by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for emergency room visits. Experiencing chest discomfort can be scary, and many people assume it means they’re having a heart attack. Angina is the kind of chest pain that accompanies a heart attack, and it’s caused by decreased blood flow to the heart.
While it’s true that chest pain is a symptom of serious heart problems like a heart attack, it’s also a symptom of other, less serious conditions. Your heart can cause chest pain, but so can your lungs, digestive system, and nearby muscles.
At NJ Cardiovascular Institute, we specialize in diagnosing and treating chest pain. Dr. Kunal Patel and our team offer comprehensive heart care, and we’re here to help you find the treatment that works.
If you experience crushing or squeezing chest pain that lasts for several minutes, with or without other symptoms like shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or radiating pain, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
If your symptoms are different, it’s time to learn more about a few lesser-known causes of chest pain.
Pneumonia or bronchitis
Your lungs can cause chest pain, especially if you have a condition like pneumonia or bronchitis. Both pneumonia and bronchitis can make breathing difficult or painful, and you feel the pain inside your chest.
Bronchospasm is a sudden narrowing of the airways, which can result in chest pain. Bronchospasm can develop along with pneumonia or bronchitis, but it can also occur with chronic conditions. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma may be more likely to experience bronchospasm.
Acid reflux
Acid reflux, also called heartburn, can make your chest hurt. Acid reflux develops when the contents of your stomach travel backward into your esophagus, causing an unpleasant burning sensation.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic form of acid reflux, which means you suffer from heartburn regularly. If you have chest pain with GERD, you might notice pain gets worse when you cough or take a deep breath.
Shingles
Shingles is a type of viral infection that typically causes a painful rash, but it can also cause chest pain. In fact, chest pain may develop before a rash appears. Chest pain associated with shingles often feels like a band of sharp pain. The rash may appear a few days after you notice chest pain.
Fractures or muscle strains
Musculoskeletal injury can cause chest pain. Bruised or broken ribs, along with compression fractures, can trigger pain within your chest. People with damaged bones generally experience intense pain at the time of injury.
Strenuous physical activity can strain the muscles and tendons around your ribs and chest. This strain may cause inflammation and lead to chest pain. If your pain gets worse with activity, it may be due to sore muscles.
When chest pain necessitates immediate medical care
If you suspect a heart attack, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Symptoms of a heart attack include the sudden onset of symptoms such as:
Chest pain (angina)
Pain that spreads to the shoulders and arms
Shortness of breath
Nausea or vomiting
Lightheadedness
Cold sweat
On the other hand, there are many conditions that affect heart health and don’t show obvious signs or symptoms. A few of these are high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which can lead to heart disease and other heart issues.
The only way to ensure you’re enjoying your best health is to keep up with your regular doctor’s appointments. Learn more about what our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute can offer you with a consultation.
We have offices to serve you in Newark and Secaucus, New Jersey. Call the office nearest you to schedule an appointment today.
by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
A strong, healthy heart is essential for a long and healthy life. But more than 30 million Americans are living with heart disease, a term used for a group of conditions that compromise heart health.
Heart disease and other heart problems are common, but it doesn’t mean you have to watch your health decline. Diagnosing heart problems and monitoring them with advanced testing is the first step to improving your well-being when you’re living with a heart condition.
NJ Cardiovascular Institute provides comprehensive diagnostic testing to our patients. Under the leadership of Kunal Patel, MD, our team regularly evaluates heart health with stress tests, echocardiograms, and other assessments. While all heart tests aim to identify and evaluate potential problems, each one serves a unique purpose.
We share more about stress tests and echocardiograms — two of the most common heart tests.
Stress test
A stress test is a noninvasive test that assesses how your heart operates under physical stress. It’s sometimes called an exercise stress test because it involves exercising to elevate your heart rate.
Stress tests can be helpful in diagnosing heart conditions such as coronary artery disease and arrhythmias, which are irregular heartbeats. Stress testing may also be an element of ongoing monitoring if you’ve already been diagnosed with a heart condition.
Participating in a stress test is a simple in-office procedure. Our team gives you instructions to prepare for your stress test. Depending on your situation, you may need to avoid caffeine, nicotine, and certain medications for a period of time before your stress test. Sometimes, fasting is recommended. We give you complete instructions so you’re prepared.
At the beginning of your stress test, your doctor listens to your heart and lungs. He attaches electrodes to your chest and legs, and places a blood pressure cuff on your arm, so we can monitor your blood pressure and heart rhythm throughout the test.
You then begin walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. The team monitors your heart rate and assesses how well your heart performs under the stress of physical activity. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or other symptoms at any point during your test, you need to let us know.
There’s no downtime required after your stress test is complete. Our team reviews the results of the test and uses the information to guide our treatment recommendations for you.
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound procedure to evaluate your heart health. Ultrasounds are noninvasive tests that use harmless sound waves to create images of your heart.
