Pain in left chest. What are the causes of pain in the chest on the left during breathing (inhalation, exhalation), while moving the body? Pressure in the chest in the middle

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Thoracalgia is pain in the chest that occurs when the intercostal nerves are compressed or irritated, or when they are affected by viruses and any other factors.

Attacks of pain occur in connection with muscle spasm caused by irritation of the affected nerve. The substrate for thoracalgia can be lesions of the spinal ganglia, peripheral nerves, spinal cord membranes, intervertebral discs, muscles, joints, ligaments and fascia.

Sometimes such pains are interpreted as psychogenic.

Thoracalgia - what you need to know

Vertebrogenic variant of the syndrome

Vertebrogenic (discogenic) thoracalgia, mentioned in ICD10, is the most common variant of this pain syndrome. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it occurs with diseases of the spine, for example, with damage to the intervertebral discs.

There are four clinical types of vertebrogenic disease:

Pain in functional disorders of the lower part of the cervical spine. In this case, pain in the upper chest, radiating to the shoulder, neck and entire arm.
Pain arising from disorders of the upper part of the thoracic spine. Characterized by diffuse, prolonged retrosternal pain, pain in the interscapular region, difficulty breathing.
Pain attacks with lesions of the scapular region. It is characterized by pain of various nature: stabbing, cutting, dull, acute, long-term or short-term. Often, pain is localized in the interscapular region, occurs during inhalation and exhalation, sometimes radiates along the intercostal nerves.
Pain occurs when the anterior chest wall is compressed. In this case, the pain is long-lasting, aching, localized near the sternum and aggravated by movement.

Causes that cause the syndrome

Osteochondrosis, herniated discs, scoliosis most often cause chest pain, other diseases are much less common.

Osteochondrosis leads the list, as it leads to a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs, which in turn leads to a decrease in the height of the intervertebral canals and an increase in the likelihood of infringement.

Pain can be localized to the left or right of the spine, which indicates the infringement of specific roots of the spinal cord. More common is right-sided localization.

The causes of vertebrogenic thoracalgia are:

osteochondrosis, disc protrusion, intervertebral hernia of the cervical or thoracic region;
scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis;
spinal injury;
Scheuermann-Mau disease;
functional disorders of the facet joints of the thoracic region.

Osteochondrosis is manifested by aching dull pain, which is characterized by the so-called "lumbago". Intervertebral hernias are a complication of osteochondrosis.

For example, an increase in blood pressure, in the absence of any heart disease.

Among spinal injuries, the leading role is played by vertebral fractures due to falls from a height, blows, etc. Scheuermann-Mau disease is characterized by a violation of the process of formation of the vertebrae in childhood and adolescence.

Symptoms of the disease

The disease has simple symptoms. Therefore, this condition can be diagnosed quickly and correctly. It is customary to single out the main and accompanying symptoms.

Main symptoms

The leading clinical manifestation is persistent pain in the spine.

There is a violation of posture, deformation of the spine, sometimes - restriction of movements in the corresponding department. There is a shortening of the body, a decrease in growth by 10-15 centimeters. The distance between the ribs and the bones of the pelvis decreases.

There is pain on palpation of the spine, which is associated with a weakening of the bone-ligamentous apparatus, as well as a spasm of the muscular apparatus.

The pain usually has a burning character, spreads along the intercostal spaces, is localized on one side or has a girdle character. Pain is aggravated by sudden movements, sneezing, coughing.

The focus of pain is usually located along the nerve and is easily palpable. There is a violation of the sensitivity of the skin in the area innervated by the affected roots of the spinal cord. With vertebrogenic thoracalgia, the so-called muscular defense occurs - tension in the muscles of the back and neck.

Associated symptoms

When performing movements, a crunch of the vertebrae occurs. The patient feels discomfort, it seems to him that goosebumps are crawling in the interscapular region.

The above symptoms may be aggravated by exposure to cold temperatures, prolonged stay in one position.

Healing procedures

At this stage, there is no quick and effective treatment that can save the patient from this disease. This is due to the localization of the process.

Under optimal conditions, success in the treatment of vertebrogenic thoracalgia can be expected as early as the first month of taking the drugs.

Under other conditions, treatment is delayed. For a good effect, you need to combine drug therapy with physiotherapy, in particular with special massages and therapeutic exercises.

Very rarely, spinal traction is used, but recently this method is often challenged. To ease the pain syndrome, you can turn to acupuncture.

Medical treatment

Most often, a neurologist prescribes treatment with such drugs:

anti-inflammatory drugs (meloxicam, diclofenac);
muscle relaxants (baclosan, midokalm, sirdalud);
neuroprotectors (thioctic acid);
B vitamins.

Physiotherapy and massage

To improve the effect, special procedures are included in the treatment regimen. The patient should not refuse such an opportunity, as these procedures contribute to a quick recovery and consolidation of the effect.

It is necessary to carry out procedures in a complex, ending each session with a massage, which is aimed at working with the subscapularis muscles and the paravertebral zone of the thoracic region.

Before undergoing a course of drug therapy, it is not recommended to do therapeutic exercises. Massages increase blood circulation to the damaged root, which leads to increased swelling and aggravation of the condition.

Therefore, you should undergo a course of treatment, and then resort to physiotherapy.

Vertebrogenic thoracalgia is a condition that requires attention from the patient. With timely detection and correct, complex treatment, it is possible to deal with this problem without losing the quality of life.

If symptoms occur, it is imperative to consult a specialist for diagnosis and individual treatment.

Many people come to the doctor's office complaining of back and chest pain. This situation is widespread at any age and can inspire understandable concern. But without visiting a doctor it is difficult to guess what this is connected with. Moreover, taking any action without consulting a specialist can be not only ineffective, but also dangerous.

Causes

Chest pain on the right brings tangible discomfort, but for the time being it may not cause serious concern in patients. Another thing is pain in the left side of the chest, which many associate with heart disease. Here people still tend to be cautious. Although pain in the right side is not directly related to cardiac pathology, it can be a manifestation of no less serious diseases. And the delay in the diagnosis of the effectiveness of treatment will not add in any way.

The causes of pain in the right half of the chest are quite diverse. Such a symptom is associated with diseases of the spinal column or is not of vertebrogenic origin. In the latter case, they mean diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems. Thus, chest pain on the right appears in such conditions:

Diseases of the spine.
Respiratory pathology.
Diseases of the liver and gallbladder.
Diseases of the esophagus.
vascular pathology.
Intercostal neuralgia.
Injuries.

Only after a medical examination and additional diagnostic methods will it become clear what caused the pain. And the patient only needs to seek medical help in a specialized institution.

The appearance of pain in the chest and back is due to vertebrogenic conditions or pathology of the internal organs.

Symptoms

Manifestations of a particular disease are detected in the form of subjective complaints or objective symptoms detected during a clinical examination. Pain belongs to the first group of symptoms. It is characteristic for each of the listed conditions and is the main complaint of patients, while having its own characteristics:

Sharp or dull.
Aching, stitching, spasmodic, throbbing.
Intense or weak.
Constant or intermittent.
Localized to the right of the sternum, in the hypochondrium, pain in the right side or back.
It increases with deep inspiration, coughing, bending and turning the torso.

As a rule, chest pain on the right is not the only symptom - most diseases are accompanied by various signs, which sometimes have a predominant position in the clinical picture. And in order to identify them, the doctor needs to detail the complaints and conduct an examination. The patient is required to answer questions and follow the instructions of the specialist.

To exclude a particular pathology, it is necessary to conduct a differential diagnosis of conditions with similar symptoms.

Diseases of the spine

Vertebrogenic causes of back pain are the most common. These include osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, spondylarthrosis and other diseases of the axial skeleton. Pain is the result of radicular disorders and muscle spasm. As a rule, they are localized in the spine, radiating in different directions: shoulder girdle, arms, right side of the chest, heart area, upper abdomen. The condition is exacerbated by movements of the body and a deep breath. The back muscles are in a spasmodic state, and the paravertebral points are painful on palpation.

In addition, the structure of the radicular syndrome (radiculopathy) includes neurological disorders associated with impaired impulses along sensory, motor and autonomic fibers. These include:

Feeling of tingling, numbness, burning, "crawling".
Decreased sensitivity.
Muscle weakness.
Strengthening or inhibition of tendon reflexes.
Changes in the color and moisture of the skin.

Similar symptoms appear in those areas that are innervated by the affected root. With more serious disorders, the spinal cord can also be damaged, which will lead to conduction disorders in the form of paresis and paralysis, pelvic disorders (urinary and fecal incontinence, impotence in men).

Diseases of the spinal column occupy an important place in the structure of pain in the back and chest. That is why they are the first to be thought of.

Pathology of the respiratory system

If chest pain on the right is accompanied by a cough, then many will suspect problems in the respiratory system. And this is quite reasonable. Similar symptoms are often found in pneumonia, pleurisy, pneumothorax, and lung cancer. Such diseases are mainly accompanied by the following symptoms:

Dry or wet cough.
Difficulty inhaling or exhaling (shortness of breath).
Sputum discharge: mucous, purulent, bloody.

Chest pain in the lung area occurs during coughing or deep breathing. With pleurisy, they decrease in position on the affected side. If the disease is inflammatory in nature, then the body temperature rises, general weakness and malaise worries. In the case of cancer, emaciation, pallor, and lack of appetite are often observed. A clinical examination reveals wheezing, pleural friction noise, weakened breathing, a change in percussion sound over the pathological area.

Diseases of the liver and gallbladder

The pathology of the hepatobiliary system is also accompanied by pain in the right half of the chest. With cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia or hepatitis, they occur in the hypochondrium and can be given to the back (under the shoulder blade), the periclavicular zone and the neck. In addition, the following symptoms will be present:

Feeling of bitterness in the mouth.
Decreased appetite.
Nausea.
Bloating.
Chair change.

With inflammation of the liver or stones in the gallbladder, yellowing of the sclera and skin is characteristic. Hepatitis can be accompanied by a skin rash or joint pain. In this case, the liver enlarges, which becomes painful on palpation.

The chronic course of hepatitis often leads to disruption of all liver functions and over time will become a source of cirrhotic changes.

Diseases of the esophagus

If there is pain in the chest on the right, you need to think about the pathology of the esophagus, because a similar symptom occurs with esophagitis, achalasia of the cardia or diaphragmatic hernia. Unpleasant sensations can be localized behind the sternum, in the region of the heart or back, they are often associated with eating and have a burning character. The following symptoms complement the clinical picture:

Impaired swallowing and passage of food (dysphagia).
Heartburn.
Belching.

Unpleasant sensations also increase in a horizontal position, when there is a reverse reflux (regurgitation) of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus.

Vascular pathology

Pain in the chest on the right can be observed with vascular pathology, which includes pulmonary embolism and aortic aneurysm. These are very serious conditions associated with a high risk to life. Common signs of this pathology can be:

Intense pain in the chest or heart area, reminiscent of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction.
Cyanosis of the face or upper body.
Swelling of the neck veins.

Thromboembolism is characterized by sudden shortness of breath, cough with bloody sputum, lowering blood pressure, severe weakness. An aortic aneurysm can lead to an accumulation of blood in the heart sac (hemopericardium) and rupture of the valves.

Acute pathology of the chest vessels requires timely detection and emergency care.

Intercostal neuralgia

The simplest cause of chest pain on the right is intercostal neuralgia. It often appears due to hypothermia, muscle exertion, or awkward movement. The pains spread along the ribs and may radiate to the heart, back, or other parts of the chest. They are aggravated by inhalation, sneezing, coughing, laughing, turning the torso. In the area of the affected nerve, there is an area of increased sensitivity (hyperesthesia), and palpation is painful.

Injuries

If the patient has a prick in the chest area, then one should not forget about possible injuries. In everyday life or sports, rib bruises or fractures are often found. The clinical picture of the injury depends on the type and degree of damage. Local symptoms may include:

Swelling.
Abrasions, hematoma.
Pain during movements in the chest and palpation.

A fracture of the ribs can be accompanied by damage to the pleural sheets and lung tissue, which will cause the development of pneumothorax and internal bleeding. Severe bruises also lead to structural and functional disorders in the internal organs.

The type of damage is established on the basis of an analysis of the mechanism of injury and its clinical picture.

Diagnostics

Why there is pain in the chest on the right can be finally established by the results of an additional examination. It includes some laboratory and instrumental tools prescribed by a doctor based on the suspected disease. Most often, the following diagnostic procedures are required:

Clinical blood and urine tests.
Blood biochemistry (liver tests, acute phase parameters, d-dimer, coagulogram).
Radiography of the spine and lungs.
Magnetic resonance (computer) tomography.
Angiography.
Ultrasound of the abdominal organs, heart and aorta (with dopplerography).
Esophagogastroscopy.

If necessary, patients are consulted by related specialists: vertebrologist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, traumatologist. Based on a complete examination, a final conclusion is made about a particular pathology. And only after finding out the origin of the pain syndrome, they begin treatment.

Pain in the chest can be manifested by diseases of the heart, respiratory organs, gastrointestinal tract, spine, mediastinum, central nervous system. All internal organs of a person are innervated by the autonomic nervous system, the trunks of which extend from the spinal cord. When approaching the chest, the nerve trunk gives off branches to individual organs. That is why sometimes pains in the stomach can be felt as pains in the heart - they are simply transmitted to the common trunk, and from it to another organ. Moreover, the spinal nerve roots contain sensory nerves that innervate the musculoskeletal system. The fibers of these nerves are intertwined with the fibers of the nerves of the autonomic nervous system, and therefore a perfectly healthy heart can respond with pain in various diseases of the spine.

Finally, chest pains may depend on the state of the central nervous system: with constant stress and high neuropsychic stress, a malfunction occurs in its work - neurosis, which can also manifest itself as pain in the chest.

Some chest pains are unpleasant, but not life-threatening, but there are chest pains that need to be removed immediately - a person's life depends on it. In order to understand how dangerous chest pain is, you need to see a doctor.

Chest pain caused by obstruction of the coronary (heart) arteries

The coronary arteries carry blood to the heart muscle (myocardium), which works non-stop throughout life. The myocardium cannot even do without a new portion of oxygen and nutrients delivered with the blood for even a few seconds; its cells immediately begin to suffer from this. If the blood supply is interrupted for several minutes, then myocardial cells begin to die. The larger the coronary artery suddenly becomes obstructed, the larger the area of the myocardium is affected.

