Many people face pain in the region of the heart , however, pathologies in this organ are not always the cause of this condition. What should be done and what cannot be done with the symptoms of cardialgia, this article will tell.
Definition of a concept
Cardialgia (a description of the symptoms of the disease, treatment is presented below) is a pain that occurs in the left side of the chest, which is not associated with damage to the coronary (i.e., own) vessels of the heart. That is, this is not a separate nosological unit, but a sign of a variety of pathologies that have both cardiac and extracardiac origin.
Most often, such pains do not pose a threat to life, however, they significantly worsen its quality.
Reasons and classification
Cardialgia is classified (see the description of the symptoms of the disease below) in accordance with the diseases in which they occur:
- Cardiogenic. That is, developing for reasons rooted in heart disease (but not its blood vessels). In this case, cardiac pathologies can be inflammatory (pericarditis, myocarditis), metabolic (endocrine disorders, alcoholism, protein deficiency, menopause, etc.) and hypertrophic (enlarged parts of the heart) character.
- Due to diseases of the spine, ribs and intercostal nerves located near the heart. Such pathologies include: cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, various injuries and diseases of the ribs and pectoral muscles, intercostal neuralgia, inflammation of the nerve bundles in the region of the shoulder joint.
- Due to neurocirculatory dystonia (found in most cases).
- As one of the symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases (with ulcers, esophagitis, hernias of the esophageal diaphragmatic opening, chronic cholecystitis, and injuries to the abdomen).
- Arising from pathologies of the pleura or lungs (in cases of left-sided lesions).
In addition, cardialgia is divided into psychogenic and vertebrogenic.
Clinical manifestations
Cardialgia, the symptoms of which are not accompanied by a feeling of compression in the chest, is manifested as follows:
- soreness that occurs in the cervical and occipital areas, as well as in the chest;
- darkening in the eyes;
- swallowing disorders;
- anxiety;
- inability to take a full breath, feeling of lack of air;
- sleep disturbances;
- soreness often occurs without any physical (stress) or psychological (stress) reasons;
- resting state does not bring relief;
- in some cases, cramps and fainting occur .
Features in various pathologies
The presence of symptoms manifesting at rest during cardialgia often indicates the presence of neurocirculatory dystonia in the patient. At the same time, a feeling of constant tiredness and the inability to fully inhale is added to the soreness in the chest. In addition, the pain in the heart is quite long.
In cases where cardialgia is associated with disorders in the cervico-shoulder region, 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 the patient has shingles or intercostal neuralgia, the pain is acute, long and does not stop even taking strong analgesics.
Cardialgia, the symptoms of which are described above, may be a manifestation of Tietze syndrome, characteristic of patients older than forty-five years of age. This disease is characterized by a thickening of the costal cartilage. However, soreness is easily removed with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
A variety of infectious pathologies, digestive ailments, menopausal hormonal imbalances also often lead to pain in the heart.
The consequences of cardialgia depend on the pathology that caused it. For example, untreated myocarditis can lead to cardiosclerosis, thrombosis, heart failure, and osteochondrosis - to motor (walking, bending, and so on) disorders up to disability.
Psychogenic cardialgia: symptoms and treatment
This type of cardialgia develops as a result of depression or stress. With psychogenic cardialgia, the symptoms are pulsating and permanent.
Patients note pain 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 increased sensitivity of the skin of the left nipple.
Psychogenic cardialgia, the symptoms of which are somewhat different from those with pathologies of a different genesis, may be accompanied by irradiation of pain in the spine, lower back, neck and genitals. In addition, pain is often combined with nipping, tingling, crawling and other unpleasant sensations.
Treatment of this form of the disease boils down to the elimination of the main etiological factor (i.e. stress and depression), carried out by the appointment of antipsychotics, antidepressants, and so on.
Vertebrogenic type
Patients are often interested in: vertebrogenic cardialgia, what it is, what symptoms and how it manifests itself.
