Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for visiting the doctor. What are the causes?
Chest pain is one of the leading causes of doctor visits in adults . Fortunately, there are many factors that help doctors identify the problem causing the pain.
In this article we will talk about common causes of chest pain and their symptoms. It should be noted that given the seriousness of some of the possible causes, we recommend that in case of chest pain of unknown cause you contact a medical professional as soon as possible.
Chest pain: what is it?
The vast majority of people know how serious sudden chest pain can be, which is an immediate warning sign in most cases. Fortunately, suffering from chest pain does not necessarily imply a serious condition that requires immediate medical intervention .
There is a wide range of health problems that can cause chest pain. This happens because thanks to the nerves that we have in the area, such as the vagus nerve, the intercostal nerve, the sympathetic nerve or the phrenic nerve, the pain spreads rapidly throughout the area, making it difficult for us to know exactly the cause of this pain.
It can originate in different structures such as:
- The heart
- The ribs
- The skin
- intercostal nerves
- the pleura
- Esophagus
- the diaphragm
- thoracic vertebrae
Thanks to our personal characteristics and clinical history, the doctor can be guided with relative safety to establish an initial diagnosis. This, added to the analysis of the characteristics of the patient’s pain, makes it possible to rule out or confirm serious diseases that cause chest pain.
This initial analysis of the characteristics of the chest pain and its accompanying symptoms is a vitally important step in the treatment of the disease and should be done as soon as possible in order to determine if the patient is in immediate danger. Again, we would like to emphasize the importance of contacting the doctor in case of chest pain.
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Symptoms
The symptoms vary a lot depending on the cause of the chest pain, so it is best that we explain them in detail along with their causes. Despite this, we can talk about certain general symptoms that alert us to serious problems that require immediate medical attention.
The most worrying symptoms when we suffer from chest pain are those related to angina pectoris or myocardial infarction and are cause for alarm when they occur together in the same medical condition:
- Dull pain or squeezing sensation in the chest
- Pain in the neck, jaw, back, or arms
- Nausea, fatigue, sweating, and shortness of breath
If you are experiencing these symptoms and they last more than 15 minutes, the most responsible thing to do is to contact the medical emergency service that we have at our disposal immediately. Normally they will give us instructions by phone, once we have explained the symptoms, on how to proceed.
Possible causes (not related to heart health)
Fortunately, the most common causes of chest pain are not related to heart problems. Within this category we would find, for example, the following.
1. Gastrointestinal causes
Those that are related to the digestive system, especially the esophagus or the gallbladder. This type of pain is usually accompanied by gastric reflux, which leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and worsens around meals or when lying down.
2. Respiratory causes
Usually caused by infections, inflammation of the lungs or the pleura, the membrane that surrounds them, can cause chest pain. Diseases such as pneumonia, pleurisy or even hyperventilation problems would enter. Especially those caused by infections can be easily detected by X-rays and are usually accompanied by mucus or other accompanying symptoms that make them easier to detect.
3. Muscular or skeletal causes
A very common cause, especially in young adults, of chest pain. Trauma and inflammation of the chest area naturally cause pain and are cause for alarm.
To exemplify, costochondritis is an inflammation of the joint between the breastbone and the ribs . Chest pain increases in this case when we breathe deeply, at rest or while coughing or sneezing. It usually improves after a couple of weeks under anti-inflammatory treatment.
4. Emotional causes
Anxiety and panic attacks can cause intense chest pain. The pain usually manifests itself during the attack and may be accompanied by pounding heartbeats, sweating, shortness of breath and dizziness. They usually resolve in about 20 minutes and can be relieved with psychiatric treatment (talk therapy, medication…).
5. Infectious causes
In addition to respiratory infections, there are other diseases of this type that can cause chest pain, such as herpes zoster (also known as shingles). In this case, the skin of the affected person will present a typical rash indicative of the disease.
Possible causes (heart related)
Among the causes of chest pain that are related to problems directly related to the heart or the circulatory system, we would find, among others:
1. Angina pectoris
Its symptoms are explained earlier in the article and it is usually linked to coronary diseases, since the pain appears due to a reduction in blood flow to the heart . It is worth mentioning that the most common symptoms described for angina pectoris are based on how men suffer from them, but we currently know that in women the symptoms of angina pectoris can vary.
2. Pericarditis
When there is inflammation of the pericardium, the tissue that surrounds the heart. It can be caused by infections and the pain worsens when we breathe deeply or lie down, and pain may radiate to the left arm. Diagnosable by electrocardiogram.
4. Aortic dissection
Rarely, a rupture of the aortic wall can occur, causing catastrophic consequences for the body, such as internal bleeding. It usually affects men over 40 years of age with a tendency to hypertension.
5. Myocardial infarction
It presents symptoms very similar to those of angina pectoris, compressive pains, radiation of the pain towards the neck, the back and/or the left arm . The pain is increased at rest and does not improve with nitroglycerin. It occurs when the myocardium, the muscular tissue of the heart that is responsible for carrying out the pumping function, stops receiving blood. It would represent the classic “heart attack” and absolutely requires immediate medical attention.
These are not all the possible causes of chest pain, but it serves to exemplify the wide variety of reasons why we can suffer from chest pain.
To finish, we must say that chest pains present a greater danger for those people at risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Age, sex, our eating and vital habits (such as smoking), or our own and family medical history will give information to doctors, who will notify us if they need to monitor our cardiac activity according to our risk.
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Cardiovascular diseases and disorders are the main cause of death in today’s civilization, so the best thing we can do is take care of ourselves and inform ourselves about the possible risks and action protocols, as well as take alarm symptoms seriously and seek medical attention as soon as possible. soon as possible if you think you need it.
Bibliographic references
- Hickham DH. (1990) Chest Pain or Discomfort. Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations.
- Wilke, A (1999) Angina pectoris in extracoronary diseases. Hertz.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.