Spasms (compression) of the coronary arteries usually occur against the background of coronary heart disease (CHD), the cause of which is partial blockage of blood vessels by atherosclerotic plaques and narrowing of their lumen. Therefore, even a slight spasm can block the access of blood to the myocardium.

A person feels such changes in the form of a sharp penetrating pain behind the sternum, which can radiate to the left shoulder blade and to the left hand, up to the little finger. The pain can be so severe that the patient tries not to breathe - respiratory movements increase the pain. With severe attacks, the patient turns pale, or, conversely, blushes, his blood pressure, as a rule, rises.

Such chest pains can be short-lived and occur only with physical or mental exertion (angina pectoris), or they can occur on their own, even during sleep (rest angina). It is difficult to get used to angina attacks, so they are often accompanied by panic and fear of death, which further increases the spasm of the coronary vessels. Therefore, it is so important to clearly know what to do during an attack and have everything you need at hand. The attack ends as suddenly as it began, after which the patient feels a complete loss of strength.

The peculiarity of these pains is that in no case should a person endure them - they must be removed immediately. You can’t do without consulting a doctor here - he will prescribe both the course of the main treatment and the medicine that needs to be taken when pain occurs (the patient should have it with him at all times). Usually, in emergency cases, a nitroglycerin tablet is taken under the tongue, which relieves pain within 1 to 2 minutes. If after 2 minutes the pain has not disappeared, then the pill is taken again, and if this does not help, then you should immediately call an ambulance.

What can happen if you endure chest pain? The cells of the area of the myocardium, which is supplied by the affected artery, begin to die (myocardial infarction) - the pain intensifies, becomes unbearable, a person often experiences pain shock with a sharp decrease in blood pressure and acute heart failure (the heart muscle does not cope with its work). It is possible to help such a patient only in a hospital setting.

A sign of the transition of an angina attack to myocardial infarction is the increase in pain and the lack of effect from the use of nitroglycerin. The pain in this case has a pressing, squeezing, burning character, begins behind the sternum, and then can spread to the entire chest and abdomen. The pain can be continuous or in the form of repeated attacks one after another, increasing in intensity and duration. There are cases when the pain in the chest is not very strong and then patients often suffer myocardial infarction on their legs, which can cause an instant disruption of the heart and death of the patient.

There are also atypical (atypical) forms of myocardial infarction, when pain begins, for example, in the area of the front or back of the neck, lower jaw, left arm, left little finger, left shoulder blade, etc. Most often, such forms are found in older people and are accompanied by weakness, pallor, cyanosis of the lips and fingertips, heart rhythm disturbances, and a drop in blood pressure.

Another atypical form of myocardial infarction is the abdominal form, when the patient feels pain not in the region of the heart, but in the abdomen, usually in its upper part or in the region of the right hypochondrium. Such pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, loose stools, and bloating. The condition is sometimes very similar to intestinal obstruction.

Chest pain caused by changes in the central nervous system

Chest pain can also occur with other diseases. One of the most common diseases that cause frequent and prolonged pain in the chest is cardioneurosis, which develops against the background of a temporary functional disorder of the central nervous system. Neuroses are the body's response to various mental shocks (intense short-term or less intense, but long-lasting).

Pain in cardioneurosis can be of a different nature, but most often they are constant, aching and are felt in the region of the apex of the heart (in the lower part of the left half of the chest). Sometimes pain in cardioneurosis can resemble pain in angina pectoris (short-term acute), but they do not decrease from taking nitroglycerin. Often, attacks of pain are accompanied by reactions from the autonomic nervous system in the form of redness of the face, moderate palpitations, and a slight increase in blood pressure. With cardioneurosis, there are almost always other signs of neurosis - increased anxiety, irritable weakness, etc. Helps with cardioneurosis elimination of psycho-traumatic circumstances, the correct regimen of the day, sedatives, in case of sleep disorders - sleeping pills.

Sometimes cardioneurosis is difficult to distinguish from coronary heart disease (CHD), the diagnosis is usually established on the basis of careful observation of the patient, since there may be no changes on the ECG in either case.

A similar picture can be caused by changes in the heart during menopause. These disorders are caused by a change in the hormonal background, resulting in neurosis and a violation of metabolic processes in the heart muscle (climacteric myocardiopathy). At the same time, pain in the heart is combined with the characteristic manifestations of menopause: flushing of blood to the face, bouts of sweating, chills and various sensitivity disorders in the form of "goosebumps", insensitivity of certain areas of the skin, etc. Just like with cardioneurosis, pain in the heart is not relieved by nitroglycerin, sedatives and hormone replacement therapy help.

Pain in the chest caused by inflammation in the heart area

The heart has three layers: outer (pericardium), middle muscular (myocardium) and inner (endocardium). An inflammatory process can occur in any of them, but pain in the heart is characteristic of myocarditis and pericarditis.

Myocarditis (an inflammatory process in the myocardium) can occur as a complication of some inflammatory (eg, purulent tonsillitis) or infectious-allergic (eg, rheumatism) processes, as well as toxic effects (eg, certain drugs). Myocarditis usually occurs a few weeks after the disease. One of the most common complaints of patients with myocarditis is pain in the region of the heart. In some cases, chest pain may resemble the pain of angina pectoris, but they last longer and do not go away with nitroglycerin. In this case, they may well be confused with pain in myocardial infarction. Pain in the heart may not occur behind the sternum, but more to the left of it, such pain appears and intensifies during physical exertion, but it is also possible at rest. Chest pain may recur many times during the day or be almost continuous. Often chest pain is stabbing or aching in nature and does not radiate to other parts of the body. Often pain in the heart is accompanied by shortness of breath and attacks of suffocation at night. Myocarditis requires careful examination and long-term treatment of the patient. Treatment primarily depends on the cause of the disease.

Pericarditis is an inflammation of the outer serous membrane of the heart, which consists of two sheets. Most often, pericarditis is a complication of various infectious and non-infectious diseases. It can be dry (without accumulation of inflammatory fluid between the sheets of the pericardium) and exudative (inflammatory fluid accumulates between the sheets of the pericardium). Pericarditis is characterized by dull monotonous chest pain, most often the pain is moderate, but sometimes they become very strong and resemble an angina attack. Pain in the chest depends on respiratory movements and changes in body position, so the patient is tense, breathes shallowly, tries not to make unnecessary movements. Chest pain is usually localized on the left, above the region of the heart, but sometimes spreads to other areas - to the sternum, upper abdomen, under the shoulder blade. These pains are usually combined with fever, chills, general malaise and inflammatory changes in the general blood test (a large number of leukocytes, accelerated ESR). Treatment of pericarditis is long, it usually begins in a hospital, then continues on an outpatient basis.

Other chest pain associated with the cardiovascular system

Often the cause of pain in the chest are diseases of the aorta - a large blood vessel that departs from the left ventricle of the heart and carries arterial blood through the systemic circulation. The most common disease is aortic aneurysm.

An aneurysm of the thoracic aorta is an expansion of a portion of the aorta due to a violation of the connective tissue structures of its walls due to atherosclerosis, inflammatory lesions, congenital inferiority, or due to mechanical damage to the aortic wall, for example, in trauma.

In most cases, aneurysm is of atherosclerotic origin. At the same time, patients may be disturbed by prolonged (up to several days) chest pains, especially in the upper third of the sternum, which, as a rule, do not radiate to the back and left arm. Often the pain is associated with physical activity, does not resemble after taking nitroglycerin.

A terrible consequence of an aortic aneurysm is its breakthrough with fatal bleeding into the respiratory organs, pleural cavity, pericardium, esophagus, large vessels of the chest cavity, out through the skin in case of chest injury. In this case, there is a sharp pain behind the sternum, a drop in blood pressure, shock and collapse.

A dissecting aortic aneurysm is a channel formed in the thickness of the aortic wall due to its dissection with blood. The appearance of a bundle is accompanied by a sharp arching retrosternal pain in the region of the heart, a severe general condition, and often loss of consciousness. The patient needs emergency medical care. An aortic aneurysm is usually treated with surgery.

No less serious disease is thromboembolism (blockage by a detached thrombus - embolus) of the pulmonary artery, which extends from the right ventricle and carries venous blood to the lungs. An early symptom of this debilitating condition is often severe chest pain, sometimes very similar to angina pain, but usually not radiating to other areas of the body and aggravated by inhalation. The pain continues for several hours, despite the introduction of painkillers. The pain is usually accompanied by shortness of breath, cyanosis of the skin, a strong heartbeat and a sharp decrease in blood pressure. The patient needs emergency medical care in a specialized department. In severe cases, a surgical operation is performed - removal of the embolus (embolectomy)

Pain in the chest with diseases of the stomach

Stomach pain can sometimes feel like chest pain and is often mistaken for heart pain. Usually such chest pains are the result of spasms of the muscles of the stomach wall. These pains are more prolonged than those of the heart and are usually accompanied by other characteristic features.

For example, chest pain is most often associated with eating. Pain can occur on an empty stomach and disappear from eating, occur at night, after a certain time after eating, etc. There are also such symptoms of a stomach disease as nausea, vomiting, etc.

Pain in the stomach is not relieved by nitroglycerin, but they can be relieved with antispasmodics (papaverine, no-shpy, etc.) - drugs that relieve spasm of the muscles of internal organs.

The same pain can occur in some diseases of the esophagus, diaphragmatic hernia. - this is an exit through an enlarged opening in the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity) of the stomach and some other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. When the diaphragm contracts, these organs are compressed. Diaphragmatic hernia is manifested by the sudden appearance (often this happens at night when the patient is in a horizontal position) of severe pain, sometimes similar to pain in angina pectoris. From taking nitroglycerin, such pain does not go away, but it becomes less when the patient moves to a vertical position.

Severe pain in the chest can also occur with spasms of the gallbladder and bile ducts. Despite the fact that the liver is located in the right hypochondrium, pain can occur behind the sternum and radiate to the left side of the chest. Such pain is also relieved by antispasmodics.

It can be confused with heart pain pain in acute pancreatitis. The pain in this case is so severe that it resembles a myocardial infarction. They are accompanied by nausea and vomiting (this is also common in myocardial infarction). These pains are very difficult to remove. Usually this can only be done in a hospital during intensive treatment.

Chest pain in diseases of the spine and ribs

Pain in the chest, very reminiscent of heart pain, can occur with various diseases of the spine, for example, with osteochondrosis, herniated discs, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.

Osteochondrosis is dystrophic (exchange) changes in the spine. As a result of malnutrition or high physical exertion, bone and cartilage tissue, as well as special elastic pads between individual vertebrae (intervertebral discs), are gradually destroyed. Such changes cause compression of the roots of the spinal nerves, which causes pain. If changes occur in the thoracic spine, then the pain may be similar to pain in the heart or pain in the gastrointestinal tract. The pain may be constant or in the form of attacks, but it always increases with sudden movements. Such pain cannot be relieved with nitroglycerin or antispasmodics, it can only be reduced by pain medications or heat.

Pain in the chest area can occur when the ribs are fractured. These pains are associated with trauma, aggravated by deep inspiration and movement.

Chest pain in lung disease

The lungs occupy a large part of the chest. Pain in the chest can occur against the background of inflammatory diseases of the lungs, pleura, bronchi and trachea, with various injuries of the lungs and pleura, tumors and other diseases.

Especially often, chest pains occur with a disease of the pleura (a serous sac that covers the lungs and consists of two sheets, between which the pleural cavity is located). With inflammation of the pleura, pain is usually associated with coughing, deep breathing and is accompanied by fever. Sometimes such pains can be confused with heart pains, for example, with pains at a pericarditis. Very severe chest pains appear when lung cancer grows into the pleura.

In some cases, air (pneumothorax) or fluid (hydrothorax) enters the pleural cavity. This can happen with a lung abscess, pulmonary tuberculosis, etc. With spontaneous (spontaneous) pneumothorax, there is a sharp sudden pain, shortness of breath, cyanosis, and blood pressure decreases. The patient has difficulty breathing and moving. The air irritates the pleura, causing severe stabbing pain in the chest (in the side, on the side of the lesion), extending to the neck, upper limb, sometimes to the upper abdomen. The patient's chest volume increases, the intercostal spaces expand. Help for such a patient can only be provided in a hospital.

The pleura can also be affected by periodic disease - a genetic disease manifested by periodic inflammation of the serous membranes covering the internal cavities. One of the variants of the course of periodic illness is thoracic, with damage to the pleura. This disease manifests itself in the same way as pleurisy, occurring in one or the other half of the chest, rarely in both, causing the same complaints in patients. Like pleurisy. All signs of an exacerbation of the disease usually disappear spontaneously after 3 to 7 days.

Chest pain associated with the mediastinum

Pain in the chest can also be caused by air entering the mediastinum - a part of the chest cavity, bounded in front by the sternum, behind - by the spine, from the sides - by the pleura of the right and left lungs and from below - by the diaphragm. This condition is called mediastinal emphysema and occurs when air enters from the outside with injuries or from the respiratory tract, the esophagus in various diseases (spontaneous mediastinal emphysema). In this case, there is a feeling of pressure or pain in the chest, hoarseness, shortness of breath. The condition can be severe and requires emergency care.

What to do for chest pain

Chest pain can be of different origin, but very similar to each other. Such pains, similar in sensation, sometimes require completely different treatment. Therefore, when pain occurs in the chest, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will prescribe an examination in order to identify the cause of the disease. Only after that it will be possible to prescribe the correct adequate treatment.

Pain in the left chest begins for a number of reasons. In most cases, when pain occurs, people think that it hurts the heart. However, most often this is not the case. Especially if we are talking about the connection of chest pain with the respiratory process.

It is difficult to determine which organ needs treatment by the location of the pain. Consider the main causes of discomfort in the chest during inhalation and the principles of differentiation of the main diseases.

To inhale, a number of muscles contract, due to which the ribs rise, the dimensions (vertical, anteroposterior and transverse) of the chest cavity increase, the lungs expand, pressure decreases in them, and air enters through the airways.

