Nexium may provide relief from other types of chest pain

Provided serious causes of chest pain are ruled out, a new study shows that Nexium may provide relief from unexplained chest pain not related to GERD.

The study by researchers at the University of Alberta was published in the November 2012 edition of The American Journal of Gastroenterology? and involved 599 adult patients with moderate to severe chest pain - unrelated to GERD - that lasted for more than two weeks. The patients were divided into two strata: those who experienced regurgitation or heartburn symptoms one day a week or less and individuals who had these symptoms two or more times per week.

After receiving a high dose of omeprazole for four weeks, patients who seldom or never had heartburn and reflux had a significant amount of relief in comparison to the control group, while patients with more frequent heartburn or reflux symptoms did not experience a noticeable amount of relief. More research is warranted, but these results are interesting and surprising.

Chest pain
Before taking any treatment for unexplained chest pain, it's always best to consult one's doctor. Chest pain can be attributed to innumerable causes, ranging from the relatively benign sore muscles to an emergency like a heart attack or an aortic dissection. The Mayo Clinic notes that it's always best to see a medical professional right away when experiencing chest pain. Here are some symptoms to look for to know if it might be an emergency:

• Heart attack: pain spreads to the neck, arms or shoulders; sweating, fainting, shortness of breath or feeling lightheaded; fullness, squeezing or pressure that lasts for more than a few minutes in the center of the chest
• Pulmonary embolism: rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath; sharp and sudden chest pain with shortness of breath; unexplained sweating; fainting; coughing accompanied by blood; intense anxiety
• Aortic dissection: severe and sudden upper back or chest pain that feels like tearing and radiates down the back or through the neck; sudden loss of vision, trouble speaking, weakness or paralysis; shortness of breath; losing consciousness; one arm has a weakened pulse

A non-emergency situation is costochondritis - an inflammation of the cartilage around the sternum. During a bout with costochondritis, pressing on particular points of the sternum usually results in pain. People also often get chest wall pain from anxiety, muscle bruising, excessive coughing, peptic ulcers or pleurisy from pneumonia.