Chest Pain Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Chest pain is a sensation of pain or pressure originating from the chest area. Certain locations of chest pain indicate different causes of chest pain.
Pain in the left side of the chest that radiates to the left hand, can direct chest pain originating from the heart. Meanwhile, pain that is in the middle of the chest or that radiates from the pit of the stomach to the neck can be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Chest pain should not be ignored, because it could be a sign of a more serious health problem. If pain attacks continue to occur and don’t get better, you should see a doctor to find out the cause and how to deal with it.
Symptom
Symptoms of chest pain vary depending on the organ causing the chest pain. Chest pain that needs special attention is chest pain due to narrowing of the heart arteries. In this chest pain, a person will complain of chest pain on the left side accompanied by symptoms of cold sweat and shortness of breath.
Chest pain due to GERD will cause complaints of chest pain in the solar plexus area. The pain usually occurs at night when lying down and gets better with stomach acid-lowering drugs.
Reason
Generally, when experiencing an attack of chest pain, people will immediately associate it with heart disease. However, not all chest pain is caused by this disease.
Some other causes of chest pain include:
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or stomach acid and heartburn
- inflammation of the cartilage that connects the sternum and ribs
- dysphagia
- mastitis
- gallstones
- injury to the chest muscles
Diagnosis
Determining the diagnosis of chest pain begins with a medical interview and a complete physical examination. Sufferers may complain of chest pain in a variety of different chest locations. The location of chest pain can also indicate the cause of the patient’s chest pain.
Chest pain that gets worse with pressure can be a sign that the chest pain is coming from the muscles or bones in that area. Pain in the pit of the stomach that radiates to the middle of the chest can indicate pain due to stomach acid.
Treatment
Treatment of chest pain depends on the cause of chest pain. If the chest pain originates from the heart, then the treatment is in the form of administering drugs or operative measures.
Chest pain caused by increased stomach acid can be treated by administering stomach acid-suppressing drugs. Meanwhile, chest pain caused by injuries to the bones and muscles can be treated by administering pain relievers.
Prevention
Depending on the cause of your chest pain, there are several things you can do to reduce chest pain. Prevention of chest pain due to heart problems is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Reduce your intake of foods with high saturated fat content, exercise regularly and keep your weight in the ideal weight range.
Chest pain due to stomach acid can be reduced by avoiding foods that are too fatty because they can relax the esophageal sphincter. If you suffer from GERD, sleep with your head elevated and eat less before bed.