If there are altered organs in the chest area, damaged vessels, pinched nerves, or, for example, injured ribs, then mechanical compression during the expansion of the lungs responds with various kinds of painful sensations.

Unlike pain that is not associated with breathing, these sensations are not permanent, that is, they arise or intensify only during a deep breath.

Intercostal neuralgia

This pathology occurs when the intercostal nerves are compressed either near the spinal column (nerve roots) or in the intercostal space (nerve endings). It is characterized by pain with a deep breath under the ribs of a different nature: compressive, dull or stabbing, aching, burning. The pain is localized not only in the heart, but can occur in the collarbone, increases with sudden movements, probing, give to the shoulder blade.

Causes of neuralgia:

injury;
physical overload;
hypothermia;
stress;
complication of a cold;
bad move;
metabolic disorders, etc.

Treatment of intercostal neuralgia occurs in two stages. First, the pain syndrome is removed, then measures are taken to eliminate the disease that caused the pinched nerve.

The most common neuralgic cause of pain on the left in the chest is osteochondrosis - a violation of the structure and function of the articular cartilage, (the most common - intervertebral discs).

The main causes of osteochondrosis are:

metabolic disorder;
hereditary predisposition;
spinal injury;
curvature of the spine, flat feet;
hard work (physical overload);
prolonged incorrect postures (asymmetrical positions, incorrect posture)
age changes.

These disorders lead to damage to the intervertebral discs, as a result of which the vertebrae gradually approach each other, pinching the nerve roots. There is pain, muscle numbness.

The main methods of treatment are drug therapy, therapeutic massage and physical education. Folk methods and acupuncture are also used.

Signs of intercostal neuralgia

Sequelae of chest trauma

Pain when inhaling in the chest on the left is often caused by various injuries in this area. Painful sensations are manifested constantly, and with tension, coughing, deep breathing increase.

Chest injuries are divided into open and closed. Open injuries are penetrating or non-penetrating wounds. Closed injuries, accompanied by pain when inhaling:

fractures;
bruises;
breaks;
concussion.

In the case of a fracture of the ribs, in addition to the pain symptom, a crunch of the rubbing edges of the broken rib is also felt. In difficult cases, broken ribs damage internal organs, blood vessels, and the pleura. The fracture is diagnosed by x-ray.

Pain in the collarbone on the left when inhaling (or when moving the shoulder, raising the arm) often indicates a fracture or dislocation of the collarbone itself. A clavicle fracture occurs due to a fall on the shoulder, elbow, outstretched arm, or due to a direct blow to the bone. Symptoms of a fracture may include swelling, hemorrhage, and visible displacement of fragments. A dislocation of the clavicle is a displacement of one of its ends: acromial or sternal.

Bruises occur when struck, for example, with a blunt object, accompanied by pain, which is aggravated by inhalation, hematoma. Simple bruises without complications do not require special treatment. If the bruise has led to extensive hemorrhage, tissue ruptures, in which case the injury is severe, hospitalization is required.

With a concussion, the patient's condition is defined as severe, in which there are no anatomical changes, the pulse is quickened, the limbs become cold, it hurts to breathe. Urgent hospitalization is required.

Respiratory diseases as a cause of pain when inhaling

Often, pain in the chest on the left with a deep breath does not appear alone, but is accompanied by shortness of breath, cough, hemoptysis, fever, blue skin. With such symptoms, one of the following diseases occurs:

tuberculosis or pneumonia (the inflammatory process has moved to the pleural region);
lung infarction;
pleurisy;
malignant process.

Pleurisy is an inflammation of the lining of the lungs called the pleura. In the case of this disease, pain with a deep breath occurs only with dry pleurisy, that is, when fluid does not accumulate in the pleural region. With this pathology, pain is characteristic when inhaling in the lower back. This disease (dry pleurisy) usually occurs as a result of complications of other respiratory diseases (tuberculosis, pneumonia).

Infection of the pleura leads to a change in its vessels (their permeability increases), as a result of which the blood plasma, together with proteins, penetrate into the pleural region. The liquid is absorbed, and the dry protein is deposited on the surface of the pleura. Over time, this leads to their thickening, difficulty lung mobility.

Treatment of dry pleurisy is to eliminate the original disease. To alleviate the patient's condition, symptomatic treatment is carried out (painkillers, antitussive drugs).

The same diseases that cause pleurisy, as well as a number of other causes (trauma, emphysema) lead to pneumothorax - the appearance of air between the layers of the pleura. Symptoms of pneumothorax:

with a sigh, pain in the chest on the left side of the heart, shallow breathing;
dyspnea;
sweating, agitation.

The disease begins with an open injury to the chest, the penetration of atmospheric air into the pleural cavity. The second option: in case of damage to the lung tissue (violation of integrity) and the penetration of gas from it. The pressure in the cavity changes, the lung collapses and ceases to participate in breathing. Pneumothorax is a medical emergency.

Chest pain on the left during inhalation also accompanies malignant lesions of the lungs and pleura. Localization of pain indicates the location of the changed tissues (it hurts on the same side). With the development of the disease, painful sensations become permanent and no longer depend on breathing.

Cardiovascular pathologies

Pain with a deep breath on the left under the ribs is associated with heart disease in the very least. With cardiovascular pathologies, pain occurs in the center of the chest or back (often a little to the left), under the shoulder blade, radiates to the arm, the shoulder has a permanent character, not associated with the respiratory cycle.

Such localization of pain is typical for angina pectoris and indicates the development of or. Inspiratory pain can rarely occur with myocarditis and pericarditis.

Dangerous heart diseases often begin asymptomatically. Or accompanied by such minor violations of the general condition, such as:

fatigue,
cardiopalmus,
dizziness.

With angina pectoris, during deep breathing, the pain does not increase, but rather subsides. The pain radiates to the shoulder blade, to the neck, left shoulder, does not last long and is eliminated by taking nitrates (nitroglycerin).

The cause of angina pectoris is the narrowing of the lumen of the vessels by cholesterol deposits (). Less blood enters the heart and oxygen starvation occurs. Such pain is often characterized by a burning sensation in the chest, constriction of the heart, and occurs in case of physical exertion.

A complication of angina pectoris is myocardial infarction.

Heart attack - damage to the myocardium due to an acute lack of oxygen. Occurs due to impaired blood supply due to blockage of the coronary vessels.

Symptoms:

cutting pain behind the sternum;
nitroglycerin does not relieve pain;
cold sweat;
pale skin;
fainting.

The disease can occur with other symptoms: discomfort in the sternum, interruptions in the work of the heart, shortness of breath and even abdominal pain.

With untimely or improper treatment, complications may develop:

cardiogenic shock.

With symptoms of myocardial infarction, hospitalization is necessary.

Myocarditis is an infection of the myocardium. Pathology occurs as a complication of other infectious diseases (flu, diphtheria, etc.), usually viral infections. Symptoms of myocarditis are aching pain in the region of the heart, aggravated by breathing, weakness, sweating, interruptions in heart rate.

Treatment of myocarditis consists in carrying out therapy that suppresses the infection (antibiotics, antiviral drugs), in taking anti-inflammatory, antihistamines. In severe cases of the disease, glucocorticoid hormones are used. To improve metabolism, prescribe potassium preparations, vitamins. Carry out symptomatic treatment.

Pericarditis is an inflammation of the outer heart sac (heart membrane) - the pericardium. It develops as a result of other inflammatory diseases (myocarditis, rheumatoid arthritis). This disease is characterized by: stabbing pain when inhaling on the left, in the center, subfebrile temperature, coughing, shortness of breath when lying down. Treatment is carried out with anti-inflammatory drugs, symptomatically.

Useful video

How to distinguish true pain in the heart from another radiating to the chest, see this video:

Conclusion

There are many causes of pain on the left in the chest when inhaling. Most likely, this pain is neuralgic in nature or is a consequence of a chest injury. Less commonly, chest pain on the left is associated with respiratory diseases.
Only in the last place, pains in the left chest during inspiration indicate heart disease. Angina, which developed against the background, as a rule, is not associated with the respiratory cycle, and the pain itself is localized in the center of the chest, back, under the shoulder blade.
When pain in the chest on the left gives into the shoulder blade, you should immediately consult a doctor.

What will be the first thought of the patient, in this case? Of course, either the heart, or some kind of bone problem (especially if before that we could get hit in this area). But in reality, there are many more reasons. Therefore, today we will talk about why pain can occur on the right or left side of the chest.

Possible reasons

First of all, it is necessary to mention that pain sensations are diverse. One or another psycho-emotional color of pain speaks of all sorts of problems. If we talk about the localization of problems, here we can immediately distinguish six large groups of diseases:

Heart disease. Caused by certain lesions of the heart muscle or coronary arteries.
Problems with large blood vessels. These include the aorta, pulmonary artery, and their branches.
Diseases of the respiratory system. First of all, they can be associated with lesions of the lungs, bronchi, and pleura.
Muscular or spinal lesions. If we talk about the muscles that provoke discomfort, we should highlight the anterior wall of the sternum, as well as the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
Abdominal and diaphragmatic lesions.
Diseases of the organs of the mediastinum.

As for the most common diseases that can lead to certain types of pain, they include:

myocardial infarction;
aortic aneurysm;
heart disease: angina pectoris, neurocirculatory dystonia, rheumatic heart disease;
diseases of the respiratory system: tracheitis, pleurisy, tumors of the pleura;
gastrointestinal lesions: reflux esophagitis;

Let's consider some of them in more detail:

myocardial infarction

The cause of these health problems is atherosclerosis, a disease in which blood vessels are affected by plaques that eventually clog the lumen.

If this happens to the artery that supplies blood to the heart muscle, some of the myocardial cells die. Typical symptoms include:

violent, burning pain on left side;
discomfort can be given to the shoulder area;
a sharp release of adrenaline into the blood, because of which a person feels a powerful attack of fear;
the appearance of cold sweat on the body.

Diagnosis of the disease is carried out already in a medical institution. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately give the patient nitroglycerin and call the ambulance.

Other disorders of the cardiovascular system

Under this term, a rupture of the aortic wall is hidden, after which hemorrhage begins. The symptomatic picture of the disease is as follows:

severe pain in the sternum, which can either worsen or subside;
rise in temperature of sub-degrees;
skin blanching;
decrease in the amount of urine emitted;
acceleration of the heartbeat, even a visible pulsation is possible.

It should be noted that the pressure, as a rule, does not decrease. The main diagnostic method for identifying a problem is an ultrasound of the heart muscle.

As for angina pectoris, it is otherwise called angina pectoris. The reason for such phenomena is due to a lack of blood supply to the heart muscle. The culprits of discomfort can be severe stress or physical exertion. The best assistant in this case will be Nitroglycerin. Although you can do nothing at all, the pain usually goes away on its own. This will take about a quarter of an hour.

With such phenomena, a person feels pain, similar to compression. In this case, the return can occur to the left side of the neck, as well as to the shoulder and directly to the arm. In older people, shortness of breath often occurs instead of pain.

If you had to deal with such a problem as neurocirculatory dystonia, diagnosis will be very difficult. Pain is functional. At the same time, it is not possible to detect the problem even with in-depth diagnostics.

The pain is functional. In a detailed examination of the patient, it is not possible to find an organic pathology. The symptomatic picture from patients can be very diverse. Many note that they are faced with a tingling, dull, aching pain. There may be a feeling of constriction. Unpleasant sensations either intensify or subside. As a rule, they appear during rest or without any connection with physical work.

The emotional state can also be very different. The patient may be depressed or may show aggression. Often, neurocirculatory dystonia manifests itself in women with menopause. You can also note the constant feeling of heat and increased sweating.

Specialists prescribe medications aimed at stabilizing the hormonal background, as well as antidepressants or sedatives.

Rheumocarditis is accompanied by a feeling of discomfort in the sternum. In addition, one can note an increase in temperature, pain in the joints, problems with the central nervous system. The cause of such phenomena is infectious lesions of a very different nature. Most often they are associated with manifestations of chronic tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils), so if you are diagnosed with this problem, do not refuse the operation for anything.

Diagnosis is carried out after the appearance of heart disease. It is formed due to streptococcal invasion of the heart valves. Effective diagnostic methods in this case are:

Listening to heart murmurs.
Ultrasound examination of the heart muscle.
Electrocardiography.
Rheumofactor analysis.

However, heart problems, as we have said, are not the only factor that can cause soreness. Next, consider other diseases that can be the culprits of discomfort.

Lesions of the respiratory, digestive system and sternum wall

The first problem that should be considered among the diseases of the respiratory system is pleurisy. Typical manifestations of this kind of trouble are:

excruciating soreness above the ribs;
wet cough;
fever.

If any pathological problems develop in the pleura, it will immediately make itself felt. The reason is simple: there are a large number of nerve endings on this part of our body. However, they are felt only on one side of the sternum. By itself, pleurisy can be either tumor, or manifest itself as a complication of pneumonia. In this case, a large amount of fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity. The main diagnostic methods in this case are:

As for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gastroesophageal reflux should be noted here. The fact is that such violations are found in absolutely all the inhabitants of our country, and possibly even the entire planet. Who among us has not experienced such troubles as:

Additional manifestations of reflux may be pain behind the chest. They are often confused with heart pain, so the cause must be established immediately. The main difference should be noted: the discomfort with reflux often occurs only after eating. Sometimes soreness can also appear when bending over. The main diagnostic method is gastroscopy. Conservative treatment includes antibiotic therapy. Surgery may also be prescribed.

The primary problem that should be discussed in case of problems with the sternum wall is shingles. The pains are severe, and their center can be located almost anywhere in the sternum.

Typically, pain relievers do little to help. It is almost impossible to diagnose the disease until specific external manifestations appear - bubble formations with a clear liquid.

In addition, we must not forget about such a problem as osteochondrosis of the cervical region. Its cause is the disorganization of the cartilage, due to which the nerves are pinched. The result is a dull pain, which can then subside, then return. The fight against the disease is carried out with the help of physiotherapy exercises, massage, manual therapy, etc.

