Any discomfort or pain felt anywhere between your upper abdomen and neck on the front of your body is referred to as chest pain. Chest pain appears in several forms, ranging from a sharp stab to a dull ache. Sometimes, chest pain feels burning or crushing. Before settling into the back, the pain can occasionally travel to the jaw, along the neck, and down one or both limbs. In this blog, we will discuss about the causes of chest pain including left side, right side, middle chest and upper chest.
When you feel chest pain, your first thought may be that you are having a heart attack. Less serious conditions, however, can also cause chest pain. Chest pain is one of the most common reasons patients visit the emergency room (ER). Each person's experience with chest discomfort is unique. It varies as well in terms of location, duration, intensity, and quality.
Different categories have been created to categorize the causes of chest pain, including heart-related causes, gastrointestinal causes, lung-related causes, muscle or bone-related causes, and other causes based on the location of the pain, such as the left side, right side, middle chest, and upper chest.
Exploring The Causes Of Left Side Chest Pain
Chest pain on the left side may indicate a problem with your heart, lungs, bones, muscles, or digestive system. Chest pain on the left side caused by cardiac problems can be severe or sharp. It could feel pressurized. Additionally, nausea is possible, but it often coexists with digestive problems that often result in chest pain. Additionally, some lung conditions result in breathing difficulties and chest pain. An injury or stiffness in your bones and muscles can also cause chest pain. A medical professional can assist you in sorting it all out.
The causes for left-side chest pain are subdivided into heart-related causes, lung-related causes, digestive issues, musculoskeletal issues, and others.
The heart and vascular-related causes for left side chest pain:
The heart-related causes of chest pain on the left side include:
- Heart attack which occurs as a result of lack of blood supply to the heart
- Coronary artery disease (blockage in the arteries in the heart)
- Coronary artery dissection (tear in the coronary artery)
- Problems in heart rhythm
- Angina or chest pain which occurs due to blockages in blood vessels leading into the heart
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of heart muscles)
- Aortic dissection (tear in aorta)
- Aortic aneurysm(bulging in aorta)
- Myocarditis (inflammation of muscles in the heart)
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the sac around the heart)
- Aortic stenosis(heart valve which blocks blood flow because it doesn’t open)
- Mitral valve prolapse (type of heart valve disease)
The lung-related causes of left-side chest pain:
The lung-related causes of chest pain on the left side include:
- Pneumonia, which causes chest pain that may get harder while breathing
- Pneumothorax (collapsed lung) which causes sudden onset of chest pain
- Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs) causes chest pain which gets worsened with breathing
- Bronchospasm (tightness in the chest) resulting from asthma and COPD
- Lung cancer
- Viral bronchitis, which causes muscle aches and soreness in the chest
The digestive causes for left side chest pain:
The digestive causes for chest pain on the left side include:
- Acid reflux or heartburn after eating
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
- Difficulty in swallowing due to some conditions in the esophagus
- Gallstones
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) or gallbladder
- Gastritis and esophagitis
- Hiatal hernia (a portion of the stomach moving up towards the esophagus)
- Ulcers or sores in the stomach lining
The muscle or bone-related causes of left-side chest pain:
The muscle or bone-related causes of left-side chest pain include:
- Swollen chest cartilage (Costochondritis)
- Strained chest muscle
- Rib fracture
- Pressure in nerves resulting from compression fractures
Apart from the above, the other causes of left-side chest pain include:
Intestinal issues or muscle strain might cause pain in the right side of the chest. It might also be a sign of a major lung issue, cardiovascular disease, injury, or other conditions that require medical attention.
The following are the common causes of right-side chest pain:
- Anxiety or stress
- Muscle strain
- Trauma
- Costochondritis and other inflammatory diseases
- Pneumothorax
- Rib fracture
- Pleurisy (inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs)
- Pneumonia
- Pleural effusions (fluid builds up between the layers of tissue outside the lungs)
- Pulmonary hypertension (a condition which causes high blood pressure in the blood vessels that connect the heart and lungs)
- Pulmonary embolism (formation of blood clots within lungs)
- lung cancer
- heart diseases
- Chest tumor
- Infections like shingles
- Acidity (heartburn) or acid reflux
- Issues with the liver, gallbladder and pancreas like liver diseases, gallstones or pancreatitis
- Covid -19 infection
Exploring The Middle Chest Pain Causes
Chest pain in the middle is frequently indicative of less serious conditions such as excess gas, gastritis, or costochondritis. If you do not have a history of heart problems, such as high blood pressure, obesity, or excessive cholesterol, there is no reason to worry or feel frightened. You should go to the hospital right away if you feel pain in the middle of your chest for no obvious reason and think you might be having a heart attack.
The following are the middle chest pain causes:
- Excess gas
- Costochondritis
- Gastritis
- Gastric ulcers
- Liver problems
- Heart attack
Exploring The Upper Chest Pain Causes
The following are the causes for experiencing upper chest pain:
- Problems in the lungs
- Problems in esophagus
- Problems in muscles
- Problems in ribs
- Problems in nerves
Conclusion
Most people connect chest pain with a heart attack, but there are other conditions that can cause it as well. Seek emergency medical assistance as soon as you see any of the heart attack warning signals. Make a mental note of everything you were doing when you had chest pain so that your healthcare provider is aware of your actions. If you can describe your discomfort and its location, your doctor will be able to diagnose you more precisely.
For expert treatment of heart diseases, schedule a consultation with the best cardiologists in Delhi, India at Artemis Cardiac Care. Book your appointment now!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can acidity cause chest pain?
A: Heartburn is a condition brought on by digestive acid entering the esophagus, the tube that transports food from your mouth to your stomach. Typical symptoms of heartburn include a chest-burning feeling that could extend to the upper belly. usually happens when bending over, lying down, or after eating. People may confuse heart pain with gas pain.
Q: Which is the best hospital to provide chest pain treatments in Delhi?
A: Artemis Cardiac Care is considered as one of the best cardiology hospitals in Delhi, India. For expert treatment of heart diseases, schedule a consultation with the best cardiologists in Delhi at Artemis Cardiac Care. Book your appointment now!
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