Here’s an Overview about Pain in the Chest

There’s no denying that chest pain or discomfort can be distressing or even frightening. The pain generally ranges from sharp or a dull ache to being expressed as a pressure-like sensation, squeezing, choking, numbness, or some other type of discomfort. Talking about the symptoms, they can last from less than a second to days or weeks, can occur frequently or rarely, depending on the underlying cause. Seek medical help right away if you experience chest pain since chest pain can accompany medical conditions, including heartburn, anxiety, angina, and heart attack. Chest pain may be a sign of a serious heart-related condition, and many common causes that aren’t life-threatening may also be the reason behind its occurrence.

Not only does chest pain vary depending on the person, but also varies in quality, intensity, duration and location. Additionally, pain may begin in the chest but then radiate to other areas of the body, which happens with angina where the pain moves to the arms, shoulders, neck, and lower jaw.

Now, let’s talk about the causes:

Medical conditions affecting any of the organs located in the chest or upper abdomen, including the ticker, blood vessels, lungs, airways, muscles, bones, esophagus, or stomach can lead to chest pain. 

Here’s a comprehensive list of some of the more common causes of chest pain:

Cardiac causes- No doubt about it, heart is the first organ healthcare providers and patients consider when someone experiences chest pain.

1.      Angina (chest pain caused by blockages in the blood vessels leading to your ticker)

2.      Heart attack (blockage of blood flow to the ticker)

3.      Myocarditis (heart muscle inflammation)

4.      Pericarditis (inflammation of the sac around the ticker)

5.      Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease)

6.      Aortic dissection (it is a rare condition that involves a tear of the aorta- the main artery that comes off of the ticker)

7.      Acute coronary syndrome (includes unstable angina or a heart attack, and is a medical emergency. Besides chest pain, a person may experience other symptoms, such as trouble breathing, nausea, sweating, dizziness, palpitations, weakness.)

8.      Mitral valve prolapse (when the valve pushes into the left ventricle of the ticker)

9.      Aortic aneurysm (an enlargement of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. It may not cause visible symptoms, or your chest may feel tender to the touch)

10.  Valve disease (The four valves in the ticker control the flow of blood in and out of the ticker. The risk of valve problems increases as you age.)

Noncardiac causes:

Lung-related causes of chest pain

1.      Pneumonia

2.      Collapsed lung (pain occurs when you inhale)

3.      Viral bronchitis

4.      A blood clot, or pulmonary embolus (PE is a blood clot that gets lodged in an artery in one of your lungs)

5.      Pneumothorax

6.      Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD refers to a few different conditions in which your airways become inflamed, impeding the flow of air in and out of your lungs)

7.      Bronchospasm

8.      Lung cancer

9.      Pulmonary hypertension (a condition of increased blood pressure within the arteries serving your lungs)

Muscle- or bone-related causes

Bruised or broken ribs, compression fractures causing pressure on a nerve, sore muscles from exertion or chronic pain syndromes- can lead to chest pain.

Gastrointestinal causes

1.      Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

2.      Esophagitis (an inflammation of the tissue in the esophagus that makes swallowing painful and difficult)

3.      Esophageal rupture (tear in the lining of the esophagus causing food and liquids to escape into the chest cavity)

4.      Gallstones

5.      Heartburn (experienced as a burning sensation behind the breastbone after eating)

6.      Dysphagia (swallowing disorder)

7.      Hiatal hernia

8.      Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas causing pain that radiates from the upper abdomen to the chest and back)

Mental health-related causes

1.      Anxiety attack

2.      Panic attack

Other causes

1.      Muscle strain

2.      Fibromyalgia (widespread muscle pain and tenderness)

3.      Costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage that supports your ribs)

4.      Shingles (development of pain along your back or chest before the shingles rash becomes apparent)

This long list of possible causes of your chest pain highlights the importance why you need to be seen by a doctor since a medical evaluation is the only and best way to know for sure the reason behind this alarming pain and to make sure you’re getting the right treatment.

Chest pain is something you should never ignore. Call 911 right away if you experience pain in your chest since all too often it indicates a serious, potentially life-threatening medical problem.

To train in the lifesaving CPR procedure, sign up for a CPR class at the AHA certified CPR Kansas City. To register, call CPR Kansas City on 913-998-7499.