As you can see, a wide variety of disorders can become the culprit of pain in the sternum. Therefore, at the first manifestations, you should immediately consult a doctor who will refer you for diagnosis. According to its results, he will prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Causes of pain in the upper chest

The frame of the chest is the spine, to which the ribs are attached. The spinal cord is located in the spinal canal, from which nerves extend along the lower edge of each rib. Outside, the chest is covered with a layer of fat and skin. The bone frame protects the vital organs of the chest. These are the lungs, heart, and also the esophagus. The diaphragm is the lower border of the chest cavity and separates it from the abdominal cavity.

Each of the formations of the chest can be a source of pain. It depends on the tactics of patient management, examination and treatment.

Sources of pathology

Unpleasant sensations at the top of the chest are varied and vary in intensity, duration, and even emotional and mental coloring.

Acute chest pain:

myocardial infarction;
dissecting aortic aneurysm;
chronic recurrent pain;
cardialgia (pain in the heart): angina pectoris, neurocirculatory dystonia, rheumatic heart disease;
diseases of the lungs and pleura: tracheitis, pleurisy, tumors of the pleura;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: reflux esophagitis;
diseases of the chest wall: herpes zoster, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

myocardial infarction

It develops as a result of damage to the body's vessels by atherosclerosis. When the plaque blocks the lumen of the artery that feeds the heart, a section of the heart tissue becomes necrotic.

As a result of this, a person feels a sharp dagger pain behind the sternum, radiating to the left shoulder, shoulder blade. Discomfort is accompanied by a feeling of horror, fear of death. The skin is covered with cold sweat.

Dissecting aortic aneurysm

Rupture of the aortic wall is accompanied by sudden unbearable pain. In the future - episodes of amplification and weakening of pain. The temperature is subfebrile. Paleness increases, heartbeat quickens, urine output decreases. You can often notice a pulsation in the jugular fossa.

Blood pressure usually remains high. Ultrasound of the heart reveals a "double contour" of the aneurysm site.

angina pectoris

Angina pain ("angina pectoris") occurs due to relative insufficiency of the blood supply to the heart. They are felt during physical exertion or psycho-emotional stress. Pass within minutes on their own or after taking a nitroglycerin tablet.

It hurts on the palm above the xiphoid process, behind the sternum. Feeling of a squeeze. Gives to the left arm, left shoulder, left side of the neck. In older people, pain is often replaced by shortness of breath.

Cardiopsychoneurosis

The pain is functional. In a detailed examination of the patient, it is not possible to find an organic pathology.

Complaints are varied and emotional, but not specific. The chest hurts in the region of the heart, above or below it. The pain is stitching, pressing, aching, squeezing, undulating. Occurs either at rest, or without a clear connection with physical activity.

The patient is emotionally labile, whiny or, on the contrary, aggressive and agitated. Some of these patients are menopausal women. The symptoms are accompanied by periodic sweating, a feeling of heat.

Treatment is aimed at normalizing the hormonal background, stabilizing the nervous system and mental status.

rheumatic heart disease

Discomfort in the chest is combined with extracardiac manifestations of rheumatic heart disease. This is an increase in body temperature, joint pain, damage to the central nervous system. Chronic tonsillitis and other foci of infection are often detected.

The diagnosis is established after the formation of heart disease. The defect is formed due to damage to the heart valves by streptococcus. Heart murmurs are heard. Diagnosis is helped by ultrasound of the heart, electrocardiography, analysis for rheumatic factor.

Diseases of the lungs and pleura

Acute tracheitis is accompanied by chest pain above the costal angle. Pain occurs when coughing and is often excruciating. Accompanied by fever, sputum discharge.

The pleura contains many pain receptors. Therefore, participation in the pathological process of the pleura is always accompanied by pain. Only one part of the chest can be "involved".

Pleurisy is one of the complications of pneumonia or may be of a tumor nature. With a sufficient amount of fluid of any origin in the pleural cavity, it can be seen on x-ray. Shortness of breath, forced posture (sitting) joins. To establish the nature of the fluid, the pleural cavity is punctured.

Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a problem that affects every person to one degree or another. Belching, heartburn, heaviness in the stomach. These symptoms are often accompanied by pain behind the sternum, so it is often necessary to differentiate them from the heart.

The difference is that with reflux, the pain reaction occurs after eating, often associated with errors in the diet. The connection with physical activity is minimal (the exception is slopes, when acidic gastric contents are thrown higher into the esophagus).

The association of esophageal reflux with gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, with diseases of the biliary tract has been revealed. Gastroscopy and antibiotic therapy are recommended in case of an ulcer. Modern prokinetics help.

In advanced cases, surgical treatment is performed.

chest wall diseases

Herpes zoster is accompanied by severe pains of various localization: at the top of the chest, above or below the nipple line, to the right or left of the sternum.

Painkillers are of little help. Before the appearance of specific rashes, diagnosis is difficult. On the 3-5th day, small bubbles appear, filled with a clear liquid, located in a strip along the intercostal space.

The disease is infectious. Contact with a patient with chickenpox is noted. Treatment is antiviral drugs.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine occurs due to disorganization of the intervertebral cartilage, which leads to compression of the roots of the intercostal nerves, causing pain.

The pain is dull, recurrent. Computed tomography, MRI helps to identify foci of osteochondrosis. Treatment is associated with relief of symptoms, aimed at correcting the spinal apparatus. Physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, manual therapy are used. Often, even the whole complex of measures does not guarantee success in overcoming pain.

Causes of pain in the left side of the chest

Cardiovascular diseases

The absolute leaders in the number of deaths worldwide are diseases and pathologies of the organs of the cardiovascular system. They are divided into two broad categories:

coronary;

infarction and ischemia. Arteries, which are called coronary arteries, are designed to supply blood to the heart muscle. Failures in work caused by various factors lead to the fact that the muscles of the main human organ cease to be fully enriched with oxygen.

suffering from diabetes of various forms;

A heart attack can provoke pain that radiates to the region of the left arm, left shoulder, back, and abdominal cavity. In addition, these conditions may be aggravated by the presence of:

vomiting;

Often, women during menopause become victims of such conditions. The hormonal balance changes, and a decrease in hormones provokes the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. Ladies over forty should regularly take special medications, which are prescribed by a specialist in each case.

labored breathing;

Acute attacks of pain subside somewhat with various inclinations of the body.

tachycardia;

The pressure also drops sharply, the person stops responding to questions.

Respiratory diseases

Chest pain on the left can provoke diseases of the respiratory organs, especially if the pleura or bronchi are affected.

a sharp increase in temperature in the evening;

Spontaneous pneumothorax is a condition in which air moves from the lung into the pleural region. The shell is irritated, and this causes an attack of stabbing and cutting pain. If you try to take a deep breath, then this further increases the pain syndrome. Very often, pain can radiate to the shoulder, neck or lower back.

A pulmonary embolism is a condition where a blood vessel in the lung is blocked. If this happened on the left side, then in this condition, patients complain of a sudden sharp pain, which intensifies with a deep breath. People in this state begin to breathe shallowly and often. Against the background of such conditions, patients may develop a feeling of panic and anxiety, as well as dizziness and weakness up to fainting. Sometimes there are convulsions.

dyspnea;

Neurological ailments

Acute cutting or, conversely, dull aching pain can be provoked by intercostal neuralgia. As the name implies, with this disease, the intercostal nerve endings begin to irritate. Sometimes this condition can be provoked by an uncomfortable posture during sleep or by careless movement during some kind of physical exertion.

Cardioneurosis. It can be provoked by a sharp stress or a series of stressful conditions. With this disease, dull aching pains in the left upper chest are often noted. Sometimes they are replaced by quite strong, but short-lived painful sensations. People with this diagnosis complain of:

cardiopalmus;

Diseases and injuries of the spine

Osteochondrosis is one of the most common pathologies of the spine. With this disease, a degenerative process is observed, which leads to the destruction of the vertebral discs. Often the root cause of this disease is a sedentary lifestyle - excessive sitting at the computer, driving a car, etc. Also, the start for the development of the disease can be incorrect posture or overweight.

discomfort during inhalation or exhalation;

These pains or other discomforts can disturb people at night, causing signs of panic, as they sometimes resemble a myocardial infarction or angina pectoris. However, pain in osteochondrosis decreases dramatically if you do a little warm-up or change the position of the body.

Other reasons

In men and women, such pain can also occur due to various lesions of the digestive tract. Among the common reasons:

Gastritis, when the gastric mucosa is irritated (see also - symptoms of gastritis).

In addition, there are specific, so-called. "Female" causes of pain in the left side of the chest. These include:

Mastopathy or benign growth of the mammary glands.

How to understand what hurts behind the sternum (video)

Three tests for chest pain. Elena Malysheva and her colleagues will talk about them in detail. How a stress test is performed - ECG at rest and during exercise.

What to do and who to contact

First of all, with frequent or persistent pain in the left side of the chest, any self-diagnosis options should be completely excluded. These activities should be carried out only in a specialized medical institution.

radiography;

Only according to the results of a comprehensive study, the correct and adequate treatment can be prescribed.

Frequent pain in the left side of the chest

Pain in the left side of the chest can signal a variety of pathologies. Sometimes even experienced doctors do not immediately determine the true causes of discomfort. Often this is heart disease. But, in addition to such ailments, pain may indicate problems of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, spine, and central nervous system.

What does discomfort indicate?

Pain in the left side of the chest is most often provoked by severe stress. In this case, the patient is likely to have a heart attack. Especially if the discomfort occurs unexpectedly and is sharp.

Along with that, there are various causes of pain that do not threaten the life of the patient. But even in this case, the seriousness of such manifestations cannot be ruled out. A mild aching pain in the left side of the chest only at first glance seems harmless.

Assess the severity of the disease allows concomitant symptoms. Listen carefully to your condition, whether your pain in the left sternum is associated with:

Most importantly, even with minimal discomfort, see a doctor. The prescribed examination will allow you to identify the disease in a timely manner and save you from the further development of pathology.

Common Causes

If the patient experiences pain in the left side of the chest, then the first diseases that an experienced doctor will check for are pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

The ailments that provoke such discomfort include:

Angina. Due to ischemia (tissue damage provoked by hypoxia), pain occurs. Pathology appears after physical activity or stress. The patient needs rest and the use of nitrates.
Myocardial infarction. Part of the heart muscle dies. The patient experiences severe left-sided (sometimes central) chest pain. Discomfort comes on suddenly. The pain may radiate to the left arm, shoulder, neck, jaw, or abdomen.
Pericarditis. The mucous membrane around the heart becomes inflamed. Discomfort is aggravated in the supine position. The condition is accompanied by cough. The patient experiences relief in a sitting position or leaning forward. Difficulty breathing, slightly elevated temperature, fatigue may be observed.
Pulmonary embolism. With this pathology, blockage of the pulmonary artery occurs. The condition resembles a heart attack. The pain suddenly starts, quite severe. As a result of blockage, lung tissue dies. With such a diagnosis, the patient has difficulty breathing, a cough occurs, containing bloody sputum, sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, pallor with a bluish tint.
Aortic dissection. There is an accumulation of blood in the wall of the aorta. The inner and middle layers begin to separate. There is a break. The patient experiences severe pain. It can be felt in the back, neck, abdomen, jaw. The condition is very similar to a heart attack.

Respiratory ailments

After excluding the pathologies of the cardiac system, a fair question arises: “Why does it hurt in the left side of the chest?” The answer to it may be hidden in the pathologies of the respiratory tract.

Some infections can cause frequent sharp pains in the left sternum. They are usually accompanied by:

If non-infectious pathologies are the source of discomfort, then hyperthermia, as a rule, is not observed.

Among the main reasons are the following:

Diseases of the peritoneum

Unfortunately, gastrointestinal pathology cannot be ruled out. Many organs of the peritoneum are located in this area. Quite often such diseases are shown as pains in the left part of a thorax.

Discomfort is aggravated in the supine position. Most often we are talking about diseases that affect:

The most common sources of unilateral "left" chest pain are:

ulcers;
gastritis;
hiatal hernia;
pathology of the left kidney;
ailments of the spleen;
pancreatitis;
cholelithiasis.

Discomfort under the left breast

Determining the source of pain is sometimes difficult. There are muscles under the breasts, which can be spasmed by severe anxiety and stress.

At the same time, one should not forget that in this area there is:

Constant pain in the left side of the chest can be caused by pathologies of these organs. Certain diseases cause the spleen to enlarge and sometimes rupture (infectious mononucleosis). In this case, the patient experiences severe discomfort in the left chest.

Diseases of the stomach (ulcer, gastritis, cancer) can provoke pain. Diaphragmatic hernia also causes discomfort in the above area.

Pain in upper left chest

Such sensations most often occur with various pathologies of the heart. In the case of ischemia, pain in the upper left part of the chest is of a pressing, compressive nature. As a rule, it lasts 5-15 minutes. Discomfort spreads to the region of the left shoulder, arm. Sometimes it can even reach the little finger.

Excessive physical or mental overexcitation can provoke an attack of angina pectoris. The patient will also experience severe discomfort in the left breast. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to myocardial infarction.

Another disease that provokes pain in the left side of the chest (top) is cardioneurosis. Discomfort has a long aching character. In this case, the pain is felt precisely in the upper chest area.

Aching discomfort

Such pain is most often characterized by hormonal changes. Therefore, often faced with this type of discomfort:

teenagers;
women during menopause;
individuals who are diagnosed with dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

If we are talking about teenagers, then most often the discomfort goes away on its own, after the end of the period of growing up. Doctors recommend such children:

vitamin complexes;
healthy eating;
some sedatives;
moderate physical activity.

Women experiencing pain in the heart during menopause should be examined by a doctor. Since the reduced production of sex hormones can affect the functioning of any internal organs. Only an examination will allow to exclude severe pathologies of the heart.

This also applies to patients suffering from thyroid disorders. Any pathology of it can seriously affect the internal organs. Consultation with an endocrinologist is the only right decision.

Stinging discomfort

The source of such sensations can be a change in the heart or in other organs. Stitching pain in the left side of the chest, which is paroxysmal in nature, constantly increasing, accompanied by shortness of breath - this is a serious reason to call an ambulance.

This type of pain can be observed with rheumatic heart disease, inflammation of the heart muscle. Painkillers can improve the condition somewhat.

