Small Business Owners Not All Chest Pain is Created Equal

Your best bet if you are experiencing chest pain: get good medical advice.

This is the part one of a two part series recognizing symptoms of stressed small business owners. In part two we’ll look at preventatives measures- Dr Eduardo Montana  

Every year around Mid-April physician’s offices, emergency rooms and urgent care centers across the U.S. experience a sharp rise in patient visits for a chief complaint of “new onset chest pain”.

Over represented among those seeking medical treatment for this complaint are certainly small business owners just like you, overstressed, overcommitted and undercapitalized, secretly pleading that Uncle Sam will give you a (tax) break this year.

Is this episode of “chest pain” heralding loudly that the time to meet your maker has arrived, or is the worn-out physical and emotional “self” screaming for an intervention?

We all reach a point in our lives where our world comes crashing down and suddenly we find ourselves with intractable symptoms of chest pressure or pain and maybe dizziness or nausea.

Should we just wait it out and have an adult beverage? 

Probably the old physician axiom that “A doctor that treats himself has a fool for a patient” applies to all professionals.  Cancel your lunch appointment and get some good medical advice.

All chest pain is certainly not alike and while there are certainly several “non-cardiac” causes of chest pain, some more serious than others, it is important that we all understand what is commonly referred to as our “global lifetime risk” of a cardiovascular event.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the number one cause of death

First, we should recognize that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the number 1 cause of death globally: more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause.

An estimated 17.5 million people died from CVDs in 2012, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, an estimated 7.4 million were due to coronary heart disease and 6.7 million were due to stroke.

Out of the 16 million deaths under the age of 70 due to non-communicable (non-infectious) diseases, 82% are in low and middle income countries and 37% are caused by CVDs. (WHO, World health statistics 2009. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009e).  The World Health Organization (WHO) and about 20 million CVD deaths in 2015, accounting for 30 percent of all deaths worldwide (WHO, 2005).

These statistics should convince you further to consult your personal medical professional to determine if your acute chest symptoms are indicative of the “Big One”.  In this age where information is power, let us indulge ourselves with a 30,000 foot view of how the different causes of “acute chest pain” stack up and what they may possibly mean for you.

What is a true cardiac and event?

A true cardiovascular event is in essence a consequence of an atherosclerotic plaque (cholesterol) or thrombotic (blood clot) obstructing a critical artery either in the heart (myocardial infarction or heart attack), brain (Cerebrovascular accident; CVA or stroke) or carotid arteries.

Certainly any artery can be affected and the type and outcome of all cardiovascular “events” is too large of a scope to cover here. Most chronic disease we may face though has a cardiovascular or CV equivalent process involved that is damaging an organ hence making us ill. Many of these events, as in the data presented above, lead to major death and disability in the U.S. and globally.

What to do

When in doubt, the best medical advice again is to go immediately to have a complete health evaluation preferably at a “Cardiac Hospital” one with a recognized cardiac care center.

As my cardiologists told me as he counseled me to take medication for my hypertension, you don’t want to be that doctor whose headstone reads: “Would not follow his own advice”.

For more information on “Not All Chest Pain is Created Equal” we’ll follow with Part II of our series where we provide a preventive medicine solution to assist you in achieving optimal health. 

The objective of this series is to spotlight topics small business owners need to discuss with their physician’s. It’s sole purpose is to encourage small business owners to make the time to address their health by setting up an appointment with a qualified recognized cardiac health professional. 

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