What Causes Chest Pain
It is always a good idea to visit a doctor at least once to rule out any potential heart health issues. Anxiety can cause chest pain, but an important factor in reducing the stress of that chest pain is by making sure you are confident that your heart is in good health. Visiting a doctor is never a bad thing!
Often those living with anxiety and panic attacks will experience chest pain caused by any number of different factors. Some of these include:
- Hyperventilation – Those with panic attacks and anxiety are prone to hyperventilation, or breathing in too much oxygen. It is often due to rapid muscle contractions and excess air in the lungs. Hyperventilation contracts blood vessels and causes considerable chest pain.
- Bloating – anxiety can be connected to excess gas or bloating. Hyperventilation disorder can contribute to this as well. Bloating can cause an increased amount of pressure on the lungs, which in turn leads to chest pain.
- Psychosomatic – most people don’t like to believe the idea that the problem is in their head, but those with extreme anxiety and panic attacks, that are worried about their health, may feel genuine pain even though no cause of pain is present. Psychosomatic means that a physical ailment is aggravated or caused by their thoughts. The anxious mind actually convinces the body that there is a symptom, in this case chest pain.
What Are The Home Remedies For Chest Pain
In this part of the article, some such ingredients have been told that can be a home remedy for chest pain.
Here we tell the readers that these remedies can reduce chest pain to some extent, but they are not a permanent cure for their causes.
In such a situation, it is important to understand the cause of chest pain and get it medically treated, so that the problem does not become more serious.
The Three Most Common Causes Of Noncardiac Chest Pain
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How An Exercise Stress Test Is Performed
Youll start off by walking slowly on a treadmill. The speed and grade of the treadmill will be increased as the test continues.
If you experience any difficulties especially, chest pains, weakness, or fatigue you may ask to stop the test.
When your doctor is satisfied with your results, youll be able to stop exercising. Your heart rate and breathing will continue to be monitored for a short while afterward.
What You Can Do About It
Chest pain all signal something wroing, make sure you know the best ways to cope:
A few things to alleviate discomfort: Patients who are experiencing chest pain that does not appear to be life threatening can do a few things to help alleviate their discomfort. Get into a resting position such as lying in bed and take multiple short breaths until your breathing calms. Drinking a glass of water can also help you stay calm which helps relieve chest pain. Placing ice on the area that is causing you pain can help relieve some of the tension. Pain killers can also be useful, but you may want to contact your doctor regarding which medications would be appropriate to use so you do not aggravate your condition further.
Adjust your lifestyle: If you are experiencing chest pain frequently you may need to make adjustments to your lifestyle to find permanent relief. Eating a healthier diet, cutting out smoking or alcohol and developing an exercise routine can be helpful ways to start ridding yourself of pain. Consult with your doctor about which changes would be the most appropriate to make and what kind of exercises are safe to do with your condition.
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Left Side Chest Pain Can Be Caused By A Variety Of Conditions So It Is Important To Evaluate Your Symptoms To Determine If Your Pain Requires Medical Attention Learn Details Here
When a person starts feeling chest pain it’s likely that they will be concerned. Chest pain can be even more frightening because this side effect is often associated with a heart attack. In the event of a heart attack you will want to get medical attention as quickly as possible, but other symptoms that can cause chest pain may not require the same kind of emergency care. Knowing the signs of a heart attack and other likely causes of chest pain can help you narrow down if your situation is life threatening or not.
Arm Pain: Heartburn Or Something Else
Heart attack survivors often recount their first symptom as a heartburn-like sensation. Many patients explicitly use the word heartburn when recounting their cardiac experience. Patients often realize that their heartburn is in fact not reflux-related but heart-related when:
- There is a pain radiating up the arm, specifically the left arm
- They have no history of acid reflux
- There is a burning sensation in the chest
- They have not eaten anything prior to the pain
- The pain doesnt go away with antacid
If your heartburn symptoms dont go away after taking an antacid, and are accompanied by arm pain and back pain, we suggest going to an emergency facility immediately to get medical help.
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Can Acid Reflux Cause Sharp Chest Pain
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Gallbladder Or Liver Inflammation
The gallbladder and the liver are two organs of the abdominal cavity that are located on the right side of the body and so, when they get inflamed or suffer alterations they can cause pain in that area. Although it is more common for the pain to be in the abdominal region, in some cases it can radiate to the chest too.
When there is a problem with the gallbladder or the liver there can be other symptoms besides the chest pain and these include vomiting, loss of appetite, general feeling of being unwell, and jaundice.
What to do: if you suspect you have gallbladder inflammation or a liver problem, its important to visit a gastroenterologist to confirm the diagnosis and start adequate treatment. Gallbladder inflammation is usually quite serious, especially if the gallbladder is obstructed by a stone. In these cases, the pain is very strong and there can be fever and acute vomiting. If this happens, go to the hospital immediately.