Pain of a stabbing nature can be provoked by many other pathologies:

diseases of the digestive organs;
intercostal neuralgia;
pneumonia;
rib fracture;
pleurisy;

Feelings of dullness

Most often, such discomfort is directly related to pericarditis. Dull pain in the left side of the chest is constant. Sometimes it can be harsh and strong. Pericarditis is an inflammatory process of a special membrane that holds the heart in the required position.

Dull severe pain, localized along the spine, which is accompanied by weakness, may indicate a dissecting aortic aneurysm.

Chronic pathologies of the pancreas can also cause similar sensations in the left side of the sternum.

The appearance of discomfort is also provoked by cancerous tumors of the stomach and lung. Especially strong sensations arise in the last stages.

Patients who feel a dull pain in the left side of the sternum should immediately abandon any load. This is especially true for walking.

In this condition, it is best to lie down. Or at the very least, sit comfortably. The patient is given a Nitroglycerin tablet and, without delay, an ambulance is called. It is strictly forbidden to get to a medical facility on your own. You should not delay visiting a doctor. Because we can talk about the patient's life.

Nagging pain

This discomfort can be caused by several reasons.

If the patient experiences unilateral pulling pain, then most often we are talking about a pathology in the thoracic spine - osteochondrosis. This disease is characterized by changes in the intervertebral discs.

The source can be the wrong load, impaired metabolism. Often, osteochondrosis develops as a result of a long stay in one position. For example, such a pathology is very common in office workers, drivers.

Pulling pain in the left side of the chest may signal the development of scoliosis. The reason is also hidden in the uneven and improper load on the spine.

What does pain in the left chest indicate when inhaling?

Why does it hurt in the chest when inhaling?

Unlike pain that is not associated with breathing, these sensations are not permanent, that is, they arise or intensify only during a deep breath.

Heart attack with strokes is the cause of almost 70% of all deaths in the world. Seven out of ten people die due to blockage of the arteries of the heart or brain. In almost all cases, the reason for such a terrible end is the same - pressure surges due to hypertension.

Intercostal neuralgia

osteochondrosis;
injury;
physical overload;
hypothermia;
stress;
complication of a cold;
bad move;
metabolic disorders, etc.

Treatment of intercostal neuralgia occurs in two stages. First, the pain syndrome is removed, then measures are taken to eliminate the disease that caused the pinched nerve.

The main causes of osteochondrosis are:

metabolic disorder;
hereditary predisposition;
spinal injury;
curvature of the spine, flat feet;
hard work (physical overload);
prolonged incorrect postures (asymmetrical positions, incorrect posture)
age changes.

These disorders lead to damage to the intervertebral discs, as a result of which the vertebrae gradually approach each other, pinching the nerve roots. There is pain, muscle numbness.

The main methods of treatment are drug therapy, therapeutic massage and physical education. Folk methods and acupuncture are also used.

Signs of intercostal neuralgia

Sequelae of chest trauma

Pain when inhaling in the chest on the left is often caused by various injuries in this area. Painful sensations are manifested constantly, and with tension, coughing, deep breathing increase.

Chest injuries are divided into open and closed. Open injuries are penetrating or non-penetrating wounds. Closed injuries, accompanied by pain when inhaling:

With a concussion, the patient's condition is defined as severe, in which there are no anatomical changes, the pulse is quickened, the limbs become cold, it hurts to breathe. Urgent hospitalization is required.

Respiratory diseases as a cause of pain when inhaling

tuberculosis or pneumonia (the inflammatory process has moved to the pleural region);
lung infarction;
pleurisy;
pneumothorax;
malignant process.

Treatment of dry pleurisy is to eliminate the original disease. To alleviate the patient's condition, symptomatic treatment is carried out (painkillers, antitussive drugs).

The same diseases that cause pleurisy, as well as a number of other causes (trauma, emphysema) lead to pneumothorax - the appearance of air between the layers of the pleura. Symptoms of pneumothorax:

with a sigh, pain in the chest on the left side of the heart, shallow breathing;
dyspnea;
sweating, agitation.

The disease begins with an open injury to the chest, the penetration of atmospheric air into the pleural cavity. The second option: in case of damage to the lung tissue (violation of integrity) and the penetration of gas from it. The pressure in the cavity changes, the lung collapses and ceases to participate in breathing. Pneumothorax is a medical emergency.

Cardiovascular pathologies

Pain with a deep breath on the left under the ribs is associated with heart disease in the very least. With cardiovascular pathologies, pain occurs in the center of the chest or back (often a little to the left), under the shoulder blade, radiates to the arm, the shoulder has a permanent character, not associated with the respiratory cycle.

Such localization of pain is typical for angina pectoris and indicates the development of coronary disease or myocardial infarction. Inspiratory pain can rarely occur with myocarditis and pericarditis.

Dangerous heart diseases often begin asymptomatically. Or accompanied by such minor violations of the general condition, such as:

fatigue,
dyspnea,
cardiopalmus,
dizziness.

The cause of angina pectoris is the narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels by cholesterol deposits (atherosclerosis). Less blood enters the heart and oxygen starvation occurs. Such pain is often characterized by a burning sensation in the chest, constriction of the heart, and occurs in case of physical exertion.

A complication of angina pectoris is myocardial infarction.

Heart attack - damage to the myocardium due to an acute lack of oxygen. Occurs due to impaired blood supply due to blockage of the coronary vessels.

cutting pain behind the sternum;
nitroglycerin does not relieve pain;
cold sweat;
pale skin;
fainting.

The disease can occur with other symptoms: discomfort in the sternum, interruptions in the work of the heart, shortness of breath and even abdominal pain.

With untimely or improper treatment, complications may develop:

acute heart failure;
cardiogenic shock.

With symptoms of myocardial infarction, hospitalization is necessary.

Useful video

How to distinguish true pain in the heart from other pain that radiates to the chest, see this video:

Chest pain on the left: causes

When a person has chest pain on the left, he usually takes this symptom more seriously than right-sided pain. This is due to the fact that it is generally accepted that the heart is located on the left side. This encourages people to worry about their lives and see a doctor sooner.

The left-sided location of the heart is a delusion. In fact, this vital organ is located almost in the center between the lungs and exits to the left with only one ventricle. However, pain on the left is indeed most often triggered by heart problems.

Causes depending on the nature of the pain

Sharp stabbing pain

Pericarditis

The pericardium performs the functions of fixing the size and position of the heart, stable filling it with blood. The disease is characterized by inflammation in the pericardial sac - the pericardium. It occurs due to the presence in the body of infection, autoimmune processes. The symptoms of this pathology are similar to a heart attack. However, there is a distinctive feature: when a person lies down, the pain intensifies, and when he gets up, on the contrary, it weakens.

Pneumothorax

There are no nerve endings in the lungs themselves, so the body reacts with pain to pathological inflammation that affects their membrane - the pleura. When you inhale, the pain sensations increase, and when you hold your breath, they, on the contrary, weaken.

Pneumothorax is characterized by damage to the integrity of the pleura and branches of the bronchus due to penetrating or closed trauma to the chest. Air enters the lining of the lung. In this case, a person experiences severe pain, respiratory failure, weakness and dizziness.

cutting pain

Reflux

The esophagus becomes inflamed when there is an outflow of stomach acid into its cavity. Often this process is characterized by pain on the left side of the chest, which has a cutting character. The patient has a sour taste in the mouth and it is difficult for him to swallow. Gastrointestinal reflux can provoke diseases such as diabetes, hyperacidity, deterioration of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, overeating often contributes to this - at a time when the holidays are massively celebrated with plentiful feasts, doctors record an increase in cases of inflammation of the esophagus.

Pulmonary embolism

This diagnosis is said if a blood clot has formed in the pulmonary artery. Patients complain of pain on the left side of the chest, increased respiration, and a sharp lack of oxygen. The chest pain gets worse if the person takes a deep breath. At risk are smokers, fans of frequent air travel and long car trips.

Pneumonia

It is characterized by an inflammatory process that occurs in the lungs due to various infections. Pain occurs when the lining of the lung, where the nerve endings are located, is damaged. Due to the fact that the interlacing of nerve fibers is concentrated in the sternum, the pain radiates to one of its two halves, while being localized above and below the nipple. The pain is exacerbated when the person coughs and breathes heavily.

acute pain

aortic aneurysm

A symptom of this disease is a feeling of severe pain. Patients characterize it as tearing. Localized pain in the left side of the chest. Symptoms of an aortic aneurysm are shortness of breath, darkening of the eyes, and numbness of the extremities. The tongue seems to become cottony. A person can lose consciousness, he is threatened with partial paralysis.

There is a risk of death due to rupture of the aorta and subsequent internal hemorrhage, so if characteristic pain appears, you should immediately call an ambulance.

stomach ulcer

An ulcer occurs as a complication of chronic gastritis. It can also be provoked by certain medications if the scheme of their administration is incorrectly prescribed. In this case, peptic ulcer attacks a person very rapidly. An ulcer is manifested by the release of blood with saliva, severe pain in the chest, often its symptoms are confused with cholecystitis. Therefore, the diagnosis in this case is often difficult and there is a need for fibrogastroscopy.

Pleurisy

The pleura (the lining of the lungs) becomes inflamed during other infectious processes occurring in the body. In this disease, a special substance is released that irritates the nerve endings. The pain gets worse with every breath.

Mitral valve prolapse

In the early stages, the disease is asymptomatic. Then the person notes the manifestation of sudden pain attacks, not related to physical activity. He has frequent bouts of dizziness, difficulty breathing, lethargy and weakness appear. Prolapse can provoke complications that bring down the heart rhythm. This condition is extremely life-threatening.

It's a dull pain

Myocarditis

Inflammation of the myocardium manifests itself as aching, squeezing pain. With this disease, the rhythm of its contraction is disturbed, breathing becomes difficult, the patient feels weak. If the disease is not treated, it can be aggravated by the appearance of pathological changes in the myocardial muscle - cardiomyopathy.

Giving into the hand

Ischemic heart disease, heart attack

If for a long time there are chest pains that radiate to the left arm, one should be wary of myocardial infarction. This is a very common occurrence these days. This is facilitated by bad habits, constant stress, poor ecology, and poor-quality nutrition. This is a test even for a young organism, not to mention older patients.

Ischemic disease is a precursor to a heart attack. It manifests itself when cholesterol is deposited in excess on the walls of the arteries. This interferes with normal blood flow and atherosclerosis occurs. Over time, this can lead to atrophy of the heart muscle.

The state of blood flow also worsens in the case of thrombosis and vasospasm.

angina pectoris

In this case, the symptoms that occur with myocardial infarction are characteristic. Angina pectoris appears after strong nervous experiences or overwork. Her attacks are short, often no longer than 5-7 minutes. It occurs due to a decrease in cardiac blood supply, due to which the heart experiences a lack of oxygen. If an angina attack lasts more than five minutes, it may be a harbinger of a heart attack. You should definitely call an ambulance.

The body can also react to the transferred stress with a manifestation of cardioneurosis. In this case, there is hypertension, redness in the face, irritability, weakness and severe incessant pain under the left breast.

How to figure out why it hurts in the left side of the chest

Old forgotten grandmother's method of JOINT TREATMENT.

You just need to apply.

Most people believe that pain in the sternum on the left indicates heart disease. Often such a statement is quite reasonable and requires calling an ambulance or taking appropriate medications. But in some cases, pain can be triggered by disorders in other organs. In order to understand the causes of their occurrence, even an experienced specialist must conduct a series of clinical studies. Nevertheless, it is important to have an idea of what diseases are the source of these symptoms, and, therefore, to be able to take the necessary measures in a timely manner.

The autonomic nervous system of a person controls the coordinated work of all his internal organs and adapts them to changes in the environment. Its trunks originate from the spinal cord, forming branches in the chest area, which then follow to other organs. Moreover, their roots have endings intertwined with the tissues of the musculoskeletal system. Pain signals transmitted from damaged areas of the body, on their way, fall into a common trunk. That is why, with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or pathologies of the spinal column, the left breast hurts.

Due to such close interaction and multilevel connections of the human nervous system, pain in the chest area often occurs with excessive excitement or mental stress. Pain on the left side of the chest is not always life-threatening, but, nevertheless, with such symptoms, you should visit a doctor. To understand why these pains appear, consider their intensity, localization and the main pathologies that are directly related to them.

Sharp stabbing

Pericarditis

A sharp stabbing pain in the region of the heart, extending beyond the sternum, may indicate inflammation of the pericardium. This is the outer shell of the heart, fixing its position and size, and also contributing to stable filling with blood. The symptoms of pericarditis are similar to those of a heart attack. But there is one peculiarity here. In a horizontal position of the body, the pains become stronger, and if a person leans forward, they weaken. Also, the disease is characterized by shortness of breath, there is a feeling of heat, suddenly turning into cold. In rare cases, the left arm and shoulder are affected. When the pericardial cavity fills with fluid, the disease state disappears.

Pneumothorax

Pain in pathological processes in the respiratory organs is felt only when disorders occur that affect the pleural membrane. Since there are no nerve endings in the lungs themselves, they are not able to give pain signals. But the pleura contains plenty of them. In the vast majority of cases, the pain becomes more intense when you inhale and disappear when you hold your breath.

Pneumothorax most often develops due to chest injuries, accompanied by injury to the lung and damage to one of the branches of the bronchus. At the same time, air enters the pleural cavity, which is a pathology. The features of the disease are shortness of breath, sharp pain in the sternum. A person is overcome by weakness, dizzy. If you suspect this disease, you should immediately call an ambulance.

cutting

Gastroesophageal reflux

When stomach acid drains into the esophagus, it becomes inflamed. In some cases, this process is accompanied by a cutting pain in the sternum on the left side, difficulty swallowing and a sour taste in the mouth. The causes of gastroesophageal reflux are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, diabetes mellitus or hyperacidity. Often it is caused by banal overeating.

Pulmonary embolism

If a blood clot forms in the trunk or branch of the pulmonary artery, this condition is called an embolism. It is manifested by cutting pains in the left side of the chest. Pulmonary embolism can develop during long air flights or car rides. The risk group also includes women over 35 who take contraceptives or smoke a lot. Symptoms of the disease occur suddenly. A person suddenly begins to feel a sharp lack of oxygen, breathing becomes frequent. In this case, there are pains in the chest, aggravated during deep breaths.

