Chest pain or chest pain

Chest pain can be caused by inflammationinfection, diseases of the heart, lungs or digestive system.

Contents

Acute chest pain

Acute, diffuse and difficult to locate chest pain could be visceral pain.
This pain arises when the nociceptors of the chest cavity (sensory neurons that send nerve signals to the brain and spinal cord during pain) are activated.

Ischemia or inflammation in structures and organs located in the chest can lead to visceral chest pain.

muscle strain in the thoracic wall could also be a risk factor for acute chest pain.

Risk factors

Some conditions that can cause dull chest pain include:

Diseases of the coronary arteries
Diseases of the coronary arteries occur when cholesterol plaques form in the arteries of the heart.
The accumulation of cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
As a result, the coronary arteries narrow and reduce the blood flow to the heart muscle. Angina is the characteristic symptom of coronary artery disease.

The term “angina” refers to a dull pain and a feeling of tightness in the chest that occurs with arterial lack of blood on the heart.
The pain starts suddenly and often worsens over time.
Symptoms can last longer than fifteen minutes and can also occur during sleep in a human.
Treatment options for angina include a healthy and natural diet, regular exercise, angioplasty (widening of the narrowed coronary artery), placing a stent to keep the artery open, and medication.

Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction is also called a heart attack. It occurs due to a disruption of blood flow in a part of the heart that is damaged as a result.

Symptoms of heart attack include:

  1. dull and constricting pain,
  2. Fear
  3. dizziness,
  4. Shortness of breath
  5. Nervousness
  6. sweating,
  7. Arrhythmia, irregular heartbeat, etc.

Other heart conditions that cause chest pain include:

  1. Heart valve problems
  2. Pericarditis (inflammation of the outer pericardium)
  3. Endocarditis or inflammation of the endocardium (lining of the ventricle and heart valves)

Treatment for a heart attack includes:

  1. oxygen therapy,
  2. Angioplasty
  3. coronary bypass.

Medications prescribed by the doctor:

  1. Nitroglycerin
  2. Anticoagulants
  3. beta-blockers,
  4. ACE inhibitors, etc.

Diseases of the esophagus
Chest pain caused by diseases of the esophagus can be triggered by esophageal spasms, esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus) or gastroesophageal reflux.
Esophagitis is most likely in people who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux, heavy smokers, and those who drink too much alcohol.
The pain can be felt behind the sternum, i.e. in the middle of the chest, and at the level of the esophagus.
For the treatment of esophagitis, the doctor prescribes painkillers, antacids or anti-inflammatory drugs.

Diseases affecting
the lungs 
Thoracic pain can also occur in people suffering from pulmonary hypertension, pneumothorax, or pneumonia.
Pulmonary hypertension exists due to increased blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries that carry venous blood from the heart to the lungs.
Risk factors for pulmonary hypertension include the following diseases:

  1. Cirrhosis of the liver (fibrosis of the liver)
  2. Chronic lung diseases
  3. Decompensated heart failure
  4. Pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs)

Burning in the chest

Causes of burning in the chest include:

Heart disease
A recurring burning sensation in the left side of the chest could be a heart condition such as angina.
This is caused by insufficient supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.
The pain originates behind the sternum and radiates to the left arm, shoulder and jaw.
Usually you feel a tightness in the chest.
The inflammation and infection of the outer skin of the heart is called pericarditis. It causes piercing pain and mild fever.
It may also be the symptoms of another serious condition. This is called an aortic dissection and is caused by a lesion of the aorta.

Lung disease
In case of sudden pain when coughing or deep inhalation, this could indicate pulmonary disease.
Reasons can be an infection of the lungs, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism caused by a blood clot inside the lungs or pleurisy.
If this pain occurs during an attack of asthma, other symptoms such as shortness of breath and wheezing during breathing may be added.

Digestive problems
This type of chest pain can be provoked by various digestive disorders.
Burning pain, caused by burning in the stomach, is felt immediately under the chest.
If this burning sensation is caused by a stomach ulcer, the pain increases on an empty stomach and improves after eating.
If the pain is caused by inflammation of the gallbladder, it worsens after eating according to the fat content or spiciness of the food.

Costochondritis
This condition is characterized by inflammation of the rib cartilage that connects the rib to the sternum and causes
a burning pain inside the chest The pain is felt when touching the rib and usually gets worse with a flexion or rotation of the upper body.