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Rare Symptoms Of Acid Reflux: When You Should Be Worried
Acid reflux may be a common gastrointestinal problem, but it turns out its symptoms are not always that common. From headaches to nerve pain, there are uncommon acid reflux symptoms that can cause alarm and panic to patients.
So, what are rare acid reflux symptoms? Headaches, dizziness, asthma symptoms, and nerve pain are among those considered to be uncommon but safe acid reflux symptoms. On the other hand, fever and intense pain accompanied by left arm pain are just two examples of potential medical emergencies for reflux patients.
Read on to learn more about the lesser known acid reflux symptoms, and whether or not they pose a health risk.
What Is Heartburn Acid Reflux And Gastro
As part of normal digestion, the stomach produces acid to help break down the food we eat. It is usually contained within the stomach but, sometimes, the valve between the stomach and the oesophagus doesnt work as it should, allowing acid to escape and irritate the sensitive lining of the food pipe. This is called acid reflux and the associated burning sensation in the chest is commonly referred to as heartburn.
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is a condition in which a person experiences uncommonly frequent bouts of acid reflux. Many people experience acid reflux and heartburn occasionally, but when its frequent and severe it may be diagnosed as GERD.
Sometimes, the pain produced by GERD can be mistaken for heart-related chest pains so its important to understand your symptoms and to consult a doctor if you are unsure about the root of any pain you are experiencing.
Whilst the pain of heartburn or GERD and heart conditions occur behind the breastbone, there are different symptoms that can help you to tell them apart.
- Heartburn that occurs frequently after eating
- Unpleasant, sour taste in your mouth caused by acid reflux
- Difficulty swallowing
- Regurgitation of food or sour liquid
- Sensation of a lump in your throat
- Bloating
- Burping.
Other symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Shortness of breath
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Having chest pain can be a frightening experience that causes much unwanted anxiety. Of course, theres no way to have a relaxed episode of chest pain. Chest pain scares everyone and it’s helpful to be as informed as well. If you have time, besides the comprehensive list below, please also check out our interview with a renowned Harvard professor on ways to differentiate heart attack or normal tightness in chest.
The good news is that most causes of chest pain are not nearly as serious as the pain might suggest. Often, chest pains are a cause of an unresolved anxiety or panic attack disorder, heartburn or gastric distress, GERD, IBS, and other issues.
However, sudden chest pain that comes out of nowhere, when you havent eaten recently and have not experienced some type of great physical or mental traumaespecially if the pain is sudden, sharp, recurring and fading, or is accompanied by any numbing of the limbsthen, please, take no chances! Get help!
The following list of chest pain and its possible causes will explain whats normal and whats not in terms of chest pain.
Does Chest Pain On The Left Side Mean A Heart Attack
Who hasnt seen an actor on TV or in a movie fall to their knees clutching the left side of their chest, clearly in pain and in distress? The character was clearly having a heart attack, as far as we could tell.
Chest pain is one of the symptoms of a heart attack. But it doesnt automatically mean youre having one. It could be a symptom of a less serious condition such as heartburn or pain from excessive coughing when you have a chest infection.
Yet, even seemingly harmless conditions can feel like a heart attack. So how do you know if chest pain on the left side is something you should worry about?
We asked several cardiologists what chest pain on your left side could be.
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Can Acid Reflux Cause Fever And Chills
Sustained esophagus damage from bile regurgitation can lead to esophagitis, which is the inflammation of the esophagus. Esophagitis can also be caused by infections, abuse of oral medication, and allergies.
Reflux esophagitis is a complication of acid reflux, leading to tissue damage and inflammation. Patients with infectious esophagitis may experience fever, chills, muscle aches, and headaches. Dealing with acid reflux trigger often alleviates esophagitis symptoms.
On the other hand, acid reflux alone doesnt cause fever and chills.
If you are not diagnosed with GERD or esophagitis but are experiencing fever and chills with reflux symptoms, get in touch with your doctor immediately to get more information. You could be experiencing a severe bacterial infection and need antibiotics to get well.
Signs And Symptoms Of Chest Pain On The Left Side Above A Female Breast
It can be difficult determining exactly where your pain is coming from. Especially chest pain, because the nerves in your chest do not always indicate the specific cause of the pain. It is important to determine if your chest pain is related to your heart. If it is not, there are other causes to consider. Chest pain on the left side can also be connected to other symptoms that might help you locate the cause.
Related symptoms of chest pain on the left side above a female breast include:
Pressure in the chest
Pressure in your chest on the left side can be an indicator of heart attack. It may feel like someone is sitting on your chest. However, this feeling can also be a symptom of angina which can indicate heart disease.