Pneumonia

Inflammation of the lungs, or pneumonia, is caused by various infections that affect their mucous membrane. Due to the fact that the nerve fibers in the region of the sternum are densely intertwined, pain sensations are also given to its left half, localized below or above the nipple. In addition, the situation is aggravated by bouts of coughing and the respiratory rate increasing during this.

Pain in the middle of the chest often means heart problems, but there are other reasons as well.

Pain in osteochondrosis can occur in the head, chest, eyes, arms, neck, throat and other parts of the body.

A crunch in the knee joint can occur for various reasons, mainly bursting gas bubbles, grazing with ligaments of bones, and injuries.

Acute

Mitral valve prolapse

Initially, the disease does not manifest itself at all. Then there are sudden attacks of pain, the intensity of which is not affected by physical activity. In addition, the patient may feel dizzy, there is difficulty in breathing, weakness. Mitral valve prolapse is dangerous because it sometimes causes complications in which disruptions in the heart rhythm occur. This condition is life-threatening.

aortic aneurysm

When severe tearing pain is felt in the left side of the chest, this is a sign of an aortic aneurysm. Its symptoms appear suddenly, and there is a danger of rupture followed by profuse internal bleeding. Therefore, you must immediately consult a doctor and prevent such a development of events, otherwise it can lead to death.

With an aneurysm, the patient also experiences difficulty breathing, numbness of the extremities. The tongue becomes cottony, sometimes darkens in the eyes. Loss of consciousness and partial paralysis are possible.

stomach ulcer

Peptic ulcer disease is characterized by symptoms similar to exacerbation of cholecystitis - severe pain in the chest. Therefore, the diagnosis is often difficult. To accurately determine the cause, fibrogastroscopy is performed.

Pleurisy

This is inflammation of the pleura, mainly accompanying another infection. In this case, a substance is released that irritates the nerve endings of the membrane. Accordingly, from each breath, the left chest hurts badly.

Aching

Myocarditis

If aching, squeezing pain is felt in the left side of the chest, inflammation of the myocardial muscle can be suspected. This disease is accompanied by disturbances in the rhythm of its contraction, as a result of which a person experiences general weakness and difficulty in breathing. In this case, one should not delay a visit to the doctor, since such a condition may be a harbinger of cardiomyopathy - pathological changes in the heart muscle that are life-threatening.

cholecystitis, pancreatitis

With chronic inflammation of the pancreas and gallbladder, it often aches in the left half of the sternum. During acute attacks of these diseases, the intensity of pain increases sharply, it begins to radiate to the area under the ribs.

Giving into the hand

Cardiac ischemia, heart attack

Prolonged pain in the chest, radiating to the left arm and neck, may be harbingers of myocardial infarction. This is not uncommon these days. Constant stress, the use of low-quality products and bad habits - here even a young healthy body does not always stand up. When these symptoms appear, urgent medical attention is needed.

Coronary heart disease manifests itself in a similar way. It develops from excess cholesterol in the blood, which is deposited on the inner walls of the arteries. This prevents normal blood flow - the so-called atherosclerosis. Over time, the heart muscle stops working adequately and, in advanced cases, can atrophy.

Violation of blood flow is also caused by thrombosis and spasms of smooth muscle tissues of blood vessels. Therefore, in such situations, antispasmodic drugs are used (Barboval, No-shpa) and thrombolytic drugs (Streptokinase, Actilyse). It is also necessary to reduce the load experienced by the muscle tissue of the heart when trying to increase blood flow. To do this, use means that reduce the frequency of its contractions - "Valerian", "Validol".

angina pectoris

Pain in angina pectoris (the so-called angina pectoris) has the same characteristics as in a heart attack. Most often, it occurs as a result of overwork or experiencing stressful situations and does not differ in duration. The cause of angina pectoris is a decrease in cardiac blood supply, although there is no change in the heart muscle and blockage of blood vessels. Nitroglycerin tablets taken 5 minutes apart usually help. In some cases, it is enough just to give the body a rest. If the pain lasts more than 15 minutes and is accompanied by tachycardia, you need to urgently call an ambulance.

Giving under the ribs

Spleen pathologies

Some diseases, such as mononucleosis, affect the spleen, causing it to enlarge. In this case, the body gives a signal in the form of pain under the left breast and in the side. In addition to infections, the spleen is often subjected to mechanical damage, since it is located next to the very surface of the body and is one of the first to suffer when struck.

Intercostal neuralgia

Most often, this problem occurs in adolescents. At the same time, pains are felt in the left side under the ribs, which prevent taking deep breaths and are aggravated by sudden movements. This pain symptom has nothing to do with heart disease and usually resolves quickly without any treatment. The causes of intercostal neuralgia are excessive nervous tension and ignoring the norms of correct posture.

Below chest

Cardioneurosis

Of all the temporary disorders of the central nervous system, cardioneurosis is the most common. It is the body's response to stress. With this disease, there are aching incessant pains localized in the upper region of the heart (under the left breast). Secondary symptoms may include flushing of the face and hypertension. Also, the disease is characterized by restlessness, weakness, irritability. Usually, in addition to excluding situations that cause nervous tension, sedatives help well with cardioneurosis.

above chest

fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by generalized muscle pain, often intense in the upper chest. The exact causes of this disease have not been established, but practice shows that for the most part it is associated with changes in the functioning of the brain and all sorts of psychological problems.

As you can see, the main factors in the development of disorders in the functioning of the nervous system are constant stressful situations and excessive mental stress. Especially such pathologies are characteristic of modern residents of megacities. To avoid undesirable consequences, it is necessary to allocate enough time for rest and try to avoid moral overstrain. After all, it is not in vain that they say that nerve cells do not regenerate.

When driving

Stitching pains in the region of the heart during movement are most likely signs of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Also, pain in this case is manifested with deep breaths, sharp waving of the hands, turns of the body. The main reasons here may be osteochondrosis (everything about chest pain with osteochondrosis), scoliosis, inflammation of muscle and ligamentous tissues. To clarify the diagnosis, you should contact an orthopedist or neurologist.

What to do if you have broken your back? This article will fully answer this question and our expert will give you his recommendations. Have you dislocated your shoulder and do not know what to do and how to relieve pain? Read this article. X-rays, medicines, advice, it's all there.

Among women

One of the biggest fears women have is breast cancer. And this fear is not groundless, since such a disease is not uncommon, moreover, it is life-threatening. But in the initial stages, there is no pain syndrome, and after the development of the pain, it is so strong that they can only be drowned out with narcotic drugs. Based on this, if your left breast began to hurt, most likely it is not cancer.

Mastopathy

This is a fairly common disease that 80% of women face sooner or later. Mastopathy is manifested by an increase in the size of the glandular tissue and the formation of tumors that cause pain in the chest. Doctors have not yet come to a general conclusion regarding the causes of its occurrence, but most often the culprit is the high content of the hormones prolactin and estrogen. This can happen from frequent unrest, diseases of the reproductive system, or prolonged use of hormonal drugs.

Cyst

Pain in the left breast may be caused by a cyst. With this disease, a capsule with liquid contents appears in the ducts of the mammary gland. The reasons here are basically the same as with mastopathy - hormonal imbalance. Although there are cases when the disease is provoked by injuries or sexual problems. For treatment, conservative methods are usually used, but if the size of the cyst is large, the fluid is pumped out by puncture.

During pregnancy

During pregnancy, the mammary gland hurts many women, and this is a completely normal circumstance. But here it is worth paying attention that the pains should be of the same intensity on both sides. If this is not the case, you should consult a doctor.

Also, pain syndrome is quite common during breastfeeding. This can be caused by both normal milk stasis and infectious inflammation. By the way, mastitis is sometimes found in pregnant women.

Climax

Menopausal changes in the female body are also often manifested in the form of pain symptoms. Since significant changes in the hormonal background occur during this period, neurosis occurs and metabolic processes in the heart muscle are disturbed. Pain in the left side of the chest is accompanied by increased sweating, short-term numbness of the fingertips, chills, and so on.

In men

Few people know about this, but men also have mammary glands. And with hormonal imbalances, they can increase in size and cause pain in the chest. Therefore, discomfort in the left side does not mean the presence of heart disease. Of course, this process is not as pronounced as in women (not counting oncology). This disease is called gynecomastia.

The testicles and adrenal glands are responsible for the production of sex hormones in men. Consequently, diseases of these organs can lead to hormonal imbalance and provoke the development of gynecomastia.

In addition to all the pathologies described above, there are many more causes of pain in the left chest. And in most cases, only a medical examination can explain why they bother you. After all, it is not drugs that stop them that should help get rid of pain symptoms, but the cure of the disease that has become the root cause of such a condition.

In contact with

Classmates

nipple in a man: it is on the same level with the 5th rib;
the angle of the scapula, directed downward, corresponds to the 7th rib in persons of both sexes.

from the upper edge of the second rib, where it is attached to the sternum on the right side;
the next point to which the line goes is the upper edge of the 3rd rib, 1-1.5 cm to the right of the right edge of the sternum;
next point: an arc from 3 to 5 ribs on the right, 1-2 cm to the right from the right edge of the sternum.

superior vena cava: it is located at the right edge of the sternum, from 2 to 3 ribs; brings oxygen-poor blood from the upper half of the body;
aorta: localized at the level of the manubrium of the sternum, from 2 to 3 ribs on the left. It carries oxygenated blood to the organs
pulmonary trunk: it is located in front of the rest of the vessels, goes ahead of the aorta to the left and back. Such a vessel is needed to carry blood to the lungs, where it will be saturated with oxygen.

If it hurts in the region of the heart

cardiological, caused by diseases of the heart and blood vessels that feed it;
non-cardiological, initiated by many other pathologies. They have their own division depending on the organ system that caused the syndrome.

localization of pain: behind the sternum and to the left, to the left edge of the collarbone;
the character can be different: aching, stabbing, pressing or dull;
not accompanied by pain in the intercostal spaces or in the vertebrae;
there is no connection with a certain type of movement (for example, turning the arm in the shoulder joint or raising the arm), pain most often appears after physical exertion;
there may be a connection with food intake - heart pain with angina pectoris is associated with taking a large amount of food or walking immediately after eating, but then it is not accompanied by heartburn, belching or stool disorders;
can give to the left hand (especially the little finger of the hand), the left half of the lower jaw, the region of the left shoulder blade, but at the same time there is no violation of the sensitivity of the hand, it does not freeze, does not weaken, the skin does not begin to turn pale on it and hair fall out.

angina pectoris

occur most often after physical or emotional stress: lifting weights, climbing stairs, brisk walking, walking against the wind (especially cold, especially in the morning), walking after eating;
may appear at night in the morning or after waking up, when a person has not yet got out of bed (this is Prinzmetal's angina);
after resting or stopping in the first case or taking "Corinfar", "Nifedipine" or "Fenigidin" - in the second, the pain disappears;
pain squeezing, baking;
localized either behind the sternum, or to the left of the sternum, its area can be indicated with a fingertip;
can give to the area of \u200b\u200bthe left hand, shoulder blades; left half of the jaw;
removed by "Nitroglycerin" after 10-15 seconds.

myocardial infarction

violent, burning, tearing pain on left side in region of heart. It is so strong that a person can even lose consciousness;
not removed by "Nitroglycerin" and rest;
gives to the left arm, shoulder blade, neck and jaw - on the left side;
the pain grows in waves;
accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, heart rhythm disturbance;
cold sweat appears everywhere on the skin.

Pericarditis

chest pain (or they say: "Localized in the depths of the chest");
stabbing character;
aggravated in the supine position;
weakens if sitting or standing to lean forward a little;
long, in many cases passes from time to time;
does not give anywhere;
not removed by nitroglycerin;
occurs after acute respiratory infections, pneumonia, other diseases caused by microbes;
accompanied by weakness, fever.

Mitral valve prolapse

not intense bursting heart pain;
bouts of rapid heartbeat;
interruptions in the work of the heart;
dizziness;
fainting;
nausea;
sensation of "coma" in the throat;
increased sweating;
due to insufficient blood supply to the brain, a person with mitral valve prolapse is prone to depression, periods of bad mood.

strong;
located behind the upper part of the sternum;
can give to the neck, lower jaw;
can be felt throughout the chest;
lasts from several hours to several days;
not removed by nitroglycerin;
may be accompanied by a blue face and swelling of the jugular veins located on the lateral surfaces of the neck.

infection (streptococcus, syphilis, tuberculosis, brucellosis);
autoimmune diseases (Takayasu's disease, collagenosis, Bechterew's disease, thromboangiitis obliterans);
inflammation can "pass" from inflamed organs located near the aorta: with pneumonia, lung abscess, infective endocarditis, mediastinitis.

pressing and burning pains in the chest;
most often - behind the handle of the sternum, but the pain can give to the left;
give in the neck, between the shoulder blades, in the "pit of the stomach" area;
the pulse on the carotid and radial arteries is not symmetrical, may be completely absent on one side;
blood pressure may not be measured on one arm.

Endocarditis

rise in temperature, often to low numbers;
body temperature drops and rises for no apparent reason;
fever is accompanied by a feeling of cold or severe chills;
skin is pale, may be sallow;
nails thicken, becoming like glass in a watch;
if you pull back the lower eyelid, some people can find pinpoint hemorrhages on the conjunctiva;
small joints of the hands are affected;
rapid weight loss;
periodically dizzy and headaches, but in a horizontal position, these symptoms disappear.

Cardiomyopathy

shortness of breath;
increased heart rate;
cough;
dizziness and fainting;
swelling of the legs (see cardiac edema);
increased fatigue.