This type of disease is a consequence of a lesion of the cervical spine. In this case, pain occurs due to compression of the nerve roots emerging from this region of the spine. These nerve fibers reflexively affect the heart and its coronary (own) arteries, which is why aching or pressing pain appears in the area where the heart muscle is located.
Doctors point out 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 emerging nerve fibers increases significantly.
Another etiological factor (but in more rare cases) the occurrence 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, which exert pressure on the spinal nerve roots.
Symptoms 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 stitches to pulling and dull. Moreover, pain in this case arises as a result of a patient's prolonged stay 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 increased 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 myocardial infarction and other pathologies of the heart, blood vessels, and so on. That is, having found pain in the heart, the patient should consult a cardiologist and undergo a series of studies. The patient may be assigned:
- ECG;
- CT
- X-ray examination of the shoulder joint, spine and ribs (with suspected presence of spondylitis or osteochondrosis);
- Echocardiography;
- MRI
- Gastrointestinal examinations (if there is a suspicion of a hernia or ulcer in the patient), involving FEGDS, X-ray of the stomach and consultation with a gastroenterologist.
If, along with cardialgia, the patient has a decreased blood pressure and temperature, dilated veins above the pectoral muscles, as well as tenderness of the scalene muscles, they indicate the presence of Falconer-Weddel or Naffziger syndrome.
Cardialgia in myocarditis is characterized by stitching or aching soreness, which does not pass for a long time.
First aid
Very often, patients are interested in what are the symptoms of cardialgia and what should be done if they occur.
Of course, the treatment of heart pain should begin with the elimination of the root cause that caused it, however, first aid is reduced to the use of distractions.
So, the patient needs to be undressed so that the clothes do not constrain the chest and lay in 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 due to which it arose.
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 for getting rid of the pain syndrome. Also, the patient is offered proper nutrition, optimization of the rest regime 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 with this form of the disease are ineffective and extremely undesirable.
The pain of vertebrogenic genesis is treated with the help of manual therapy, intraosseous blockade, physiotherapy exercises and so on.
Physiotherapeutic Impact
Physiotherapy is prescribed for the relief of pain, inflammation and as a sedative.
If the patient has ailments of muscles, ribs, nerves and spine, the following methods are effective:
- transdermal electroanalgesia (impact in the area of damage);
- phonophoresis using hydrocortisone;
- magnetotherapy;
- laser treatment;
- SMV, UHF - therapy (in case of damage to the ribs);
- electrophoresis using anesthetics (Novocaine or Lidocaine);
- diadynamophoresis using lidocaine.
When NDC is the cause of cardialgia, the following procedures are prescribed for the patient:
- carbonic or coniferous baths;
- darsonvalization to the heart region;
- electric sleep;
- EHF region of the heart;
- electrophoresis with the introduction of bromine or magnesium;
- diadynamic effect on the nerve brachial plexus.
If the cause of cardialgia is another pathology, physiotherapeutic methods are not used.
What can not be done with cardialgia
Having felt pain in the heart, many patients raise a panic or, conversely, do not pay any attention to pain. Both that, and another - it is inadmissible and, as a rule, does not lead to anything good.
When cardialgia is not recommended:
- to 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;
- for every minor ailment, call an ambulance (however, this does not apply to too intense and prolonged pain that cannot be stopped by conventional means);
- overload the body with excessive physical exercises (physical education should take place, but the intensity of training depends on the characteristics of the pathology present);
- lead an unhealthy lifestyle (alcohol and smoking);
- stop work.
Prevention
Prevention of the occurrence of cardialgia boils down to the timely treatment of various pathologies, maintaining the right lifestyle, adequate rest and exercise, good nutrition, and so on.
Any person should be attentive to their health and, in case of pain in the heart, do not delay a visit to the doctor, subsequently fulfilling all his recommendations. After all, the success of eliminating the symptoms and consequences of cardialgia depends on this.