Almost every second person on the planet faces heart pain . Stressful situations, troubles at work or in the family immediately affect our health. Along with headache, heart disease is the most common among painful sensations. It often happens that the heart hurts and gives in the left hand. This phenomenon usually develops against a background of various cardiological diseases. There are a lot of reasons. The most dangerous thing is that the reasons may be hidden in the field of neuralgia, osteochondrosis, and even psychogenic cardialgia. We will examine in more detail the nature of pain.
Symptoms
Any pain in the region of the heart is an alarm, it cannot be ignored. Usually, diseases of this organ have similar signs:
- heart aches, gives in the left hand;
- limbs go numb;
- dizzy;
- not enough air;
- profuse sweating;
- cough.
Gives a heart to his left hand? This symptom is quite dangerous. In this pathological phenomenon, a serious cardiological disease may be hidden.
Symptoms are almost the same, however, pain in the heart, surrendering to the left hand, is manifested by such signs:
- difficulty breathing;
- skin on the face changes;
- anxiety;
- fear of dying;
- pressing pain and burning spasm in the chest.
Other pathologies that affect muscles and blood vessels can disguise themselves as heart diseases.
Causes
Pain in the heart area is preceded by circulatory disorders.
The main causes of pain in the chest:
- intense physical activity;
- stress
- neurosis;
- sharp tension or muscle relaxation.
The specific cause of heart pain cannot be called. For an accurate determination of the cause, complex diagnostics will be required.
If the heart hurts, gives in the hand, reduces the left side of the body, then these symptoms may reflect other ailments. For example, neuralgia, osteochondrosis.
If the patient develops neuralgia, then pathological changes in the peripheral nervous system are observed. Intercostal neuralgia, which we will discuss in more detail later, most often causes pain in the region of the heart. Moreover, the pain is painful and burning, which gives to the left side and presses on the chest. Such sensations can manifest as lumbago in the left side.
If heart pain is aggravated by raising the left hand, then the patient may develop neuralgia. There are a lot of reasons:
- hypothermia;
- physical stress;
- consequences of a viral infection;
- pathology of the intervertebral discs.
Identical symptoms manifest and osteochondrosis.
Neuralgia as a form of clinical manifestation
During the progression of neuralgia, the nerve endings in the cervicothoracic spine are compressed. As a result - squeezing pain in the heart, which gives to the left side of the body. As an additional symptom: the affected areas of the body overcomes tremors, the skin becomes "goose" and goes numb.
Diseases causing pain in the heart and left arm
If the heart hurts and gives to the left hand, then with such a condition it seems to the patient that the hand has completely taken off. This is one of the signs of a serious illness that makes normal heart function difficult. A number of diseases that have their own symptoms are associated with a lesion of the main organ. We will separately analyze the frequently occurring ones.
Myocardial infarction
With this pathology, there is a sharp lack of incoming blood in the heart. It occurs against the background of a violation of blood circulation in the blood vessels of the myocardium. In medicine, this phenomenon is called occlusion of coronary circulation. As a result of this phenomenon, some parts of the heart muscle die. Therefore, dead spots lead to malfunctioning of the heart. For this reason, a person feels how sharply and strongly crushes the heart and gives in his left hand. May give pain to the neck, back, ear or lower jaw.
The pain is quite burning and squeezing. If the dying process affects a large area, then the patient will not be able to stand on his feet. The pain is accompanied by a lack of air, a feeling of panic and a fear of dying. It is even possible loss of consciousness. At the first pain, the patient must take a horizontal position.
Angina pectoris
My heart aches and gives in my left hand? Do you feel heavy in the chest? All these are the first signs of angina pectoris. It becomes difficult for the patient to breathe, chest pressure is felt. Pressing pain in the heart gives to the left arm or neck, less often to the jaw.
An attack of angina pectoris is accompanied by excessive physical and emotional stress. Great weakness appears throughout the body. In this case, the pain does not become weaker if you change the position of the body.
Atherosclerosis
An excess of cholesterol provokes a pathological condition of blood vessels. Cholesterol plaques form a certain barrier to the flow of blood into the body. Atherosclerosis develops due to this process.
The heart pricks and gives to the left hand, aches in the chest, limbs go numb - the first symptoms of a progressive disease. If the patient during the onset of pain raises his left hand up, then the painful sensations will significantly increase.
Myocarditis
This disease provokes inflammation in the heart. Symptoms of myocarditis can occur 7 days after the onset of the disease.
The main symptoms of myocarditis: stabs and squeezes the heart, pain gives in the left shoulder, pressure in the chest area. Moreover, such symptomatic manifestations are observed even at rest.
The patient may experience increased pain and difficulty breathing with any movement. Fatigue, shortness of breath are observed, the temperature rises and profuse sweating begins. As an additional sign of myocarditis, sleep disturbance.
Pericarditis
This disease is characterized by inflammation of the heart membrane. The patient has acute pain in the heart, which radiates to the left arm, shoulder, side or neck.
Noticeable in the patient's arrhythmia, shortness of breath. Clinical manifestations are supplemented by general weakness, swelling of the arms and legs.
Cardiomyopathy
This disease develops in the myocardium. It provokes pathological changes that disrupt normal cardiac activity.
Doctors classify cardiomyopathy into several forms:
- hypertrophic;
- arrhythmogenic;
- stagnant;
- right ventricular (restrictive).
The main symptom of cardiomyopathy is tingling and pain in the heart, as well as pain in the left side of the body.