Heart defects

Myocardial dystrophy

Hypertonic disease

Pain in the heart area may be due to cardioneurosis And cyclothymic states, which are identical in their manifestations. In these cases, despite the richness of symptoms, no pathology is detected during examination of the heart and internal organs. A person notes the following symptoms:

pain in the left side of the chest appear in the morning before waking up or during it;
attacks almost always occur when overheated, rather than on cold and windy days, as is the case with angina pectoris;
it can be provoked by depression or a conflict situation;
pain does not disappear if you stop or take nitroglycerin; it can last up to several days, or it can appear several times a day (up to 5), lasting for 1-2 hours. In this case, the nature of the pain can change each time;
if you perform a few light physical exercises, it can relieve pain;
the nature of the pain can be different: squeezing, heaviness, tingling, it can be described as an "emptiness" in the chest or, conversely, bursting. There may be a "pressing pain" or a syndrome of severe intensity, accompanied by a fear of death;
pain radiates to the neck, both shoulder blades, can capture the right half of the chest, the region of the spine;
you can accurately indicate the point at which maximum pain is noted;
increased sensitivity of the left nipple;
the condition worsens when experiencing any - positive or negative - emotions;
during an attack, a person begins to breathe often and superficially, as a result of which the content of carbon dioxide in the blood decreases, which is accompanied by dizziness, a feeling of fear, and can serve as the basis for the development of arrhythmia;
with all the frequency and intensity of seizures, drugs such as Nitroglycerin or Anaprilin do not affect them; lasting for years, nor do they lead to the development of heart failure phenomena: shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, changes in the chest x-ray or ultrasound picture of the liver.

Cardiopsychoneurosis- the second main pathology, in which there are no changes in either the function or the structure of the internal organs, but at the same time the person suffers from "heart" pains. They may be of this nature:

Localized in the area near the nipple, have a mild or moderate severity, last several minutes - several hours. Validol and nitroglycerin help relieve pain. This is the most common type of cardialgia.
To be aching or pressing, accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, fear, trembling, sweating, shortness of breath. You can remove such an attack with the help of Anaprilin (Atenolol, Metoprolol, Nebivolol) in combination with valerian or motherwort tincture.
Possess a burning character, be localized behind the sternum or to the left of it, accompanied by increased sensitivity of the intercostal spaces when they are probed. Nitroglycerin, validol or valocordin do not stop the attack. This is done by mustard plasters applied to the region of the heart.
Have a pressing, squeezing, aching character, localized behind the sternum, aggravated by walking and physical exertion.

Neuralgia of intercostal nerves

Myositis of the intercostal muscles

Shoulder-costal syndrome

Tietze syndrome

Tumor of one of the ribs on the left - osteosarcoma

Osteochondrosis

aching;
constant;
changes intensity with a change in body position;
increases with physical exertion, overheating, drafts and hypothermia;

tingling and numbness in the left arm,
her muscle weakness
there may be pain in the left arm,
which has three distribution options:
- along its outer surface to the thumb and forefinger;
- on the inner, closest to the little finger, area of \u200b\u200bthe hand;
- along the back-outer part, heading towards the middle finger - this will depend on which of the roots is pinched.

Osteoporosis

Herniated disc

growing gradually;
intensifying to the most pronounced degree, leading even to loss of consciousness;
gives to the neck or arm, where it has a shooting character.

fibromyalgia

Musculoskeletal syndrome

lung disease

Pneumonia. Most often, the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart will hurt if an entire lobe (croupous pneumonia) of the lung is inflamed. Less often, "cardialgia" will be noted with pneumonia of a focal nature. The pain syndrome is stabbing in nature, aggravated by inhalation and coughing. In addition, there is fever, weakness, cough, nausea, lack of appetite.
Lung abscess. In this case, fever, lack of appetite, nausea, muscle and bone pain come to the fore. The pain syndrome to the left of the sternum differs in intensity, especially it increases if the abscess is about to break through into the bronchus. If the abscess is located near the chest wall, pain will increase when you press on the rib or intercostal space.
Pneumoconiosis is a chronic disease caused by the inhalation of industrial dust, which the lungs try to delimit from healthy areas with the help of connective tissue. As a result, the respiratory zones become smaller. The disease manifests itself as shortness of breath, cough, pain in the chest of a stabbing character, which radiates to the interscapular region and under the shoulder blade. The progression of the disease is characterized by fever up to 38 degrees, weakness, sweating, weight loss.
Tuberculosis of the lung. Chest pain in this case appears only when the specific inflammation characteristic of the tuberculous process extends to the pleura enveloping the lungs, or the chest wall (rib-muscular frame). Prior to this, attention is paid to weight loss, sweating, lack of appetite, increased fatigue, subfebrile temperature, cough. The pain syndrome is aggravated by breathing, coughing, pressing on the chest.
Tumor of the lung. There is constant pain of a different nature: aching, pressing, dull, burning or boring, aggravated by coughing and deep breathing. It can give to the shoulder, neck, head, stomach; may radiate to the right side or be encircling.
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, that is, the membrane that covers the lungs. It is almost always a complication of pneumonia, lung tissue tumors or injuries. If left-sided pleurisy develops, the pain syndrome can be localized in the region of the heart. It is associated with breathing, and is also aggravated by coughing. In addition, there is an increase in temperature, shortness of breath.
Pneumothorax. This is the name of the condition in which air enters between the pleura and the lung. It is incompressible, therefore, with an increase in its volume, it compresses the lung, and then the heart with blood vessels. The condition is dangerous, requires urgent hospitalization. Pathology is manifested by stabbing pain on the side of the lesion. She gives in the arm, neck, behind the sternum. Increases with breathing, coughing, movements. May be accompanied by fear of death.

Mediastinal pathologies

There are not very many of them:

Pneumomediastinum (mediastinal emphysema) - the ingress of air into the fatty tissue, which is located around the heart and blood vessels. It occurs as a result of injury, damage during surgery or purulent fusion of air-containing tissues - the esophagus, trachea, bronchi or lungs. Symptoms: a feeling of pressure behind the sternum, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath.
Embolism of the pulmonary artery. This is a life-threatening condition characterized by sudden, sharp pain behind the sternum, which is aggravated by taking a deep breath and coughing. Shortness of breath, palpitations, loss of consciousness are also noted.
Tracheitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea. It is manifested by cough, dry burning pain behind the sternum.
Spasm of the esophagus. The symptoms of this condition are difficult to distinguish from an attack of angina pectoris: the pain syndrome is localized behind the sternum, in the region of the heart and scapula, and is relieved by nitroglycerin.

Diseases of the abdominal organs

Esophagitis is inflammation of the lining of the esophagus. It is characterized by a burning sensation behind the sternum, which is aggravated by swallowing especially hard, hot or cold food.
Achalasia cardia is the expansion of the esophageal opening of the stomach. Retrosternal pain syndrome is associated with food intake. Heartburn and nausea are also noted.
Hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm. Pain syndrome appears or intensifies after eating, as well as in a horizontal position. The pain goes away with a change in body position.
Peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum. The pain in this case either occurs on an empty stomach, or 1-2 hours after eating. Heartburn is also noted.
Exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis is most often accompanied by pain under the ribs on the right, but can also be given to the left half of the chest. In addition, there is bitterness in the mouth, loosening of the stool.
Exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, if the inflammation is localized in the tail of the pancreas, in addition to nausea, vomiting and loosening of the stool, is accompanied by pain in the left side of the chest.

It's a dull pain

Aching pain is typical for:

angina;
myocarditis;
cardioneurosis;
peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
scoliosis;
osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine;
exacerbation of pancreatitis.

Stinging pain occurs when:

myocardial infarction;
pericarditis;
cardioneurosis;
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy;
neurocirculatory dystonia;
intercostal neuralgia;
pneumonia;
pleurisy;
tuberculosis;
shingles;
cancer of the lung or bronchus.

Pressing character

angina;
myocarditis;
mitral valve prolapse;
pericarditis;
foreign body of the esophagus (in this case, the fact of swallowing some inedible object, for example, a fish bone is noted);
cardiomyopathy;
myocardial dystrophy;
heart tumors (eg, myxoma);
poisoning with drugs, alcohol, drugs, phosphorus-organic compounds, poisons. In this case, there is the fact of taking drugs, alcohol, treating plants from pests, and so on;
ulcers in the stomach at the junction with the esophagus.

If the nature of the pain is sharp

Severe pain occurs when:

myocardial infarction;
osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic regions;
intercostal neuralgia, especially caused by herpes zoster;
thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery;
rupture of a dissecting aortic aneurysm;
myocarditis.

anterior chest wall syndrome;
arterial hypertension (in this case, high blood pressure is recorded);
overload of the intercostal muscles, for example, during very active physical training or playing wind instruments for a long time.

Sharp pain in the region of the heart

Nagging pain

It is typical for:

thrombosis;
neuro-circulatory dystonia;
angina;
osteochondrosis;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

If the pain radiates to the shoulder blade, it can be: angina pectoris, spasm of the esophagus, myocardial infarction, cardioneurosis.
When the pain increases with inspiration, this indicates: intercostal neuralgia, pleurisy or myositis of the intercostal muscles. When the intensity of the pain syndrome increases with a deep breath, it can be: pneumonia or pulmonary embolism. In both cases, there is a deterioration in the general condition, but with inflammation of the lungs this happens gradually, and with PE, the count goes on for minutes.
If the pain syndrome increases with movement, this may be a sign of osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic region.
When arm radiating pain appears, a person may have one of the following conditions:
- osteochondrosis;
- myositis of the intercostal muscles on the left side;
- myocardial infarction;
- angina;
- interscapular pain syndrome;
- endocarditis;
- pneumothorax.
When the pain syndrome is accompanied by shortness of breath:
- myocardial infarction;
- pneumothorax;
- pulmonary embolism;
- pneumonia;
- ruptured aortic aneurysm.
If both weakness and pain in the region of the heart appear, it may be tuberculosis, pleurisy, pericarditis, dissecting aortic aneurysm, pneumonia.
The combination "pain + dizziness" is typical for:
- mitral valve prolapse;
- cardiomyopathy;
- cardioneurosis;
- osteochondrosis or hernia of the cervical region, accompanied by compression of the vertebral artery.

What to do with cardialgia

Stop performing any action, take a semi-lying position, put your legs just below the body (if there is dizziness - above the position of the body).
Unfasten all interfering clothes, ask to open the windows.
If the pain is similar to that described for angina pectoris, take "Nitroglycerin" under the tongue. If the syndrome is stopped by 1-2 tablets (they act within 1.5-3 minutes), on the same day or the next, contact a therapist to diagnose coronary heart disease and prescribe appropriate treatment. You can’t drink more pills - from them, among other things, pressure decreases (P.S. headache after taking nitroglycerin is a normal phenomenon, it is removed by Validol or Corvalment, which contain menthol).
If nitroglycerin did not help, and at the same time there is difficulty in breathing, weakness, fainting, severe pallor - call an ambulance, be sure to indicate that there is pain in the heart. You can first drink an anesthetic tablet: Diclofenac, Analgin, Nimesil or another.
If the pain in the region of the heart disappeared after you stopped, this condition requires an early diagnosis using an ECG and ultrasound of the heart. Not paying attention threatens to aggravate the situation with the development of heart failure.

Chest pain on the left is a symptom of many diseases. It appears in diseases of the heart, musculoskeletal system, respiratory organs, and abdominal cavity. In order to analyze all the causes of the disease, an encyclopedia is not enough, so we will focus on the most common of them in the article.

When deciding why the chest hurts on the left, the causes should be differentiated between:

diseases of the heart and circulatory system; diseases of bone tissue; nervous disorders; organic pathology of the brain; myofascial syndromes; compression-radicular reactions; abdominal pathology.

Heart disease

The left half of the chest cavity with heart disease hurts due to:

coronarogenic; non-coronary lesions.

Coronary causes are directly related to violations of blood delivery to the heart muscle through the coronary artery with:

atherosclerosis and thrombosis of the vessel lumen; myocardial infarction.

Atherosclerosis (cholesterol deposition) and coronary artery thrombosis lead to a decrease in the volume of circulating blood in the myocardium. This medical condition is called ischemia. Clinical symptoms of ischemic damage to the heart muscle: pain behind the sternum with irradiation to the left half of the chest. The pain is aggravated by stress and nervous disorders. Pathology is eliminated by taking nitroglycerin under the tongue, as the drug dilates the blood vessels.

Chest pain on the left with myocardial infarction is quite strong. Patients experience fear for their lives when it appears. After rest or taking nitroglycerin, pain in a heart attack does not disappear.

Non-coronary causes of chest pain:

Pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the pericardium) is accompanied by periodic aching pains. They appear against the background of intense physical activity. In this case, the doctor listens to a specific sound - the rub of the pericardium. Inflamed leaves in contact with each other cause pain. Myocarditis (inflammatory changes in the heart muscle) leads to aching pain in the left side of the chest (where most of the heart is located). Under the influence of physical activity, the pain does not disappear. Reception of nitrates does not eliminate pain. For the disease, the absence of a connection between the pain syndrome and changes in the cardiogram is specific. Cardiomyopathy (a common disease of the heart muscle) develops with myocardial hypertrophy (excessive thickening). It occurs in athletes who engage in strength exercises, and in the elderly. The localization of pain sensations in this pathology may vary, but pain on the left is most typical for it. Acquired defects form various clinical symptoms depending on the type of pathology and its severity. With mitral valve prolapse, the left side often hurts, and aortic insufficiency “declares itself” on the right. High blood pressure stresses the heart muscle. The result is pericardial pain. Excessive tension of the walls of the aorta leads to ischemic changes in the myocardium.

Neurological disorders

Answering the question why there is pain in the left half of the chest wall with neurological disorders, the following reasons should be distinguished:

cardiopsychoneurosis; cardialgia; intercostal neuralgia; muscular-fascial syndromes; psychovegetative syndrome.

Neurocirculatory dystonia (NCD) is of 4 types:

Simple cardialgia. Protracted cardialgia. Sympathetic form. Pseudoangina.

Of these forms, aching pain in the left side of the chest is observed with simple and prolonged cardialgia. Pseudoangina pectoris is characterized by sharp and short-term attacks of "clamps" behind the sternum.

The sympathetic form of neurocirculatory dystonia is accompanied by pain sensations in the peristernal region with increased sensitivity of the intercostal spaces, mainly in the left half of the chest.

Muscular-fascial syndromes occur with traumatic or inflammatory changes. Pain is aggravated by physical activity. They are not eliminated by taking nitroglycerin.

Psychovegetative disorders appear in various diseases of the brain. They are accompanied not only by algesia (pain), but also by the variability of accompanying symptoms. So a person with Parkinson's syndrome may experience pain attacks on the left with irradiation to the right leg and left ear. Such a wide distribution of pain makes the doctor think about its causes and compare the disease with mental disorders.

