Why are there pains in the heart area? The reason for 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 area of the heart.
Basics of Pain
According to statistics, pain in the area of the heart during inhalation or exhalation is the most common reason for patients to go to the ambulance service. However, experts argue 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 area of the heart? Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, bones, some internal organs and joints can very well cause the development of such unpleasant sensations in the chest.
Determining yourself why pain occurs in the region of the heart is quite difficult. 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 is able to identify the true cause of such sensations.
Nature of pain
What can be the pain in the area of the heart? Patients describe such sensations in the chest area in different ways. They are aching, stitching, crushing, burning, piercing, compressing 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 region 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, bends and deep breathing. In addition, pain can be accompanied by a sensation of suffocation, shortness of breath, coughing, numbness of the hands, frequent palpitations, fever, and also give to the hands, shoulder blade, jaw or neck.
Probable reasons
Why does pain occur in the area of the heart when I take a deep breath or exhale? The causes of this condition are not always associated with any cardiological diseases. Although this probability cannot be ruled out either.
Consider the features of those heart diseases that cause chest pain in more detail.
Angina pectoris
In the presence of such a disease, attacks occur due to insufficient blood supply to the heart. This happens as a result of the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of arteries, which interfere with normal blood flow.
Typically, with angina pectoris, people complain of constricting or constricting pain in the chest area, which appear with severe excitement or physical exertion and cease in a calm state.
Myocardial infarction
If you have a sore left side of the sternum in the area of the heart, then most likely this is due to myocardial infarction. Burning or oppressive sensations occur when a blood clot is clogged, as a result, the heart muscle is not supplied with blood and oxygen.
Also, with myocardial infarction, the patient has shortness of breath, cold sweat and nausea. The pains in this case grow in waves, last for a very long time, radiating to the neck, arms, lower jaw, shoulder blades and shoulders. In addition, numbness of the hands often happens.
Mitral valve prolapse
Such pathology is accompanied by bursting and not too severe pain. The patient may also experience headaches, pressure surges and fatigue.
Pericarditis
This disease is acute and infectious, and also represents inflammation of the lining of the heart muscle, which is accompanied by fever and general malaise. People with this diagnosis usually complain of stitching pains deep in the chest. They can be permanent or temporary, as well as amplify in a supine position and subside when leaning forward.
Aortic dissection
Such a disease is characterized by sharp pains in the region of the heart. They arise due to the detachment of the inner layer of the vessel under high blood pressure. By the way, the causes of this pathology are chest injuries or a complication of arterial hypertension.
Heartless pain
As mentioned above, discomfort in the chest may not be associated with any heart disease. Experts say that such discomfort may occur due to the following reasons:
- Pleurisy. Pain in the chest in this condition occurs due to inflammation of the membrane, which surrounds the lung and is a kind of shell on the inside of the chest cavity. Pleurisy discomfort is acute and may intensify during coughing, as well as when inhaling.
- Osteochondrosis of the spine, in particular the cervical and thoracic. Such a 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 in nature, give to the hands and back, between the shoulder blades. With certain movements (when moving the arms or turning the head), discomfort often intensifies.
- Heartburn. Unpleasant sensations in the heart area, which are associated with heartburn, can last several hours. Usually they appear during physical exertion and in a supine position.
- Panic attacks. Patients with autonomic disorders experience not only discomfort in the heart, but also complain of heart palpitations and breathing, bouts of fear, and excessive sweating.
- Titz syndrome. Inflammation of the costal cartilage very often causes pain in the heart. Such sensations are similar to angina attacks. They can be intense and amplified by pressing on the ribs.
- Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening condition. With it, the embolus clogs the artery, which causes sudden sharp pain in the chest, which intensifies with a deep breath or cough. Also, a person with this diagnosis feels a heartbeat and shortness of breath, feels a sense of anxiety.
- Intercostal neuralgia. Pain in this condition occurs after sudden movements, coughing, taking a deep breath, or hypothermia. In this case, a shooting and sharp pain develops in the intercostal space. Such a syndrome can be so strong that a person for some time is not able to move or even take a deep breath. By the way, the cause of the development of intercostal neuralgia is osteochondrosis.
- Pneumothorax is characterized by lung decline. With this condition, chest pain occurs suddenly. The patient also appears weakness, shortness of breath, palpitations and dizziness.
- Herpes zoster, the causative agent of which is the herpes virus. With such a disease, aching pain occurs in the region of the heart (it can be shooting, burning or dull).
- Esophageal spasm. With this pathology, discomfort in the chest area very often occurs. The development of spasm can be easily confused with an attack of angina pectoris, since in both cases the discomfort is eliminated by taking nitroglycerin.
- Tuberculosis. The pulmonary form of this disease is also accompanied by chest pain. Other typical signs of this disease are sputum with blood, cough, night sweats, general weakness, fever, weight loss, poor appetite. With the development of tuberculosis of the spine , pain occurs in the back, which gives to the heart region or may be girdle.
- Diseases of the gallbladder and pancreas. Abdominal discomfort, which appears due to the development of pancreatitis or cholecystitis, can be observed directly in the heart.
- Myositis is called inflammation of the muscles of the chest, which is caused by physical work, drafts or injuries. In this case, aching or pulling pain appears on the surface in the chest area. It can give to the hands and neck, and also strengthen with palpation and movement.
- Tracheitis. The cause of this condition is colds, which often lead to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea. This condition is accompanied not only by burning pain in the center of the chest, but also by a strong cough (often dry).
- Rib injuries. With fractures and bruises, especially in the case of infringement of the nerve root, quite severe pains can appear in the chest area, which are aggravated by palpation.
- Rupture of an aortic aneurysm. With this pathology, a person feels pain in the abdomen and back, between the shoulder blades, as well as a sudden “gap” in the chest. Also, the patient develops shortness of breath and weakness (loss of consciousness is possible.).
- Vegetovascular dystonia. People suffering from this disease very often experience discomfort in the area of the heart (in the upper part). Such a symptom does not constitute a threat to human life. Usually it takes place against a background of distractions. In some cases, this symptom may resemble symptoms of a heart attack or angina pectoris. However, it differs from the mentioned diseases in that it does not pass from the administration of nitroglycerin.
Thus, having learned about the cause of the development of pain in the chest area, you can completely get rid of them, having turned to an experienced doctor.