3 Causes of Recurrent Chest Pain – Should You Worry?
Do you or any of your friends or family member have recurrent pain in the chest? If yes, then do you know when to worry about chest pain and meet the doctor?
The first thing you have to do is to find out the cause of it only then you could treat it accordingly. In this article, I will tell you in detail about the causes of recurrent chest pain, which I think would be of great help to you.
Causes of Recurrent Chest Pain
Chest pain is a life-threatening condition and hence one should never take it lightly. There are various causes of recurrent chest pain, sometimes it may be due to problem in digestion or sometimes the cause could be serious and may require immediate medical help.
Now you may be thinking of how do I know if my chest pain is serious? Get to know it from the following causes.
Due To Heart Related Problem
Heart attack or any other heart disease could cause discomfort in the chest. Have a look at these heart problems and their symptoms.
Heart attack
A blockage in the artery which supplies blood and oxygen to the heart causes heart attack.
Constant dull chest pain or pain in the jaw, neck or back, or in the arms or shoulders is some symptoms of heart attack.
If you feel that the chest pain which you are experiencing is a heart attack, then seek medical help as soon as possible. Immediate treatment could save your life and prevent severe damages to the heart.
Myocarditis And Pericarditis
The inflammation of heart muscle is called as myocarditis whereas inflammation of the lining surrounding your heart is called as pericarditis. (1) Sharp pain in the chest could be a symptom of pericarditis, and it gets worse while lying down.
Angina
It is a symptom of coronary artery disease in which a person experiences a severe pressure on the chest. It occurs when the blood supply is restricted to the heart.
Aortic Dissection:
The separation of the inner layers of the main artery named aorta is called as aortic dissection. This is very dangerous as it could take your life.
Remember if you have or had any medical history of these heart problems, and you experience chest pain; you must consult your doctor first.
Due To Gastrointestinal Disorder
Chest pain that comes and goes could be because of the following gastrointestinal disorder.
Acid reflux or heartburn or Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
In this condition, the acid produced in your stomach moves up to your esophagus causing burning chest pain in middle of chest. If you are suffering from this disease, you may undergo increased chest pain when bending forward.
Problems While Swallowing
Any disorder of esophagus can lead to difficulty in swallowing which in turn can cause chest pain.
Gallstones
Small hardened bits of digestive fluid in the gallbladder are termed as gallstones. They induce a sudden pain in the stomach that travels to the chest.
Due To Lung Diseases
Some lung diseases could be one of the causes of recurrent chest pain. They are –
Asthma
If you are suffering from asthma, your airways are narrowed and swollen which makes it difficult for you to breathe. Hence, you may feel a pressure on your chest.
Collapsed Lung
Your lungs can collapse, if the air leaks into the space between the lungs and the ribs. The chest pain caused through collapsed lung lasts for hours. For female chest pain left side could indicate collapsed lungs. (2)
Pulmonary Embolism
A condition in which a blood clot blocks the pulmonary artery of the lung. You may experience extreme chest pain during bending.
Pneumonia
It causes inflammation in the air sacs of your lungs. It causes chest pain that gets worse when you breathe or cough.
Due To Other Disorders
Chronic pain syndrome (sore muscles) and broken or bruised ribs can also cause chest pain.
How to tell if chest pain is muscular?
If your muscle is torn or stretched you get a sharp chest pain. So try to recollect if you have lifted heavy weight that could stretch your muscles.
It occurs as a chest pain when you are more anxious or afraid. If you think that can anxiety cause constant chest pain? To your astonishment yes it can.
Shingles
It may sound wired, but a stripe of blister caused by the virus can also cause chest pain. The rash appears after few days of pain.
After reading these causes of recurrent chest pain, you would ask me “should I worry about chest pain that comes and goes?”
Then I would advise you to go consult your doctor. Only doctor could answer this question appropriately because it is totally dependent on the disease that is causing you chest pain.
