What causes chest pain and tremors in older adults?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 76-year-old woman who has been totally healthy until a few days ago. I have symptoms that include a sharp pain on the left side of my chest. The pain lasts for a few hours and then diminishes slightly.

I also have a tight headache at the top of my head. When I get a headache, I feel queasy and experience tremors in my body and hands.

I am not on any medication, and I do not have any underlying medical conditions.

Can you please advise what could be causing these symptoms and what I should do?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your query and understand your concern.

I am really glad you reached out because these symptoms should not be ignored, especially at your age.

A new sharp pain on the left side of the chest that lasts for hours, along with headache, nausea, and tremors, raises concern for potentially serious conditions such as acute coronary syndrome or even severe blood pressure-related issues like hypertensive crisis, particularly since your recent reading of 169/82 mm/Hg is elevated.

While there are less dangerous causes such as muscle strain or anxiety, it would be unsafe to assume that without proper evaluation.

You need urgent medical assessment right away, ideally in an emergency department, where they can perform an ECG (electrocardiogram) and blood tests such as cardiac enzymes and monitor your blood pressure closely.

If the chest pain is still present, worsening, or associated with sweating, shortness of breath, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw, please seek emergency care immediately or call for help rather than waiting.

It is always better to rule out serious causes early than to risk missing something important.

I hope I have answered your question.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.