NEXT STEPS

A pulled muscle in your chest needs rest. Persistent gastro-oesophageal reflux can be treated with prescription medication. With angina, too, it’s medication first (often glyceryl trinitrate). If that doesn’t work, doctors might recommend a coronary angioplasty (where a balloon and/or tube is inserted in an artery to widen it) or a coronary artery bypass graft (open-heart surgery where a section of blood vessel from elsewhere in your body is used to re-route blood past a blocked artery).

Treatment for a heart attack depends on its severity. Medication might suffice in mild cases. Otherwise you’re looking at angioplasty or a bypass graft.