Neoplasms
If the heart hurts and gives in the left hand, then perhaps this has long been forgotten heart injuries: bruise, muscle rupture, myocardial necrosis.
The development of neoplasms in the heart is manifested by the following symptoms: severe shortness of breath, pressing pain in the left shoulder, chest. Neoplasms can be either benign or malignant.
Pathology in the heart can develop against the background of diabetes mellitus, since this disease disrupts the metabolic process in the myocardium and makes changes in the structure of the coronary arteries. As a result, the patient feels unpleasant heavy sensations in the chest and discomfort on the left side of the body.
Ischemia
If the heart pricks and gives to the left hand, then these symptoms can characterize ischemia. The disease provokes disturbances in the blood supply to the coronary arteries.
The main factors that form this pathology:
- overweight, obesity of various stages;
- hypertension (increased blood pressure);
- wrong lifestyle: bad habits, inactivity;
- diabetes;
- hereditary factor;
- constant stress and nervous psychoemotional breakdowns.
Most often, with ischemia, the heart hurts and gives to the left hand, less often to the right hand. The patient observes shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, excessive sweating, fainting, and general weakness.
Usually, ischemia is diagnosed already at the time of its transition to a chronic form. In this case, the patient has swelling of the lower extremities, and because of shortness of breath, he is forced to sit for a long time.
Primary cardiac arrest in 60% of cases ends in death before the ambulance arrives. A harbinger of this condition is a sharp chest pain. Due to the panic and fear that grips the patient, the condition becomes worse. Coronary death immediately leads to loss of consciousness, the skin turns pale, and the pulse is absent, breathing gradually stops.
Neuralgia
The heart hurts, gives the left or right to the hand - these signs may not refer to cardiology, but to neuralgia. It's about intercostal pathology. This disease develops against the background of osteochondrosis of the spine. Acute pain and heaviness in the chest area for a long time can not be eliminated even after taking medications.
Factors provoking the disease:
- due to complications after a viral infection (ARVI, ARI);
- after hypothermia;
- due to poisoning;
- with age-related diseases;
- with intense physical exertion;
- with diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems;
- after injuries;
- with diabetes.
Moreover, pain can intensify even with inhalation or normal movements (for example, when raising one hand). The affected area of the skin may even go numb. And attacks often occur after stress and are accompanied by profuse sweating, muscle twitching and tingling.
In men, such attacks usually occur in the lower part of the ribs, and in women - in the region of the heart.
Osteochondrosis
Aching girdle and pulling pain - these unpleasant sensations bring osteochondrosis. Gives in the heart and left arm - a symptom of the cervicothoracic region that occurs with this disease. Often pain spreads throughout the body, as if "goosebumps."
A characteristic additional symptom in osteochondrosis is changes in the intervertebral discs, which are manifested by pain in the fingers. The little finger is often deformed, as evidence of a change in the shape of the vertebrae in the lower part of the neck. If the discomfort is in the thumb, then this indicates changes in the cervical vertebral discs.
Diagnostics
When the first alarming symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. First, the doctor will establish the exact cause of the seizures. Secondly, he will prescribe an effective method of treatment.
Diagnosis of a disease in the heart includes:
- X-ray
- cardiogram;
- sonography;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- fluorography;
- endoscopy of the stomach;
- checking for osteochondrosis, mental disorders and pinched nerves.
Several doctors are involved in the diagnosis of health conditions, namely: cardiologist, pulmonologist, neuropathologist and gastroenterologist. If you suspect the presence of neoplasms, you will need to consult a oncologist.
Treatment
With severe pain in the region of the heart and chest, giving to the left side of the body, the jaw, with a lack of air, severe sweating, dizziness and numbness of the limbs, you must immediately call an ambulance. Remember: this condition can be life threatening.
The doctor selects the method of treatment individually, depending on the characteristics of the development of the disease in a particular patient. In one case, it will be enough to drink a course of a special drug to strengthen the heart muscle. Otherwise, hospitalization and surgery may be required.
The essence of each therapy is to improve cardiac activity and prevent blood clots.
It is important during normalization to normalize heart rate and blood pressure. It is also necessary to eliminate external irritating factors that negatively affect the nervous system.
First aid
If the heart hurts the second day, gives the left hand, then you need to immediately call a doctor. And while waiting for an ambulance, you must:
- lie as comfortable as possible;
- unfasten the buttons on the shirt so that it is not tight in the chest;
- provide access to fresh air;
- with neuralgia, pulmonary pathology, problems with the spine, cardioneurosis, take one or two tablets of “Analgin”, “Noshpa”;
- if the patient has angina pectoris and heart attack, then urgently drink "Nitroglycerin" and "Aspirin";
- take a pain medication for a patient with cardioneurosis: Motherwort, Valocordin, Valerian;
- if there is a cough, then try to moderate it;
- try not to talk;
- prepare ammonia in advance in case the patient loses consciousness.
Any compresses (both hot and cold) can not be applied to the chest. This is a wake-up call, when the heart hurts, gives in the left hand. Reviews of people say that you need to drink "Corvalol", "Validol", "Nitroglycerin" and consult a specialist. If the pain persists, then most likely the patient develops neuralgia.
If you managed to eliminate the attack on your own, this does not mean that you can forget about it. After providing yourself first aid, you must urgently consult a doctor to determine the cause of the attack and further treatment.
Remember that each pathology can lead to serious consequences. Even with minor pain in the heart, consult a doctor. Any disease can be eliminated at an early stage of development. Take care of yourself!