloon catheter inserted into an artery in the groin or arm, and advanced to the narrowing in the coronary artery. The balloon is then inflated to enlarge the narrowing in the artery. When successful, percutaneous coronary intervention can relieve chest pain of angina, improve the prognosis of individuals with unstable angina, and minimize or stop a heart attack without having the patien...

Emergency Contact for Allentown

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Allentown Hospitals *

Lehigh Valley Hospital 17th & Chew Streets
17th & Chew Sts
Allentown, PA 18105
(610)402-8000

Sacred Heart Hospital
421 Chew St
Allentown, PA 18102
(610)776-4500

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Allentown
850 S 5th St
Allentown, PA 18103
(610)776-3120

St Luke's Hospital Allentown Campus
1736 Hamilton St
Allentown, PA 18104
(610)770-8300

Allentown State Hospital
1600 Hanover Ave
Allentown, PA 18109
(610)740-3200

Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest
Cedar Crest & I-78
Allentown, PA 18105
(610)402-8000

St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem Campus
801 Ostrum St
Bethlehem, PA 18015
(610)954-4000

Westfield Hospital
510 Delaware Ave
Bethlehem, PA 18015
(610)866-6614

Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg Center
2545 Schoenersville Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18017
(610)402-8000

Good Shepherd Home Bethlehem
2855 Schoenersville Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18017
(610)807-5600

KidsPeace Children's Hospital
5300 Kids Peace Dr
Orefield, PA 18069
(610)799-8800

St Luke's Quakertown Hospital
1021 Park Ave
Quakertown, PA 18951
(215)538-4500

Easton Hospital
250 S 21st St
Easton, PA 18042
(610)250-4000

Triumph Hospital Easton
250 S 21st St
Easton, PA 18042
(610)250-4724

Blue Mountain Health System Palmerton Campus
135 Lafayette Ave
Palmerton, PA 18071
(610)826-3141

Warren Hospital
185 Roseberry St
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
(908)859-6700

Grand View Hospital
700 Lawn Ave
Sellersville, PA 18960
(215)453-4000

Blue Mountain Health System Gnaden Huetten Campus
211 N 12th St
Lehighton, PA 18235
(610)377-1300

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center
1600 E High St
Pottstown, PA 19464
(610)327-7000

Central Montgomery Medical Center
100 Medical Campus Dr
Lansdale, PA 19446
(215)368-2100

Foundations Behavioral Health
833 E Butler Ave
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215)345-0444

Doylestown Hospital
595 W State St
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215)345-2200

St Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital
360 W Ruddle St
Coaldale, PA 18218
(570)645-2131

Senator Garret W Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital
200 Sanitorium Rd
Glen Gardner, NJ 08826
(908)537-2141

St Joseph Medical Center
2500 Bernville Rd
Reading, PA 19605
(610)378-2000

Eagleville Hospital
100 Eagleville Rd
Eagleville, PA 19408
(610)539-6000

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital at Pocono Medical Center
206 E Brown St
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
(570)476-3410

Pocono Medical Center
206 E Brown St
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
(570)421-4000

The Reading Hospital & Medical Center
6th Ave & Spruce St
Reading, PA 19612
(610)988-8000

Valley Forge Medical Center & Hospital
1033 W Germantown Pike
Norristown, PA 19403
(610)539-8500

HEALTHSOUTH Reading Rehabilitation Hospital
1623 Morgantown Rd
Reading, PA 19607
(610)796-6000

Hunterdon Medical Center
2100 Wescott Dr
Flemington, NJ 08822
(908)788-6100

Montgomery County Emergency Service
50 Beech Dr
Norristown, PA 19403
(610)279-6100

Mercy Suburban Hospital
2701 DeKalb Pike
Norristown, PA 19401
(610)278-2000

Phoenixville Hospital
140 Nutt Rd
Phoenixville, PA 19460
(610)983-1000

Norristown State Hospital
1001 Sterigere St
Norristown, PA 19401
(610)270-1000

Horsham Clinic
722 E Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002
(215)643-7800

Montgomery Hospital
1301 Powell St
Norristown, PA 19401
(610)270-2000

Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital
7170 Lafayette Ave
Fort Washington, PA 19034
(215)641-5300

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