Exercise tests help show how the heart reacts to exercise. These tests often involve walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike while the heart rhythm is watched. A CT coronary angiogram also can be done with dye to check the heart and lung arteries for blockages and other problems. Different types of CT scans can be used to check the heart arteries for blockages. A small device may be passed down the throat to obtain better views of different parts of the heart. Sometimes, a more detailed echocardiogram may be done to get better pictures of the heart. Sound waves are used to create videos of the heart in motion. CT scans can spot a blood clot in the lung or find an aortic dissection.ĭepending on the results from the first tests for chest pain, you may need more testing, which may include: A chest X-ray also can reveal lung problems such as pneumonia or a collapsed lung. An X-ray of the chest shows the condition of the lungs and the size and shape of the heart and major blood vessels. Blood tests can be done to check for these proteins. Certain heart proteins slowly leak into the blood after heart damage from a heart attack. An ECG can help show if you have had or are having a heart attack.

An ECG can show if the heart is beating too fast or too slowly. Wires connect the electrodes to a computer, which displays or prints the test results. Sticky patches called electrodes are placed on the chest and sometimes the arms and legs. This quick test measures the electrical activity of the heart. Some of the first tests a health care provider may order when diagnosing the cause of chest pain include:

Pin point pain in left chest