Our team orders echocardiograms for a number of reasons, including:
Diagnosing congenital heart defects
Diagnosing heart disease
Evaluating the health of heart chambers and valves
If you have an existing heart condition, echocardiograms may be part of your routine healthcare. They can be used to assess how well a specific treatment is working and monitor your heart health over time.
There’s no special preparation required for an echocardiogram. When you come in for your test, the team may give you a gown to wear. You lie on your left side on a special exam table, your technician applies ultrasound gel to your chest.
The technician moves an ultrasound wand called a transducer over your chest, capturing images of your heart in action. You’ll remain lying down for the duration of the test, which takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. Ultrasounds aren’t painful, and you can return to your normal daily activities after you leave the office.
Sometimes the two tests are done together
When we want to see images of your heart pumping after you’ve exercised, we do a stress echocardiogram, usually called a “stress echo” for short.
First, we do a regular echocardiogram to see images of your heart when you’re at rest. Next, you go through the regular stress test by walking on the treadmill or riding the bike. Then you quickly return to the exam table so we can do another echocardiogram to see images of your heart when it’s beating faster after exertion.
At NJ Cardiovascular Institute, our team is equipped to diagnose and treat issues affecting heart health. Our cardiology services are available at two offices in Newark and Secaucus, New Jersey. Find out if you could benefit from heart testing by scheduling a consultation online or calling the office nearest you.
by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
An estimated 2 million people in the United States are living with a congenital heart defect. Congenital heart defects, sometimes called congenital heart disease, are problems in or around your heart that affect how it works.
The term “congenital” means present from birth, but that doesn’t mean that all congenital heart defects are identified when a baby is born. Some can go undetected until a child is older, while others may not show signs until adulthood.
Getting a congenital heart defect diagnosis can be scary, whether it’s you, your child, or another loved one that’s affected. At NJ Cardiovascular Institute, Kunal Patel, MD, and our team are here for you. We offer the latest in heart care services so you and your family can enjoy healthy, active lives.
Understanding congenital heart defects
Congenital heart defects are problems with the way a baby’s heart developed before they were born. There are at least 18 different types of congenital heart defects, ranging in severity from a small hole in the heart to severely deformed or missing parts.
A few common symptoms that newborn babies may exhibit if they have a congenital heart defect include:
Rapid breathing
Bluish tint to skin, lips, or nails
Fatigue
Poor blood circulation
Along with these symptoms common in babies and children, others can develop in adults with congenital heart problems.
Symptoms affecting adults can include:
Abnormal heart rhythms
Swelling of tissue or organs
Tiring quickly with exertion
Some congenital heart defects don’t show symptoms right away, and others never show symptoms. It’s also possible that a congenital heart defect that was treated years ago can begin showing symptoms again.
Diagnosing a congenital heart defect
It’s possible to identify and diagnose congenital heart defects at any point in your life. Sometimes, fetal echocardiogram testing identifies defects before a baby is born. Most commonly, defects are found after birth or during childhood.
At NJ Cardiovascular Institute, we offer comprehensive diagnostic testing to evaluate heart health, including echocardiograms and stress testing.
Having a congenital heart defect may put you or your loved one at risk for other heart problems throughout life.
Common conditions that occur alongside congenital heart defects include:
Pulmonary hypertension
Abnormal heart rhythms or palpitations
Congestive heart failure
Getting a diagnosis is the first step to better understanding your heart health. With the right treatment, it’s possible to enjoy a long and healthy life.
Life with a congenital heart defect
Since there are so many different types of congenital heart defects, treatments vary from one person to another. Mild or moderate defects may not require treatment at all. Instead, you or your child will need to visit with Dr. Patel regularly to ensure there aren’t any changes in heart health.
More serious congenital heart defects may require surgery or another procedure, like cardiac catheterization. Our goal in treating congenital heart defects is to correct them or minimize the effects that they have on your health.
As your child grows, talk to us about ways to keep them safe. Physical activity is generally good for the heart, but your child may need modifications at school to ensure they stay as healthy as possible.
If you or a loved one experiences chest pain or shortness of breath, call 911 or go to the emergency room. If you notice symptoms of a congenital heart defect and you’ve been diagnosed or treated for a defect in the past, make an appointment to see us.
These days, people born with heart defects can live long, healthy, and active lives. To learn more about caring for a loved one with a congenital heart defect, talk to Dr. Patel and our team. Call the office nearest you, in Secaucus or Newark, New Jersey, or use the “book online” feature today.
by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
One American dies from heart disease every 36 seconds. It’s the leading cause of death in the United States, and it impacts men and women of every race.
Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, is a group of conditions that impact your heart’s ability to do its job. It develops when your blood vessels get narrow or blocked, making your heart work harder to send blood throughout your body.
Having heart disease increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and death — but the symptoms and warning signs of these conditions are often different in men and women. If you’re a woman, it’s important to learn more about your heart and how to take care of it throughout your life.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute partner with women of all ages to promote heart health. We specialize in diagnosing and treating heart disease, and today we’re taking a closer look at things every woman needs to know about her heart health.
