Gastroenterologist, Dr. Richard Sperling with Austin Gastro, talks about some possible causes of non-cardiac chest pain. GI doctors are frequently asked to evaluate patients complaining of chest pain. Aside from cardiac conditions are ruled out, there are other causes that are frequently the cause, such as musculoskeletal causes, gastrointestinal causes, pulmonary ideologies, and anxiety. Symptoms associated with non-cardiac chest pain include heartburn, trouble swallowing, and pain associated with eating. GI Diseases account for 10-15% of all instances of non-cardiac chest pain, so it is important that these patients are evaluated by a gastroenterologist. These GI conditions include GERD, esophagitis, motility disorders, and gall bladder disease. These conditions are most commonly diagnosed by utilizing upper endoscopy, esophageal motility testing, and imaging of the gall bladder.