Other causes

  1. rib fracture (constant pain for two days, after that only during certain movements),
  2. injury to the thoracic tendons or nerves (very rare),
  3. Panic attack
  4. Viral infection, called herpes zoster, which causes burning in the intercostal area.

Chest pain and anxiety

The main causes of chest pain and anxiety are:

Gastroesophageal reflux: Anxiety causes increased formation of acid in the stomach, which rises through the esophagus and causes burning pain in the chest.

Muscle pain: One of the most common symptoms of anxiety is continued muscle tension.
When the muscles in the chest wall involuntarily tense, pain is felt.
With extraordinary stress, the feeling of constriction in the thoracic area may occur. This can interfere with normal breathing.
The chest pain caused by stress and anxiety can last for a few seconds or for a longer period of time.

Precordial oppression
This disorder causes chest pain, especially in children and adolescents.
It is an acute pain that is felt on the left side of the chest or under the armpit.
The duration of the pain can vary from a few seconds to a few minutes, then the pain passes again.
Deep inhalation further aggravates the pain.
The exact cause has still not been determined. It is probably a sudden spasm of the muscles during a panic attack.

Chest and throat pain

Causes of co-occurring thoracic pain and sore throat

Gastroesophageal reflux
Reflux occurs when acid rises from the stomach into the esophagus due to dysfunction of the lower sphincter.
This is a common cause of nocturnal pain.

Allergy
An allergy to dust, pollen, or certain foods can cause an allergic reaction that causes a sore throat and chest pain.

Other symptoms due to airborne allergies include itching, sneezing, and headache.

Bronchitis Bronchitis
is a respiratory disease that develops when the bronchi are inflamed by a viral or bacterial infection or by smoke.
Symptoms include cough, mild fever and headache.

Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a disease of the respiratory tract that, according to conventional medicine, is contagious and caused by a bacterium.
It is a highly contagious disease and the symptoms are:

  1. Persistent cough
  2. Weight loss
  3. Fatigue
  4. Burning in the chest
  5. Fever

Other causes

  1. Pneumonia
  2. Asthma
  3. Gastritis
  4. Anxiety
  5. Psychological disorders

Chest pain during pregnancy

Causes of chest pain in pregnancy

Indigestions
During pregnancy, the increase in size of the uterus causes pressure on the stomach and the hormones released lead to relaxation of the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus.
This process slows down the digestive process and allows stomach acid to ascend along the sphincter.
This causes discomfort that causes burning in the chest, for example:

  1. Indigestion
  2. Heartburn
  3. Stool constipation
  4. Flatulence

Nasal
congestion 
Nasal congestion is another reason why chest pain can occur. A pregnant woman produces a lot of estrogen and progesterone.
This causes swelling of the nasal mucosa.
The consequences are nasal congestion, difficult breathing and chest pain.

Anaemia
Since the body consumes a lot of iron and vitamins during pregnancy, women often suffer from anemia.
Anemia means a reduced supply of oxygen in the blood cells. The consequence is that the fetus does not receive the necessary oxygen.
This leads to palpitations and chest pain.
There are two forms of anemia that affect women in pregnancy:

  1. Hypovolemic anemia (caused by an increased volume of blood compared to the amount of red blood cells)
  2. Iron deficiency anemia

The anemia also causes:

  1. Shortness
  2. Fatigue
  3. Palpitation
  4. Irritability

Many people think that they should eat especially iron-rich foods or supplements, but most of the time the problem of anemia cannot be solved in this way.
A hitherto largely unknown but very effective therapy for these assimilation problems is therapeutic fasting.
Stopping food gives the body the opportunity to focus on eliminating the toxins that hinder the functioning of the organs.

Calcium deficiency
A pregnant woman needs at least 1200 mg of calcium to meet physical needs.
If there is not enough of it, the body takes the calcium from the bones for the development of the child.
Calcium deficiency causes:

  1. lower calcium density of bones;
  2. Cramps in the chest muscles and thus chest pain.

Stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety can cause chest pain and the feeling of a lump in the throat.
Stressed people have shorter breaths.
This leads to breathing difficulties and increases the pressure on the lungs.
The result is chest pain.
Other effects of stress:

  1. Panic attack
  2. headache,
  3. back pain (due to long-lasting muscle tension),
  4. insomnia,
  5. weakened immune system,
  6. diffuse muscle pain.

