Experiencing Chest Pains? These Could be The Causes.
When you get a stomach or backache, it is easy to just chill and hope that the pain will go away. Often a nice back rub or some painkillers will do the trick, and you will be as good as new in no time.
Sadly, chest pains are not something you ignore as they could be life-threatening. Not that all other organs are not life-threatening. But I am sure you get my point.
While you will rush to figure out how to make the chest pains go away or see if your doctor can squeeze you in for a quick consultation, having general knowledge regarding the possible causes of chest pains is never a bad thing. This is because sometimes the chest pains are merely a symptom of an underlying issue.
Below are some of the most common causes of chest pains
Heart Problems
These are divided into several heart-related problems.
Coronary Artery disease (CAD)
This happens when your heart’s blood vessels have been blocked, and the flow of oxygen to the heart is disrupted. Chest pains associated with CAD are known as angina, and they often spread to arms, shoulders, jaws, and back.
Myocardial infarction (Heart attack)
This occurs when there is a reduction in the blood flow through heart blood vessels. Consequently, the heart muscle cells die, resulting in severe pain in either the center or the left side of the chest. The intense pain can not be alleviated by resting, and it is often associated with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea and sometimes extreme weakness.
Myocarditis
This heart problem can have similar symptoms to those of a heart attack, but there won’t be any reduction in the blood flow through heart blood vessels. Rather, there is muscle inflammation. The chest pains can come along with racing heart rate, difficulties in breathing and fatigue.
Pericarditis
This refers to inflammation or infection of the sac around the heart, which causes sharp pain which is almost similar to angina. The pain can spread to the upper neck and shoulder. Breathing, swallowing and laying on the back could increase pain.
Lung Problems
Just like the heart problems above, several lung issues can cause chest pains. Some of the common lung problems include:
Pneumonia
This refers to an infection that causes inflammation in the lungs. This can cause pleurisy, which in turn leads to chest pains as the pleura would have been inflamed. When experiencing chest pains associated with pneumonia, you will also likely have a fever, cough and chills. Pleurisy also results in a sharp pain whenever one coughs, sneezes or even breathes.
Asthma
This is a condition where one’s airway gets inflamed, swells, becomes narrow and produces extra mucus rendering it difficult to breathe. It causes shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. With all these difficulties, one is likely to also experience chest pains.
Pulmonary embolism
This occurs when there is a blood clot stuck in an artery in the lung. This hinders the flow of blood to some parts of the lung. As a result, there is a possibility of pleuritis, racing heart rate and difficulties in breathing.
Pneumothorax
Widely known as a collapsed lung, this happens when there is air in the space between one’s lung and chest wall. The air then results in the lung collapsing. This collapse releases air into the chest cavity, which could cause pain that increasingly gets worse as you breathe. Collapsed lungs can also result in low blood pressure.
Pulmonary hypertension
This refers to high blood pressure in the vessels that supply the heart and the lungs. Symptoms include dizziness, shortness of breath and chest pains which are similar to enigma.
Gastrointestinal Problems
Below are some of the common gastrointestinal problems that result in chest pains
Pancreatitis
This is an inflammation that results from the activation of digestive enzymes while they are still in the pancreas. This leads to pain in the lower chest. The pain gets worse when one lies flat and better when they lean forward.
Hiatal hernia
This occurs when the upper part of the stomach pushes out into the lower part of the chest after having a meal. Usually, this results in reflux symptoms such as heartburn and chest pains. Just like when one has pancreatitis, the pain gets worse if they lie down.
Esophageal rupture
Also known as perforation, this is when there is a tear in the esophagus. This could be a result of vomiting or any procedure that involves the esophagus. Chest pains related to the esophageal rupture are sudden and often severe.
Peptic ulcers
This occurs when one has painful sores due to the acid in the digestive tract eating away the lining of the stomach or small intestines. The open sores may sometimes bleed. Smoking, increased alcohol use, and frequently taking painkillers like aspirin and NSAIDs may increase one’s chances of experiencing peptic ulcers.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
This happens when stomach acid continuously flows from the stomach to the esophagus. This irritates the lining of the esophagus and can be characterized by a sour taste in the mouth and heartburn as well as chest pains. Obesity, pregnancy, smoking, and spicy and fatty foods could result in GERD.
Bone muscle, or Nerve Problems
Lastly, chest pains can be due to physical injuries or viruses in the muscles around the chest area.
Broken ribs.
Broken ribs could make it difficult for one to breathe, and breathing and coughing might result in chest pains. Broken ribs might also cause inflammation that results in chest pains.
Muscle strains
Continuous hard coughing can disturb, inflame or injure muscles between ribs. This will likely result in chest pains that persist and worsen as one coughs more.
What to do When Experiencing Chest Pains
These are just some of the common causes of chest pains, there are a whole lot more that were not discussed in this article.
Sometimes the pain will go away if you lay down or sit in the correct posture. When experiencing intense pain, it is advisable to see a physician as soon as possible.
Pay attention to your diet and avoid habits that could trigger issues associated with chest pains.
