Often people confuse chest pain on the left side of the heart and one that is a harbinger of other problems in the body, for example, compression of a nerve in the spine. However, imitation of pain in the heart of a non-cardiogenic nature is completely plausible. You need to consult with both a neurologist and a cardiologist to find the reason why your heart aches.
Noncardiogenic pain
In medical practice, any pain in the heart is called cardialgia. They are aching, dull nature, and there are sharp and strong. A person usually immediately reacts to the latter and goes to see a doctor. But when the heart just aches for a long time, everyone blames it on fatigue. And this is fraught with consequences.
Noncardiogenic aching pain in the heart can be due to several reasons:
- heart neurosis;
- advanced osteochondrosis;
- VSD (vegetovascular dystonia);
- extrasystoles.
Suspicions of extrasystoles (violation of the contraction rhythm) arise if the patient says that he has pressure in his chest, there are sensations of a sinking heart, and at the same time there are difficulties withswallowing.
How to recognize these states? Is it life-threatening when the heart aches? The exact cause of chest discomfort and pain should be identified by a qualified cardiologist.
Pain due to osteochondrosis
When examining a patient who complains of chest pain on the left side, the doctor should do tests. After all, the sensations with angina pectoris are almost the same, sometimes there is an innervation of pain in the left arm, but the attack lasts only 3 to 5 minutes.
As a diagnostic, experts suggest checking:
- Throwing back the head and moving the bent arms first back then up, a person with problems in the thoracic spine will immediately feel pain in the chest.
- Nitroglycerin promotes vasodilation, so it is used to stop an attack of angina pectoris. After taking nitroglycerin tablets or drops, the pain goes away after 5-10 minutes. And if not, then the pain is not heartache.
There are many interconnected nerve plexuses in the chest, which are innervated when stimulated. Therefore, pains due to the spine are quite obvious. With osteochondrosis, discomfort usually increases with turns, sudden movements, or when inhaling. But there is no danger to life. Heart pain manifests itself in a different way: they do not depend on the position of the body.
Psychogenic factors
Caused by severe and prolonged stress, chest pain on the left side is called cardiac neurosis. During the diagnosis, the cardiologist does not detect anydeviations in the work of this body. However, piercing or aching pains do not stop attacking a person. They are unpredictable in nature. Some people note the feeling that something is pressing in the chest, others notice that the pain is sharp. All sensations are very subjective. And the pain is transmitted either to the limbs or to the back.
In such cases, it is necessary to consult a psychotherapist who deals specifically with neuroses and knows the symptoms of psychosomatic disorders. Along with pain, there may be: asthenia, a decrease in temperature below 36 ° C, numbness of the limbs and headaches.
Vegetovascular dystonia
The disease is also characterized by dull and aching pains, as is the case with angina pectoris. The main symptom found in all patients with VVD is complaints that the heart aches and the left hand goes numb. Sometimes a tingling sensation is felt in the hand. The pain is accompanied by tremors in the limbs and constant fatigue.
Often these patients have trouble sleeping and many other accompanying symptoms. How to help yourself with such attacks? Doctors recommend taking valocardine (50 drops) and rest. In fact, VVD is the same serious disease and requires treatment by a psychoneurologist.
Cardiogenic pain
Let's consider the etiology of cardiogenic pain. They are caused by heart disease. These include several groups of ailments:
- Myocardial dystrophy is a metabolic disorder of the heart muscle. At the beginning of the disease, a person feels that, for unknown reasons, he achesheart, at first the pain is barely perceptible, but over time it grows. And if you do not consult a doctor at the initial stage, the pain will become sharp and severe.
- Defects of the heart.
- Ischemic disease is a violation of blood circulation in the heart artery.
- Aortic aneurysm. Other.
Cause-and-effect relationships are more interesting for doctors. How to cope with pain - this question worries a person more if he feels that his heart is aching again. What to do - call a doctor or take valerian? The doctor is called when the most serious heart problems are present - ischemia, severe angina, or aneurysm. If you do not know how these diseases manifest themselves, or if your heart suddenly aches for no reason, although this has not happened before, it is better to play it safe and call an ambulance.
Features of cardiac ischemia
This is a common disease, the main symptom of the disease is chest pain on the left side. Ischemic disease usually develops much faster in women than in men. The main reason is the narrowing of the lumen in the coronary artery, through which the heart receives new blood.
The development of the disease is paroxysmal. At times, the pain subsides, then grows with renewed vigor during the period of exacerbation. Small violations are manifested by rapid fatigue after any physical activity, a person feels: his heart aches. And if you listen to the heartbeat, it will be rapid even in a calm state. By such signs, ischemia can be determined:
- sweating increased;
- weakness;
- shortness of breath;
- aching pain in the heart may radiate to the left hand.
If the doctor does not examine and tell you how to treat your heart in time, the risk of a heart attack increases many times over. After all, a heart attack is nothing more than a complete cessation of blood flow to the heart due to blockage of blood vessels.
Sometimes physical activity disproportionate to the capabilities of the heart leads to metabolic disorders in it. This is also one of the factors that increase the risk of myocardial infarction.
Aortic aneurysm
High blood pressure and atherosclerotic plaques in the vessels lead over time to aneurysm. An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement of a section of a vessel. Slow dissection of the walls of the aorta with blood threatens that the wall will not withstand the pressure and burst. Then the person needs urgent aortic surgery.
Pain from an aneurysm occurs behind the sternum and radiates to the back. It is not stabbing, but dull, and lasts a long time. Other symptoms are: shortness of breath and problematic swallowing. If the wall begins to tear, then the pain is strong, penetrating. The patient faints, and an urgent need to call doctors.
Treatment of cardialgia
It depends on the diagnosis. And to diagnose any heart disease is possible only after several studies. When the cause of pain is VVD or intercostal neuralgia, the cardiologist will not help. As for cardiac problems, here, depending on the condition of the patient, the doctor may prescribe medication.treatment. But any therapy should be accompanied by a transition to proper nutrition. Otherwise, treatment with pills will be useless.
Serious changes in the vessels of the heart during ischemia cannot be corrected by drugs. When occlusion of the vessels is confirmed on coronography, an operation is prescribed. The essence of the operation is to restore the normal flow of blood with the help of stenting or coronary angioplasty.
These modern methods of treatment completely eliminate the risk of complications during surgery. Tissue damage is minimal. After the operation, it is desirable to conduct another study to ensure the effectiveness of stenting.