Swelling and pain in the chest
During pregnancy, a woman’s breast increases in size due to the hormonal changes (increase in estrogen and progesterone levels) that take place in the body.
Another reason for breast swelling is fat accumulation and increased blood circulation in the breast.
The weight gain of the breasts can lead to chest pain.

Enlargement
of the chest 
The chest expands to give the fetus more space.
This leads to increased tension in the chest.
As the child grows, the pressure on the chest and diaphragm increases, causing chest pain.

Chest pain in children

The following are the main risk factors for breast pain in children.

Traumas
Bruises (contusions) or lesions are the most common causes of acute thoracic pain in children.
Chest pain occurs due to inflammation of the joints between the ribs and sternum or because of stretching of the intercostal muscles.
The pain is felt when breathing, during certain chest movements and when picking up heavy objects from the floor.
A rib fracture causes localized pain on the injured bone.

Breathing problems
Thoracic pain in asthma causes difficulty breathing and productive cough.
The symptoms of asthma worsen:

  • at night
  • early in the morning upon awakening,
  • while crying,
  • after running.

If the pain is caused by a lung infection such as pneumonia or bronchitis, this also leads to:

  1. chills,
  2. fever,
  3. cough,
  4. Vomiting (rare), etc.

Cardiac problems
Chest pain can be caused by:

  1. Heart attack.
  2. Pericarditis, a condition in which the outer skin of the heart is inflamed due to an infection.
  3. Abnormality of the coronary arteries, an inherited disease of the heart that can lead to chest pain.
  4. Arrhythmia or irregular heart rate. This type of chest pain often spreads to the neck, shoulders, arm, and jaw.
    In the case of chest pain during physical exercise, where the heartbeat is irregular, the heart disease can be severe.

Gastroesophageal reflux
This is a condition characterized by the rise of acidic gastric juice from the stomach along the esophagus.
Symptoms include heartburn and irritation on the left side, just below the sternum.
In this case, the chest pain is felt after eating, and it worsens when the child goes to bed.
Other symptoms that may occur include: sore throat, pain when swallowing, bitter taste in the mouthnausea and vomiting.

Other causes

  1. Sickle-cell anaemia
  2. Lung tumor or lymphoma
  3. Anxiety and panic attacks
  4. Infections of the costal cartilage

Chest pain and cough

Causes and treatment

Asthma
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by inflammation and swelling of the airways.
The inflammation leads to breathing difficulties and promotes allergic reactions.

Symptoms:

  1. Chest pain
  2. Shortness of breath
  3. Dry cough
  4. Insomnia

Bronchitis
Bronchitis is a respiratory disease caused by inflammation of the bronchi due to a bacterial or viral infection.
Causes of bronchitis include:

  1. allergic reactions,
  2. smoking,
  3. Exposure to industrial pollutants.

Symptoms of acute and chronic bronchitis include:

  • chest pain,
  • mild fever,
  • Dyspnea
  • Headache
  • closed nose.

Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a respiratory disease characterized by inflammation of the lungs caused by viruses or bacteria.

Symptoms: fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, cough with sputum.

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis
is an infectious disease of the lungs.
According to conventional medicine, a person who comes into contact with this bacterium falls ill because it is highly contagious.
People with weakened immune systems are at increased risk.
Symptoms: mild fever, weight loss, fatigue, severe cough.
Diseases caused by bacteria, such as bacterial bronchitis, bacterial pneumonia and tuberculosis, can be treated with antibiotics.

Lung cancer
The abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the lungs causes lung cancer.
The tumor can come from other parts of the body and reach the lungs later. In this case, one speaks of metastases.

Symptoms:

  • Chest pain
  • Chronic and bloody cough
  • Loss of appetite
  • Lack of energy
  • Fatigue
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
  • Dyspnea, etc.

Gastroesophageal reflux
The reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus is caused by dysfunction of the gastroesophageal sphincter muscle.

Risk factors include:

  1. Smoke
  2. bad eating habits,
  3. spicy foods,
  4. Overweight
  5. Pregnancy.

Symptoms:

  1. Sore throat
  2. Bitter taste in the mouth
  3. Chest pain
  4. Cough
  5. Heartburn
  6. nausea, etc.

Other causes of chest pain and cough:

  1. Infectious mononucleosis
  2. Mitral stenosis
  3. Aortic dissection, etc.

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