Why does pain occur in the region of the heart? The cause of the development of such discomfort can be completely different pathological conditions. We will talk about them below. You will also learn about the nature of chest pain in the region of the heart.
Basic information about pain syndrome
According to statistics, pain in the region of the heart during inhalation or exhalation is the most common reason for patients to contact the ambulance service. However, experts say that this symptom is not always a sign of impaired functioning of the main muscle of the human body.
So why do pains appear in the region of the heart? Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, bones, some internal organs and joints may well cause the development of such discomfort in the chest.
It is quite difficult to determine on your own why there are pains in the region of the heart. The diagnosis of such discomfort is complicated by the fact that in different situations the heart muscle can hurt in different ways. Only an experienced specialist can reveal the true cause of such sensations.
Character of pain syndrome
What pains can there be in the region of the heart?Patients describe such sensations in the chest area in different ways. They are aching, stabbing, pressing, burning, piercing, squeezing and pulling. It also happens that chest discomfort does not last very long. Although sometimes he may not let go for several hours or even days.
Pain on the left, in the area of the heart, can occur both at rest and with strong excitement, as well as after hard physical work. It should also be noted that sometimes such sensations appear only with sudden movements, turns, tilts and deep breathing. In addition, pain may be accompanied by a feeling of suffocation, shortness of breath, coughing, numbness of the hands, rapid heartbeat, fever, and may also radiate into the hands, shoulder blade, jaw, or neck.
Probable causes
Why does pain occur in the region of the heart when you take a deep breath or exhale? The causes of this condition are not always associated with any cardiac diseases. Although it is also impossible to exclude such a possibility.
Let's consider the features of those heart diseases that cause chest pain in more detail.
Angina
In the presence of such a disease, seizures occur due to insufficient blood supply to the heart. This happens as a result of the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of the arteries, which interfere with normal blood flow.
Usually, with angina pectoris, people complain of squeezing or squeezing pains in the chest area, which appear with strong excitement orphysical activity and stop in a calm state.
Myocardial infarction
If you have pain on the left side of the sternum in the heart area, then most likely this is due to myocardial infarction. Burning or pressing sensations occur when blood vessels are clogged with a thrombus, as a result, the heart muscle is not supplied with blood and oxygen.
Also with myocardial infarction, the patient has shortness of breath, cold sweats and nausea. At the same time, the pains increase in waves, last a very long time, radiate to the neck, arms, lower jaw, shoulder blades and shoulders. In addition, numbness of the hands often occurs.
Mitral valve prolapse
This pathology is accompanied by arching and not too strong pain. Also, the patient may experience headaches, pressure surges and fatigue.
Pericarditis
This disease is acute and infectious in nature, and is also an inflammation of the lining of the heart muscle, which is accompanied by fever and general malaise. People with this diagnosis usually complain of stabbing pains deep in the chest. They can be permanent or temporary, and also get worse when you lie down and subside when you lean forward.
Aortic dissection
This disease is characterized by sharp pains in the region of the heart. They occur due to the detachment of the inner layer of the vessel under high blood pressure. By the way, the causes of such a pathology are chest injuries or a complication of arterial hypertension.
Non-heart pains
As mentioned above,discomfort in the chest may not be associated with certain heart diseases. Experts say that such discomfort may occur due to the following reasons:
- Pleurisy. Chest pain in this condition occurs due to inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the lung and is a kind of shell on the inside of the chest cavity. Discomfort with pleurisy is acute and may be aggravated by coughing and breathing.
- Osteochondrosis of the spine, in particular the cervical and thoracic. This disease is often confused with angina pectoris. Pain in osteochondrosis is felt on the left side, behind the sternum. As a rule, they are long and intense, give into the arms and back, between the shoulder blades. With certain movements (when moving the hands or turning the head), the discomfort often increases.
- Heartburn. Unpleasant sensations in the region of the heart, which are associated with heartburn, can last for several hours. Usually they appear during physical exertion and in the supine position.
- Panic attacks. Patients with autonomic disorders experience not only discomfort in the heart area, but also complain of rapid heartbeat and breathing, attacks of fear, excessive sweating.
- Tietze's syndrome. Inflammation of the costal cartilages very often causes pain in the heart. Such sensations are similar to angina attacks. They can be intense and increase with pressure on the ribs.
- Pulmonary embolism presentsis a life-threatening condition. When an embolus clogs an artery, it causes sudden, sharp pain in the chest that gets worse when you take a deep breath or cough. Also, a person with this diagnosis feels palpitations and shortness of breath, feels anxious.
- Intercostal neuralgia. Pain in this condition occurs after sudden movements, coughing, deep breathing or hypothermia. At the same time, shooting and sharp pain develops in the intercostal space. Such a syndrome can be so severe that a person is unable to move or even take a deep breath for some time. By the way, the cause of the development of intercostal neuralgia is osteochondrosis.
- Pneumothorax is characterized by a collapse of the lung. In this condition, chest pains come on suddenly. The patient also develops weakness, shortness of breath, palpitations and dizziness.
- Shingles caused by the herpes virus. With such a disease, aching pain occurs in the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart (it can be shooting, burning or dull).
- Spasm of the esophagus. With this pathology, very often there are unpleasant sensations in the chest area. The development of spasm can be easily confused with an attack of angina, since in both cases the discomfort is eliminated by taking nitroglycerin.
- Tuberculosis. The pulmonary form of this disease is also accompanied by chest pains. Other typical signs of this disease are bloody sputum, cough, night sweats, general weakness, fever, weight loss,poor appetite. With the development of tuberculosis of the spine, pain occurs in the back, which radiate to the region of the heart or can be girdle.
- Diseases of the gallbladder and pancreas. Discomfort in the abdomen, which appears due to the development of pancreatitis or cholecystitis, can be observed directly in the region of the heart.
- Myositis is an inflammation of the muscles of the chest, which is caused by physical work, drafts or injuries. At the same time, aching or pulling pain appears on the surface in the chest area. It can radiate to the arms and neck, and also increase with palpation and movement.
- Tracheitis. The reason for the development of this condition are colds, which often lead to inflammation of the tracheal mucosa. This condition is accompanied not only by a burning pain in the center of the chest, but also by a strong cough (often dry).
- Rib injuries. In case of fractures and bruises, especially in case of infringement of the nerve root, rather strong pains may appear in the chest area, which are aggravated by palpation.
- Rupture of an aortic aneurysm. With such a pathology, a person feels pain in the abdomen and back, between the shoulder blades, as well as a sudden “tear” in the chest. The patient also develops shortness of breath and weakness (possible loss of consciousness.).
- Vegetovascular dystonia. People suffering from this disease very often experience discomfort in the region of the heart (in the upper part). Such a symptom does not pose a threat to human life. It usually takes place against the backdrop of distractions. ATin some cases, such a symptom may resemble the symptoms of a heart attack or an angina attack. However, it differs from the diseases mentioned in that it does not improve with nitroglycerin.
Thus, having learned about the cause of the development of pain in the chest area, you can completely get rid of them, turning to an experienced doctor.
