Causes of Pain in Chest.

[mediconweb]

This is one symptom which frightens the patient and puts his physician on high alert. You may have Left chest pain, Right chest pain or Back chest pain. The alert antenna goes up. This is because the chest pain causes can be very serious and  accordingly  the  patient is put through a serious of tests to rule out these serious causes. Tests for chest pain include  ICCU monitoring, pathology, radiology, ECG, Echo, etc.  However, there are other causes for chest pain and not all of them are serious. Let us see what are  those  various  causes of chest pain..

                The  Causes of Chest Pain  could belong to the various systems and we will  take them up, system wise.

A)   Cardiovascular system. (relating to the heart and the blood vessels)
B)   Pulmonary system. (relating to the lungs)
C)   Digestive system
D)   The Bony system
E)   The muscular system
F)   The Skin

A)   The Cardiovascular Causes of Chest Pain:

·   Angina  causes left chest pain and is a result of deficient blood supply to the heart due to narrowing of the lumen of an artery supplying blood to the heart and results in pain in the chest which may radiate to the left shoulder and arm, or the neck, or it may radiate to the back. Sometimes the pain may be felt only at the back when the ischemia (deficient blood supply) is at the inferior wall of the heart.
·   Heart attack.  ( Myocardial infarct).  The nature of chest pain and the causes are similar to those of angina except that the severity is more in an attack. This is because,  in an heart attack, the extent of  obstruction is more and  the blockage can even be absolute. This can be Life threatening.

. Pericarditis   is  inflammation of the pericardium which is the sac covering the heart. There may also be collection of fluid inside the sac. The  pain  here, is usually felt in the front and centre of the chest.


·   Aortic tear or aneyrysm of aorta:    Aorta is the main artery in the body which starts from the heart. A tear  in  the wall of the aorta causes a severe sudden chest pain,  which radiates to the back. Similarly an aneurysm of the aorta can cause chest pain. This is  Life threatening.


B)   The Pulmonary Causes of Chest Pain:

·   Pulmonary Embolism  is a blockage of the pulmonary artery in the lungs due to an embolus which is basically a clot which has migrated from elsewhere. This   pain is severe and sudden. ---- Life threatening.
·   Pneumonia  is infection in part of the lungs. This pain increases on taking a deep breath.
·   Pnemothorax is a collapse of a part of the lung and is due to introduction of air between the lung and pleura (Sac covering the lung).  This  pain is severe and sudden. The seriousness depends upon the extent of the lung that is collapsed.

· Pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura which is the sac covering the lungs. The sac may get filled with fluid.

C)    The Digestive System Causes of Chest Pain:

·   GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease. This results in reflux of the acidic contents from the stomach into the esophagus giving rise to a burning sensation in the chest.
·   Gastric ulcer  pain can be referred to the chest. This pain is felt just after meals.
·   Gall bladder pain due to stones or any other pathology is sometimes referred to the chest.
·   Hiatus Hernia without GERD can also refer the pain to the chest.
·   Gaseous Distension of the stomach causes referred pain in the chest.
·   Pancreas: Inflammation of the pancreas can cause referred pain in the chest.
·   Achalasia is a condition wherein the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach does not open to let the food pass into the stomach. The food therefore, backs up into the esophagus and the distended and stretched esophagus produces pain in the chest.
 

D)   The Bony system Causes of Chest Pain:

·   Costochondritis:  This is a condition wherein a joint between the   Ribs and the sternum (breast bone) gets inflamed. This chest pain increases on applying pressure on the site of pain with your fingers.  (tenderness). The cause is not yet known and this condition subsides on its own.

E)   The Muscular System Causes of Chest Pain:[/b] Any inflammation or muscle tear or  tendon tear,  as  a result of over straining of that part can result in this condition. The pain increases on movement of that part or may even show tenderness. In case  of  inflammation of the muscles between the ribs, a deep breath may aggravate the pain.

F)   The Skin Causes of Chest Pain:  Any   inflammatory  condition like Herpes Zoster on the skin of the chest gives rise to sharp pain over the infected area which stretches from the front to the back. This condition is caused by a virus  and  gives rise to a rash which spreads from front to the back.

[kevinjones]

Rapid diagnosis of heart attack is especially important because prompt treatment can significantly limit the damage to the heart aches, and can extend your survival.It general is sometimes difficult for a physician or other medical professional tell me what the cause of chest pain and whether it is life threatening.

[jasonhoods]

You probably feel pain in your chest when you sneeze because of all the muscles you just used. When you sneeze, you push the air out of lungs very strongly that remove foreign particles that are irritating your nose. To get air quickly enough, the muscles of the chest and abdomen are all working together to move forward in the air.

[DanielS]

I often get a feel of air bubbles running through my lungs causing a sudden pain. I can't identify as to which one of the above should I relate my problem.

[healthcare583]

sometimes I also experience pain in the chest. but only two out of three days, I do not understand why so

[omkar12]

A sharp chest pain that often gets worse when you take a deep breath or cough. But sometimes, it is really very important to find the main reason of chest pain. Normally, there are number of Causes of Pain in Chest. Chest pain is commonly attributed to heart disease. So, take care of your heart.