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3. Take the Heart Disease Quiz!

Medical Author:

Shabir Bhimji, MD

Coauthor:

Bryan Hoynak, MD

Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Any time a person experiences chest pain or the sensation that something is "just not right" in the chest, consult a medical professional emergently. Have someone take the person to an emergency department; do not let the person attempt to drive themselves.

If a person notices a strong pulse sensation, or a pulsating bulge in the abdomen, they should seek a health care professional right away.

If the pain is new, severe, frightening, or feels to be tearing or ripping, one should go immediately to a hospital emergency department. Do not wait it out; immediate treatment can be life saving for aneurysm/dissection as well as in other conditions that cause chest pain.

If an aortic aneurysm ruptures, internal bleeding occurs. This is a medical emergency, because a person can bleed to death in a few minutes.

Severe back, flank, or abdominal pain may be the only symptom of an enlarging aorta. Many other conditions can cause these symptoms, but an aortic aneurysm is the most serious of these conditions.

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