Causes Of Chest Pain

The symptom of chest pain can be quite alarming. Most of us think of chest pain as heart attack. There can be many reasons behind a chest pain. However, since cardiac disease is so common and dangerous, a chest pain should not be dismissed as insignificant. Chest pain is usually used to describe any pressure, pain, choking, squeezing, numbness or any other discomfort in the chest or upper abdomen. This is also associated with pain in the arms, jaw or head. A chest pain can occur frequently or rarely, can last for just a second or a few days, and can occur sporadically. All these make the doctor unable to diagnose anything from just a chest pain.

Various medical problems can cause a chest pain. Before the doctor can begin to treat a chest pain, he or she needs to identify the actual underlying cause. Some of the more common causes of chest pain are angina due to coronary artery disease, heart attack, heartburn, benign chest wall pain, anxiety or panic disorder, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleuritis, mitral valve prolapse, pericarditis, recent chest trauma, peptic ulcer, angina due to coronary artery spasm, angina due to cardiac syndrome X and aortic dissection. Some causes are harmless but some can be serious, even fatal. Any organ or tissue in one's chest like heart, lungs, muscles, esophagus, ribs, nerves or tendons can start a pain

The condition of benign chest wall pain is quite common with young and healthy individuals. Since this condition is totally harmless, it becomes difficult for the patients to understand it and often, they needlessly keep worrying. Angina is a heart-related chest pain. When the heart does not get enough blood and oxygen, such a pain starts. Angina pain is similar to the pain one feels during a heart attack.

The dangerous form of angina is the unstable angina. Here, the chest pain occurs unexpectedly, when some light activity is done or when someone is resting. One needs to be rushed to the emergency immediately during such a pain. Asthma, pneumonia, a blood clot in the lung, the collapse of a small area of one lung, or pleurisy can all lead to chest pain. In all these cases the pain worsens when a deep breath is taken or one coughs.

Anxiety and the resultant rapid breathing and inflammation of the tendons and muscles between the ribs can be the causes of a chest pain. Another common reason of a chest pain is related to problems in the digestive system. Stomach ulcer, gallbladder disease, gallstones, indigestion, heartburn or gastro-esophageal reflux can cause chest pain.

Certain chest pains need to be treated immediately: When the pain radiates to the jaw, left arm or between the shoulder blades; one suffers from nausea, dizziness, sweating or shortness of breath; those having angina feels the chest pain is more intense and lasts longer; a sharp chest pain starts suddenly along with shortness of breath. Those who have a family history of heart attacks should never neglect any form of chest pain. Those having high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes should also be equally careful about any such pain.

• Juliana Breckinridge
• 27/05/2009, 3:59 PM
• 0 Comments