Radiating pain
Your pain can spread from your chest to your jaw, neck, shoulders, or back. Its important to track where your pain started and where it spread.
Feeling lightheaded can accompany chest pain on the left side. If you feel out of breath or dizzy, you should consult your doctor and tell them your symptoms.
Chest pain on the left side can present in classic ways with normal symptoms, but when its accompanied by other symptoms it becomes worrisome.
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Left Side Chest Pain: Causes And When To See A Doctor
Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer Health
Left side chest pain is very often caused by serious medical conditions related to your heart. Although there can be other reasons for non-cardiac chest pain on the left side, you should never ignore any kind of chest pain. You dont always have to experience sharp stabbing pains in the chest to be concerned. Sometimes, cardiac left side chest pain can be a dull, constant pain or it could feel like tightness or a squeezing feeling in your chest.
Some of the causes of cardiac left side chest pain are narrowed arteries due to a buildup of plaque, angina, a shortage of blood supply to the heart , and a heart attack. The reason that heart-related pain occurs on the left side of your chest is because the location of your heart is just behind the breastbone, but the largest part of the heart is in the left part of your chest. This is the strongest part of your heart which pumps oxygen-rich blood back to the body.
There are also non-heart related reasons for chest pain in the left side and some of these causes are due to infections, stress, injury, or nerve damage. Usually, non-cardiac chest pain hurts when you breathe or cough.
In this article, you will find the answers to what could be causing left side chest pains and when they become serious enough to call a doctor. First of all, lets look at the difference between cardiac and non-cardiac chest pain.
Can Acid Reflux Cause Asthma
Patients with asthma are known to experience GERD and are likelier to develop acid reflux than people without asthma. This is because acid reflux can cause damage to the esophagus, leading to chronic coughing.
Overproduction of acid and constant exposure to stomach contents could also compromise the lungs, making it more susceptible to irritants like dust.
Developing Asthma Due to GERD
Its not just asthmatic patients who can be affected by GERD. Turns out that patients who are non-asthmatic can have respiratory problems due to reflux symptoms.
Wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty are tell-tale signs of asthma. Commonly diagnosed in childhood, adults can also develop asthma late in their lives due to a variety of reasons. Some patients can develop asthmatic symptoms while others go on to experience chronic asthma symptoms and eventually develop adult asthma.
Asthma can be caused by a variety of stimuli including exposure to allergens and persistent flu. Doctors tend to identify acid reflux, or GERD in particular, as the cause for asthma when:
- Asthma symptoms worsen after a meal
- Asthma begins during adulthood, after the patient experiences reflux symptoms
- Asthma doesnt get better with traditional asthma treatments
Is It Always Serious?
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Location Of Chest Pain
Both cardiac and noncardiac chest pain can occur in the center of the chest behind the breastbone.
However, cardiac chest pain can spread across the chest and even affect other parts of the body, such as the:
- arms
- aching
- burning
In contrast, noncardiac chest pain tends to feel like an intense stabbing or burning sensation just beneath the surface of the skin.
Coughing, breathing, or moving can affect the intensity of noncardiac chest pain, while the severity of cardiac chest pain usually remains stable, even when resting.
Diagnosing Chest Pain On The Left Side Above A Female Breast
To diagnose the cause of your chest pain on the left side your doctor will discuss your symptoms and may run blood tests. They also may take X-rays or order an electrocardiogram and exercise stress test. They will want to rule out a heart attack or other heart problems.
The doctor may also evaluate you for microvascular anginathis can occur when your hearts arteries are not supplying enough oxygen-rich blood due to spasm or cellular dysfunction. Once heart problems have been ruled out, they will look for other signs of trauma to your chest and breast and may run further tests to determine if it is related to another illness.
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When To Contact A Medical Professional
- You have sudden crushing, squeezing, tightening, or pressure in your chest.
- Pain spreads to your jaw, left arm, or between your shoulder blades.
- You have nausea, dizziness, sweating, a racing heart, or shortness of breath.
- You know you have angina and your chest discomfort is suddenly more intense, brought on by lighter activity, or lasts longer than usual.
- Your angina symptoms occur while you are at rest.
- You have sudden, sharp chest pain with shortness of breath, especially after a long trip, a stretch of bedrest , or other lack of movement, especially if one leg is swollen or more swollen than the other .
- You have been diagnosed with a serious condition, such as heart attack or pulmonary embolism.
Your risk of having a heart attack is greater if:
- You have a family history of heart disease.
- You smoke, use cocaine, or are overweight.
- You have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
- You already have heart disease.
- You have a fever or a cough that produces yellow-green phlegm.
- You have chest pain that is severe and does not go away.
- You are having problems swallowing.
- Chest pain lasts longer than 3 to 5 days.