Many people experience pain in the heart area, however, pathologies in this organ are far from always the cause of this condition. This article will tell you what to do and what not to do with symptoms of cardialgia.
Definition of concept
Cardialgia (a description of the symptoms of the disease, treatment is presented below) is pain that occurs in the left side of the chest, which is not associated with damage to the coronary (that is, own) vessels of the heart. That is, this is not a separate nosological unit, but a sign of various pathologies that have both cardiac and non-cardiac origin.
Most often, such pains do not pose a threat to life, however, they significantly worsen its quality.
Reason and classification
Classify cardialgia (for a description of the symptoms of the disease, see below) according to the diseases in which they occur:
- Cardiogenic. That is, developing for reasons that lie in diseases of the heart (but not its vessels). However, heart diseasecan be inflammatory (pericarditis, myocarditis), metabolic (endocrine disorders, alcoholism, protein deficiency, menopause, etc.) and hypertrophic (enlargement of the heart) character.
- Due to diseases of the spine, ribs and intercostal nerves located near the heart. These pathologies include: cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, various injuries and diseases of the ribs and pectoral muscles, intercostal neuralgia, inflammation of the nerve bundles in the area of the shoulder joint.
- Due to neurocirculatory dystonia (occurs in most cases).
- As one of the symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases (with ulcers, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, chronic cholecystitis, abdominal trauma).
- Occurring in pathologies of the pleura or lungs (in cases of left-sided lesions).
In addition, cardialgia is divided into psychogenic and vertebrogenic.
Clinical manifestations
Kardialgia, the symptoms of which are not accompanied by a feeling of pressure in the chest, is manifested as follows:
pain that occurs in the cervical and occipital regions, as well as in the chest;
- blackout eyes;
- swallowing disorders;
- anxiety;
- inability to take a full breath, feeling short of breath;
- sleep disorders;
- soreness often occurs without any physical (stress) or psychological (stress) causes;
- rest does not bring relief;
- in some casesconvulsions and fainting occur.
Features in various pathologies
The presence of cardialgia symptoms that appear at rest often indicates that the patient has neurocirculatory dystonia. At the same time, a feeling of constant fatigue and the inability to fully inhale is added to the soreness in the chest. In addition, the pain in the heart is long enough.
In cases where cardialgia is associated with disorders in the cervical-shoulder zone, pain occurs in the left arm and the corresponding half of the chest. At the same time, pain appears when trying to lift a weight or simply raise your arms up.
If a patient has herpes zoster or intercostal neuralgia, the pain is acute, long-lasting and is not relieved by taking even strong analgesics.
Kardialgia, the symptoms of which are described above, may be a manifestation of Tietze's syndrome, which is characteristic of patients older than forty-five years of age. This disease is characterized by thickening of the costal cartilages. However, the soreness is easily relieved with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Various infectious pathologies, ailments of the digestive organs, menopausal hormonal imbalance also often lead to pain in the heart.
The consequences of cardialgia depend on the pathology that caused it. So, for example, untreated myocarditis can lead to cardiosclerosis, thrombosis, heart failure, and osteochondrosis can lead to motor (walking, tilting, and so on)impairments up to and including disability.
Psychogenic cardialgia: symptoms and treatment
This kind of cardialgia develops as a result of depression or stress. With psychogenic cardialgia, the symptoms are pulsating and constant.
Patients note soreness and burning in the heart zone, as well as the left hypochondrium. In this case, either a feeling of fullness or emptiness in the chest may occur.
In addition, patients often indicate an increase in the sensitivity of the skin of the left nipple.
Psychogenic cardialgia, the symptoms of which are somewhat different from those in pathologies of a different origin, may be accompanied by irradiation of pain in the spine, lower back, neck and genitals. In addition, the pain is often combined with tingling, tingling, crawling and other unpleasant sensations.
Treatment of this form of the disease is reduced to the elimination of the main etiological factor (that is, stress and depression), carried out by prescribing antipsychotics, antidepressants, and so on.
Vertebrogenic type
Patients are often interested in: vertebrogenic cardialgia, what it is, what symptoms and how it manifests.
This type of disease is the result of damage to the cervical segment of the spinal column. In this case, pain occurs due to compression of the nerve roots emerging from this area of the spine. These nerve fibers reflexively affect the heart and its coronary (own) arteries, which causes aching or pressingpain in the area of the heart muscle.
Doctors indicate that cardialgia is a symptom of such a common pathology as osteochondrosis, the progression of which is accompanied by the replacement of intervertebral cartilage with bone tissue. As a result, the blood flow is disturbed, and the pressure on the outgoing nerve fibers increases significantly.