Your risk for heart disease
Heart disease is very common, but it doesn’t always have obvious warning signs. To protect your heart health, it’s important to learn your risk of developing heart disease and check in with your doctor regularly.
Some factors increase your risk of heart disease, no matter your gender. These risk factors are:
Sedentary lifestyle
Poor diet
Obesity
Older age
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Tobacco use
Family history of heart disease
Some risk factors carry more weight depending on your gender and could contribute to heart disease more often in women than in men. If you’re a woman, some factors that could make you more likely to develop heart disease are:
Depression
Stress
Sedentary lifestyle
Tobacco use
Pregnancy complications
Being postmenopausal
If you have risk factors for heart disease, schedule a cardiology consultation at NJ Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Patel specializes in comprehensive evaluations to test for heart disease and personalized treatment plans to boost your well-being.
Signs of heart conditions in women vs. men
Having heart disease increases your risk of experiencing a life-threatening heart condition like heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of women who die from heart disease had no obvious symptoms beforehand.
Heart disease and other heart conditions often go undiagnosed in women, and cardiac emergencies can cause different symptoms in women than in men.
The signs of heart attack in women may include:
Aching chest pain
Cold sweat
Dizziness
Heavy sensation in chest
Nausea
Sharp pain in abdomen, neck, jaw, or upper back
Shortness of breath
Unexplained fatigue
The signs of stroke in women can include:
Blurred vision
Difficulty speaking or understanding
Difficulty walking or standing
Numbness in face, arms, or legs
Sudden, severe headache
Learning to recognize the signs of heart attack and stroke in women could help save your life or the life of someone close to you. Seek immediate medical attention or call 911 if you or someone you know experiences these symptoms.
Ways to keep your heart healthy
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, but there’s a lot you can do to protect your heart and improve your health. Dr. Patel and our team work with you to identify risk factors that you can change, like your activity level, diet, and tobacco use.
Our Heart Smart Program is here to help you learn ways to improve your wellness. Depending on your health, we recommend regular exercise and healthy eating to help you reach or maintain a healthy weight.
If you have an underlying condition like high blood pressure, managing it can help lower your risk of developing complications. Proactively addressing other health concerns, including stress levels, can also help lower your risk of long-term heart problems.
Keep up with regular doctor’s appointments and primary care visits. Even if you don’t have signs of a heart condition now, preventive care is the best way to identify and address changes before they get worse.
As a woman, you should never overlook your heart health. Schedule an appointment with us at one of our four New Jersey offices. Book online or over the phone today.
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by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Your heart beats an average of 100,000 times each day. You’re not aware of it most of the time, but heart palpitations can suddenly call your attention to your chest.
Heart palpitations are unusual or irregular heartbeats. Palpitations can feel like your heart is racing, fluttering, or that it skipped a beat. When they happen, it’s normal to be concerned about your heart health — but most of the time, palpitations aren’t a cause for worry.
Kunal Patel, MD and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute want to share what we know about heart palpitations and what causes them. If you experience these unusual changes in heart rhythm, it’s time to learn more.
Identifying heart palpitations
Your heart pumps blood throughout your body constantly. When it follows a regular rhythm, you may not be aware of it. When something disrupts your heart’s rhythm, palpitations occur.
Different people feel heart palpitations differently. The sensations can even vary between individual episodes, but some of the most common sensations include:
Racing heartbeat
Pounding heart
Fluttering in the chest
Heart skipping a beat
An extra, or double, heartbeat
You may feel palpitations in your chest, throat, or neck. It’s very common to become suddenly aware of your heart and your heartbeat when you experience palpitations.
Possible causes of heart palpitations
Most heart palpitations aren’t caused by heart problems, and they may be linked to external factors.
Some of the most common causes of palpitations include:
Strenuous exercise
Depression, anxiety, or panic attacks
Emotional stress
Hormonal changes
Stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, or illegal amphetamines
Alcohol
In rare cases, heart palpitations could indicate underlying heart issues like arrhythmias or heart disease.
When to make an appointment for heart palpitations
Many people experience heart palpitations from time to time. They’re not unusual, and they’re not always a sign of a more serious heart condition. However, if you have heart palpitations regularly or you’re concerned about your heart health, a visit to see Dr. Patel could ease your mind.
Heart palpitations are typically brief occurrences, and chances are high that the symptoms will be gone by the time your appointment comes around. If you’re seeking medical care for heart palpitations, consider keeping notes about each occurance to help us in your diagnosis.
We often use ambulatory arrhythmia monitoring to diagnose palpitations. This diagnostic test involves wearing a heart monitor that records your heart activity for a period of time. The results help us identify possible causes of palpitations.
Seek immediate medical care if your palpitations are accompanied by other symptoms, like loss of consciousness, pain, or difficulty breathing. You should always have your heart examined if you notice heart palpitations and you have a preexisting heart condition, such as congestive heart failure, or risk factors for heart disease.
If you still have questions about palpitations and heart health, we're here to help. Call the NJ Cardiovascular Institute office nearest you — in Newark, Paramus, or Secaucus, New Jersey — or request a consultation online to get started.
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