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Chest Pain Center - Portsmouth, VA

WebMD Physician Directory

Portsmouth, Virginia

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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...

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Emergency Contact for Portsmouth

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Portsmouth Hospitals *

Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center
3636 High St
Portsmouth, VA 23707
(757)398-2200

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
600 Gresham Dr
Norfolk, VA 23507
(757)388-3000

Children's Hospital of The King's Daughter
601 Children's Ln
Norfolk, VA 23507
(757)668-7000

Harbour Pointe Medical Center & Rehabilitation Center
1005 Hampton Blvd
Norfolk, VA 23507
(757)623-5602

Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center
150 Kingsley Ln
Norfolk, VA 23505
(757)889-5000

Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital
1309 Kempsville Rd
Norfolk, VA 23502
(757)461-5001

Riverside Rehabilitation Institute
245 Chesapeake Ave
Newport News, VA 23607
(757)928-8000

Sentara Leigh Hospital
830 Kempsville Rd
Norfolk, VA 23502
(757)261-6000

The Barry Robinson Center
443 Kempsville Rd
Norfolk, VA 23502
(757)455-6100

Chesapeake General Hospital
736 Battlefield Blvd N
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757)312-8121

Hampton VA Medical Center
100 Emancipation Dr
Hampton, VA 23667
(757)722-9961

Sentara Bayside Hospital
800 Independence Blvd
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
(757)363-6100

Riverside Behavioral Health Center
2244 Executive Dr
Hampton, VA 23666
(757)827-1001

Sentara Obici Hospital
2800 Godwin Blvd
Suffolk, VA 23434
(757)934-4000

Sentara CarePlex Hospital
3000 Coliseum Dr
Hampton, VA 23666
(757)736-1000

Riverside Regional Medical Center
500 J Clyde Morris Blvd
Newport News, VA 23601
(757)594-2000

Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
1060 1st Colonial Rd
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
(757)395-8000

Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center
1100 1st Colonial Rd
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
(757)496-6000

Mary Immaculate Hospital
2 Bernadine Dr
Newport News, VA 23602
(757)886-6000

Southampton Memorial Hospital
100 Fairview Dr
Franklin, VA 23851
(757)569-6100

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