Another etiological factor (but in more rare cases) of vertebrogenic cardialgia is spondylarthrosis. The mechanism of the development of the disease is as follows: hyaline cartilage is deformed and inflamed. As a result of the inflammatory process, bone growths are formed that put pressure on the spinal nerve roots.
Symptomatics of vertebrogenic cardialgia
The presence of osteochondrosis or spondylarthrosis in a patient is often indicated by radial or sympathetic pains, the nature and severity of which can be different: from sharp stabbing to pulling and dull. Moreover, pain in this case occurs as a result of a long stay of the patient in an uncomfortable position or with sudden movements.
In this case, the patient clearly indicates the localization of pain. Sympathetic pain is not the only symptom of cardialgia. In addition to it, patients note hyperemia, increased blood pressure and excessive sweating.
Diagnostic measures
Before you start fighting this very unpleasant symptom, you need to find out the cause of the pain and conduct a differential diagnosis of cardialgia with angina pectoris, acute heart attackmyocardium and other pathologies of the heart, blood vessels, and so on. That is, having discovered pain in the heart area, the patient should consult a cardiologist and undergo a series of studies. The patient can be assigned:
- ECG;
- CT;
- x-ray examination of the shoulder joint, spine and ribs (if spondyloarthritis or osteochondrosis is suspected);
- Echocardiography;
- MRI;
If, along with cardialgia, the patient has low blood pressure and temperature, dilated veins over the pectoral muscles, as well as soreness of the scalene muscles, they indicate the presence of Falconer-Weddel or Naffziger syndrome.
Kardialgia in myocarditis is characterized by stabbing or aching pain that does not go away for a long time.
First Aid
Very often, patients are interested in what are the symptoms of cardialgia and what to do if they occur.
Of course, the treatment of heart pain must begin with the elimination of the main cause that caused it, however, first aid in this case comes down to the use of distractions.
So, the patient must be undressed so that the clothes do not constrain the chest and put to bed. Then give "Validol", "Pentalgin" or "Corvalol".
If the measures taken did not have the desired effect,it is necessary to call an ambulance to transport the patient to the hospital.
Condition Therapy
Treatment of cardialgia always begins with the elimination of the etiological (causal) factor, that is, the pathology that caused it.
So, if the cause of heart pain lies in neurocirculatory dystonia, the patient is prescribed sedatives and multivitamins, as well as painkillers as a symptomatic treatment to get rid of pain. Also, the patient is offered proper nutrition, optimization of the rest regimen and refusal to take potent drugs and alcohol.
In the presence of psychogenic cardialgia, the treatment regimen includes antidepressants, antipsychotics, vasoactive, vegetotropic drugs, and so on. Antianginal drugs for this form of the disease are ineffective and highly undesirable.
Pain of vertebrogenic origin is treated with manual therapy, intraosseous blockades, physiotherapy exercises and so on.
Physiotherapeutic effect
Physiotherapy is prescribed for pain relief, inflammation and as a sedative.
If the patient has ailments of the muscles, ribs, nerves and spine, the following methods are effective:
- percutaneous electroanalgesia (impact in the damaged area);
- ultraphonophoresis using hydrocortisone;
- magnetotherapy;
- laser treatment;
- SMV, UHF - therapy (in case of damage to the ribs);
- electrophoresis with anesthetics("Novocaine" or "Lidocaine");
- diadynamophoresis using Lidocaine.
When NCD is the cause of cardialgia, the following procedures are prescribed to the patient:
- carbonate or pine baths;
- darsonvalization on the cardiac region;
- electrosleep;
- EHF region of the heart;
- electrophoresis with the introduction of bromine or magnesium;
- diadynamic effect on the brachial plexus.
If cardialgia is caused by another pathology, physiotherapy methods are not applied.
What not to do with cardialgia
Feeling pain in the heart, many patients raise a panic or, on the contrary, do not pay any attention to the pain. Both are unacceptable and usually do no good.
Not recommended for cardialgia:
- personally establish a diagnosis and prescribe treatment (this can only be done by a specialist and only after a thorough examination);
- independently change the multiplicity, duration of therapy and replace the drugs prescribed by the doctor;
- call an ambulance for every minor ailment (however, this does not apply to too intense and prolonged pain that cannot be stopped by conventional means);
- excessively burden the body with unbearable physical exercises (physical education should take place, but the intensity of training depends on the characteristics of the present pathology);
- lead an unhe althy lifestyle (alcohol and smoking);
- stop working.
Prevention
Prevention of the occurrence of cardialgia comes down to the timely treatment of various pathologies, maintaining a proper lifestyle, adequate rest and physical activity, good nutrition, and so on.
Any person should be attentive to their he alth and in the event of pain in the heart, do not delay a visit to the doctor, subsequently following all his recommendations. After all, the success of eliminating the symptoms and consequences of cardialgia depends on this.
