Pain in the area of the heart: causes

Why there are pains in the region of the heart? The cause of the development of such discomfort can serve completely different pathological conditions. We will describe them below. Also, you will learn about the nature of pain in the chest in the region of the heart.

Basic information about pain syndrome

According to statistics, pain in the heart area with inspiration or expiration is the most common reason for patients to go to the ambulance service. However, experts say that this symptom is by no means always a sign of the broken work of the main muscle of the human body.

So why are there pains in the heart region? Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, bones, some internal organs and joints can quite cause the development of such unpleasant sensations in the chest.

Determine yourself why there are pains in the heart area, it is quite difficult. Diagnosis of this discomfort is complicated by the fact that in different situations the heart muscle can hurt differently. Identify the true cause of such feelings only an experienced specialist.

The nature of the pain syndrome

What can be pain in the heart? Such feelings in the chest area patients describe in different ways. They are aching, piercing, pressing, burning, piercing, squeezing and pulling. It also happens that the discomfort in the chest does not last very long. Although sometimes he can not let go and for a few hours or even days.

The pain on the left, in the region of the heart, can arise at rest, and when there is intense excitement, and after heavy physical work. Also it should be noted that sometimes such sensations appear only with sudden movements, bends, slopes and deep breathing. In addition, the pain can be accompanied by a sensation of suffocation, dyspnoea, coughing, numbness of hands, frequent palpitations, fever, and also give in the hands, shovel, jaw or neck.

Possible causes

Why there is a pain in the heart area with a deep breath or exhalation? The causes of this condition are not always associated with any cardiac diseases. Although you can not exclude such a possibility.

Consider the features of those heart diseases that cause pain in the chest, in more detail.

Angina pectoris

In the presence of such a disease, seizures result from insufficient blood supply to the heart. This occurs as a result of the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of the arteries, which prevents normal blood flow.

Usually, with angina pectoris, people complain of compressive or constrictive pain in the chest area, which appear in severe excitement or physical exertion and stop in a calm state.

Myocardial infarction

If you have a sore left side of the sternum in the heart, then, most likely, it is due to myocardial infarction. Burning or oppressive sensations occur when the blood vessels clogged with a thrombus, as a result, the heart muscle is not supplied with blood and oxygen.

Also, with myocardial infarction, the patient has shortness of breath, cold sweat and nausea. The pain in this case grows wavy, last a very long time, irradiate into the neck, hands, lower jaw, shoulder blades and shoulders. In addition, often there is a numbness of the hands.

Mitral valve prolapse

This pathology is accompanied by bursting and not too severe pain. Also, the patient may have headaches, pressure jumps and fatigue.

Pericarditis

This disease is acute and infectious, and also represents an inflammation of the heart muscle shell, which is accompanied by a fever and a general malaise. People with this diagnosis usually complain of stitching pain deep in the chest. They can be permanent or temporary, as well as strengthened in a supine position and subsided when tilted forward.

Aortic dissection

For such a disease, sharp pains in the region of the heart are characteristic. They arise because of the detachment of the inner layer of the vessel under high blood pressure. By the way, the causes of this pathology are chest trauma or complication of arterial hypertension.

Non-cardiac pain

As it was said above, unpleasant sensations in the chest can be not associated with these or other diseases of the heart. Experts argue that such discomfort can arise due to the following reasons:

• Pleurisy. Pain in the chest in this state is due to the inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the lung and is a kind of shell on the inside of the chest cavity. Discomfort in pleurisy is acute and may worsen during coughing, as well as during inspiration.
• Osteochondrosis of the spine, in particular the cervical and thoracic parts. Such a disease is often confused with angina pectoris. Pain in osteochondrosis is felt on the left side, behind the breastbone. As a rule, they are long and intense, they are given in the hands and in the back, between the shoulder blades. With certain movements (with the movement of the hands or the turn of the head) discomfort is often intensified.
• Heartburn. Unpleasant sensations in the heart that are associated with heartburn can last several hours. Usually they appear during physical exertion and in a supine position.
• Panic attacks. Patients with vegetative disorders experience not only discomfort in the heart area, but also complain of heart palpitations and breathing, attacks of fear, increased sweating.
• Syndrome Titz. Inflammation of the costal cartilage very often causes pain in the heart. Such sensations are similar to attacks of angina pectoris. They can be intense and strengthened by pressing on the ribs.
• Embolism of the pulmonary artery is a life-threatening condition. When he embolus clogs the artery, which causes a sudden acute pain in the chest, which increases with a deep breath or cough. Also, a person with such a diagnosis feels palpitations and shortness of breath, feels a sense of anxiety.
• Intercostal neuralgia. Pain in this condition occurs after sudden movements, coughing, deep inhalation or hypothermia. At the same time, a shooting and sharp pain develops in the intercostal space. Such a syndrome can be so strong that a person for some time is unable to move or even take a deep breath. By the way, the cause of development of intercostal neuralgia is osteochondrosis.
• Pneumothorax is characterized by a collapse of the lung. In this condition, pain in the chest occurs suddenly. Also, the patient has weakness, shortness of breath, palpitations and dizziness.
• Shingles, the causative agent of which is the herpes virus. With such a disease there is aching pain in the region of the heart (can be streaking, burning or dull).
• Spasm of the esophagus. With this pathology, very often there are unpleasant sensations in the area of the breast. The development of spasm can easily be confused with an attack of angina, as in both cases discomfort is eliminated by taking nitroglycerin.
• Tuberculosis. The pulmonary form of this disease is also accompanied by pains in the chest. Other typical signs of this disease are sputum with blood, cough, night sweats, general weakness, fever, weight loss, poor appetite. With the development of tuberculosis of the spine, there are pain sensations in the back, which are given to the heart region or can be shingles.
• Diseases of the gallbladder and pancreatic gland. Discomfort in the abdomen, which appears due to the development of pancreatitis or cholecystitis, can be observed right in the heart area.
• Myositis is called the inflammation of the muscles of the chest, which is caused by physical work, draft, or trauma. At the same time on the surface in the chest appears aching or drawing pain. It can give in the hands and neck, and also strengthen with palpation and movement.
• Tracheitis. The cause of the development of this condition is colds, which often lead to inflammation of the mucosa of the trachea. This condition is accompanied not only by burning pain in the center of the chest, but also by a strong cough (often dry).
• Injuries of ribs. In fractures and bruises, especially in the case of infringement of the nerve root, severe pain may appear in the chest region, which are amplified by palpation.
• Rupture of the aortic aneurysm. With such pathology, a person feels pain in the abdomen and back, between the shoulder blades, as well as a sudden "rupture" in the chest. Also, the patient has shortness of breath and weakness (possible loss of consciousness.).
• Vegetosovascular dystonia. People suffering from this disease, very often experience discomfort in the heart area (in the upper part). Such a symptom does not constitute a threat to human life. Usually it passes against a background of distractions. In some cases, this sign may sound like the symptoms of a heart attack or an attack of angina. However, it differs from the mentioned diseases in that it does not pass from taking nitroglycerin.

Thus, after learning about the cause of the development of pain in the chest, you can completely get rid of them, which turned to an experienced doctor.