Respiratory diseases

In diseases of the respiratory system, pain in the left side of the chest appears due to concomitant changes in the soft tissues. Doctors associate pain in the chest with respiratory diseases in the last place, which is why there are cases of late diagnosis of pathology.

The lung tissue does not have pain receptors, so it rarely hurts. Inflammatory or traumatic injuries of the soft tissues are necessary for clinical symptoms to occur in the chest.

Why does the left half of the body hurt with lung diseases:

pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura) with the accumulation of infiltrative fluid in the pleural sinus; pneumothorax - the exit of air from the bronchus into the pleural cavity during the destruction of lung tissue; tumor formation of the mediastinum with compression of the surrounding structures; inflammatory diseases (tuberculosis, echinococcal cyst, purulent abscess, croupous pneumonia).

Pulmonary pathology is characterized by a relationship with breathing or coughing. So, with coughing shocks, increased breathing, the left side of the chest hurts more.

Pleurisy is accompanied by inflammation of the pleural sheets. In this case, the infiltrative exudate irritates the proprioceptive receptors of the pleura. If during inflammatory changes there is no fluid in the pleural sinus - dry pleurisy. With him, the left side of the chest hurts badly with every respiratory act.

Tumors of the mediastinum compress the structures of the mediastinum: vessels, nerves, lymph nodes. Against the background of education, an extensive clinic develops, often manifested by pain.

Bowel disease

In diseases of the intestines, it hurts under the left side of the chest. The stomach is located in this area, the pancreas is projected.

For all stomach pains, the relationship with food intake is characteristic:

aggravated by eating; after eating, there is a burning sensation, itching behind the sternum; dysphagia - indigestion; pain sensations "under the spoon".

What diseases of the intestines cause pain under the sternum on the left:

hiatal hernia; stomach ulcer; cholecystitis; narrowing of the esophagus; enterocolitis.

A hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm manifests itself as an increase in pain after eating. Symptoms intensify in a horizontal position, decrease - with a sharp change in body position.

With a stomach ulcer, it hurts quite a lot under the left side of the “chest corset”.

Similar sensations appear with cholecystitis. Due to the similarity of the clinic of both diseases, it is difficult for doctors to establish a diagnosis, which is why fibrogastroscopy is performed. Only with the help of a probe inserted into the stomach, it is possible to establish the cause of the pathology.

Narrowing of the esophagus in the lower part can also lead to pain in the left side of the trunk, but the symptoms in this case are more related to the irradiation of nerve impulses along the phrenic nerve.

Pathologies of the spine

In diseases of the spine, the left side of the chest hurts only when pathological changes are localized at the level of Th4-L3. True, the therapist cannot establish a direct relationship between algesia and spinal pathology, which is why diagnostic errors occur.

Vertebral pain is characterized by the following specific features:

constant localization of pain; the connection of sensations with the tension of muscle fibers and the position of the body; determination of paravertebral pain points at the exit site of inflamed nerves; decrease in sensations during massage or the use of mustard plasters; acute onset; associated neurological symptoms.

When analyzing the above reasons, there is no clear relationship between the infringement of the spinal root and pain in the left side on the left. Such localization of symptoms is associated with the irradiation of a nerve impulse along the course of the intercostal nerves (in the pathology of the thoracic spine).

Particular attention should be paid to a rare pathology - Tietze's syndrome. It appears when the nerve is pinched at the junction of the sternum with the 3rd-4th rib. When the disease occurs, inflammation of the costal cartilages, which is accompanied by pain in the lower part of the sternum. With pressure on the xiphoid process (lower part of the sternum), the pain intensifies.

Sharp pain sensations above the upper part of the sternum or to the left of it appear when the nerve bundle is compressed between the anterior and middle scalenus muscles - scalenus syndrome.

Determining why the chest part of the body hurts on the left, you should first analyze all the above reasons. For a qualified doctor, 15 minutes is enough for this. If you are going to find out the etiological factor of the disease yourself, you will have to monitor your health for several days!

Pain that occurs on the left side next to the heart is an extremely frightening symptom. It may mean that trouble has happened to your heart. For example, developed ischemic or hypertension disease, heart disease or cardiomyopathy. But the same sign can be a manifestation of pathologies of the spine, ribs on the left. Pain from internal organs can radiate to the left side: stomach, spleen, colon.

Where is the heart actually located?

The topmost bone that runs horizontally on the chest wall is the clavicle. Behind it is the first rib, below you can feel a small soft muscle gap, and below it - the second rib. Further through the intervals follow 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 ribs. The following guidelines will help guide you:

nipple in a man: it is on the same level with the 5th rib; the angle of the scapula, directed downward, corresponds to the 7th rib in persons of both sexes.

A man's heart is approximately the size of his fist, positioned so that the most protruding index finger points down and to the left. The heart lies as follows (point by point):

from the upper edge of the second rib, where it is attached to the sternum on the right side; the next point to which the line goes is the upper edge of the 3rd rib, 1-1.5 cm to the right of the right edge of the sternum; next point: an arc from 3 to 5 ribs on the right, 1-2 cm to the right from the right edge of the sternum.

It was the right border of the heart. Now let's describe the lower one: it runs from the last described point on the right side of the chest and goes obliquely to the gap between the 5th and 6th ribs on the left, to the point that lies 1-2 cm to the right of the left midclavicular line.

Left border of the heart: from the last point, the line goes in an arc to a point 2-2.5 cm to the left of the left edge of the sternum, at the level of the 3rd rib.

This position is occupied by the heart along with large vessels flowing in and out of it:

superior vena cava: it is located at the right edge of the sternum, from 2 to 3 ribs; brings oxygen-poor blood from the upper half of the body; aorta: localized at the level of the manubrium of the sternum, from 2 to 3 ribs on the left. It carries oxygenated blood to the organs through the pulmonary trunk: it is located in front of the rest of the vessels, goes ahead of the aorta to the left and back. Such a vessel is needed to carry blood to the lungs, where it will be saturated with oxygen.

If it hurts in the region of the heart

Pain in the left half of the chest is caused by two types of causes:

cardiological, caused by diseases of the heart and blood vessels that feed it; non-cardiological, initiated by many other pathologies. They have their own division depending on the organ system that caused the syndrome.

The following signs indicate that it is the heart that hurts:

localization of pain: behind the sternum and to the left, to the left edge of the collarbone; the character can be different: aching, stabbing, pressing or dull; not accompanied by pain in the intercostal spaces or in the vertebrae; there is no connection with a certain type of movement (for example, turning the arm in the shoulder joint or raising the arm), pain most often appears after physical exertion; there may be a connection with food intake - heart pain with angina pectoris is associated with taking a large amount of food or walking immediately after eating, but then it is not accompanied by heartburn, belching or stool disorders; can give to the left hand (especially the little finger of the hand), the left half of the lower jaw, the region of the left shoulder blade, but at the same time there is no violation of the sensitivity of the hand, it does not freeze, does not weaken, the skin does not begin to turn pale on it and hair fall out.

Cardiac pain: what is heart pain?

The following causes of pain caused by diseases of the heart itself can be named:

angina pectoris

This is one type of coronary heart disease. It is connected with the fact that due to the atherosclerotic plaque, thrombus or spasm located in the coronary artery, the diameter of this vessel that feeds the structures of the heart decreases. The latter receives less oxygen and sends pain signals. Characteristics of the latter:

occur most often after physical or emotional stress: lifting weights, climbing stairs, brisk walking, walking against the wind (especially cold, especially in the morning), walking after eating; may appear at night in the morning or after waking up, when a person has not yet got out of bed (this is Prinzmetal's angina); after resting or stopping in the first case or taking "Corinfar", "Nifedipine" or "Fenigidin" - in the second, the pain disappears; pain squeezing, baking; localized either behind the sternum, or to the left of the sternum, its area can be indicated with a fingertip; can give to the area of \u200b\u200bthe left hand, shoulder blades; left half of the jaw; removed by "Nitroglycerin" after 10-15 seconds.

myocardial infarction

This is the second and most severe form of coronary disease. It develops when those plaques or arteries that caused short-term, only during emotional or physical stress, oxygen starvation of the myocardium, have grown and blocked the artery almost completely. This condition can happen when from somewhere (from some kind of vein, most often in the legs) a blood clot or piece of fat flew off, which clogged the artery. As a result, a section of the heart, if professional help is not provided within an hour by introducing drugs that dissolve the blood clot, will die.

Myocardial infarction can manifest itself in different ways. The classic version is:

violent, burning, tearing pain on left side in region of heart. It is so strong that a person can even lose consciousness; not removed by "Nitroglycerin" and rest; gives to the left arm, shoulder blade, neck and jaw - on the left side; the pain grows in waves; accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, heart rhythm disturbance; cold sweat appears everywhere on the skin.

A heart attack is an insidious disease: if it manifests itself typically, it gives a person a chance to save. But also with this dangerous disease, only the arm, jaw, or even one little finger on the left hand can hurt; there may be a violation of the heart rhythm or suddenly, for no apparent reason, the stomach starts to hurt or loosening of the stool occurs.

Pericarditis

This is the name of the inflammation of the heart bag caused by an infectious cause. People describe such pain as:

chest pain (or they say: "Localized in the depths of the chest"); stabbing character; aggravated in the supine position; weakens if sitting or standing to lean forward a little; long, in many cases passes from time to time; does not give anywhere; not removed by nitroglycerin; occurs after acute respiratory infections, pneumonia, other diseases caused by microbes; accompanied by weakness, fever.

Mitral valve prolapse

Such a “bulging” of the valve into the left atrium (normally, its petals should open in systole and close tightly in diastole) either has a congenital cause, or develops after suffering rheumatism, myocardial infarction or myocarditis, against the background of lupus, IHD or other heart diseases.

not intense bursting heart pain; bouts of rapid heartbeat; interruptions in the work of the heart; dizziness; fainting; nausea; sensation of "coma" in the throat; increased sweating; due to insufficient blood supply to the brain, a person with mitral valve prolapse is prone to depression, periods of bad mood.

Dissecting aortic aneurysm

This is the name of the condition when in the aorta - the largest vessel in which the highest pressure, an expansion occurs - an aneurysm. Then, against this background, between the layers that form the wall of the aneurysm, an accumulation of blood appears - a hematoma. It "creeps" down, peeling the layers of the aortic wall from each other. As a result, the vessel wall becomes weak and can be torn at any time, causing massive bleeding.

A dissecting aneurysm rarely occurs "by itself", most often it is preceded by a period when a person has constantly high blood pressure, or he suffers from atherosclerosis, when plaques form in the aorta, or syphilis or Marfan's syndrome becomes the cause of the condition.

Pain from a dissecting aortic aneurysm:

strong; located behind the upper part of the sternum; can give to the neck, lower jaw; can be felt throughout the chest; lasts from several hours to several days; not removed by nitroglycerin; may be accompanied by a blue face and swelling of the jugular veins located on the lateral surfaces of the neck.

This is the name of the inflammation of all three (panaortitis) or parts (endoortitis, mesaortitis, peraortitis) of the membranes of the thoracic aorta. The cause of the disease can be:

infection (streptococcus, syphilis, tuberculosis, brucellosis); autoimmune diseases (Takayasu's disease, collagenosis, Bechterew's disease, thromboangiitis obliterans); inflammation can "pass" from inflamed organs located near the aorta: with pneumonia, lung abscess, infective endocarditis, mediastinitis.

The disease is manifested by a group of symptoms: some of them are signs of the underlying disease, others are manifestations of impaired blood supply to the internal organs or the brain, and others are symptoms of inflammation of the aorta itself. The latter include:

pressing and burning pains in the chest; most often - behind the handle of the sternum, but the pain can give to the left; give in the neck, between the shoulder blades, in the "pit of the stomach" area; the pulse on the carotid and radial arteries is not symmetrical, may be completely absent on one side; blood pressure may not be measured on one arm.

Endocarditis

This is the name of the inflammation of the inner shell of the heart, from which the valves are made, the chords of the main "pump" of a person. Pain in this disease rarely occurs - only in its later stages, when the patient performs physical activity or experiences a strong emotion. It is aching, not intense, it can give into the arm and neck.

Other signs of endocarditis are:

rise in temperature, often to low numbers; body temperature drops and rises for no apparent reason; fever is accompanied by a feeling of cold or severe chills; skin is pale, may be sallow; nails thicken, becoming like glass in a watch; if you pull back the lower eyelid, some people can find pinpoint hemorrhages on the conjunctiva; small joints of the hands are affected; rapid weight loss; periodically dizzy and headaches, but in a horizontal position, these symptoms disappear.

Cardiomyopathy

There are 3 types of this disease, but pain in the region of the heart is typical only for the hypertrophic variant. The pain syndrome does not differ from that of angina pectoris, and even appears after physical exertion.

In addition to pain, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy manifests itself:

shortness of breath; increased heart rate; cough; dizziness and fainting; swelling of the legs (see cardiac edema); increased fatigue.

Heart defects

They are either congenital in nature, or develop against the background of rheumatism. Heart pain most often accompanies only aortic stenosis - a decrease in diameter in the place where the aorta leaves the heart.

The pain syndrome in this case is constant, its character is pinching, stabbing, pressing. In addition, blood pressure often rises, swelling appears on the legs. There are no other signs specific to aortic stenosis.

Inflammation of the heart muscle, which is most often a consequence of influenza or enterovirus infection, is also manifested by pain in the heart in 75-90% of cases. They have a stabbing or aching character, they arise both in connection with physical activity, and in a state of relative rest, after exercise. There are also increased fatigue, increased body temperature. Nitroglycerin does not help relieve pain.

Myocardial dystrophy

This is the name of a group of heart diseases in which the heart muscle is not inflamed and does not undergo degeneration, but the main functions of the heart associated with its contractility and rhythm suffer.

The disease can be manifested by a pain syndrome of a different nature. Most often, these are aching or aching pains that appear against the background of a feeling of heat or, conversely, increased chilliness of the limbs, sweating. In addition, weakness, fatigue, frequent headaches are noted.

Hypertonic disease

Constantly high blood pressure can be manifested not only by a headache, “flies” before the eyes, or a feeling of “tide”. In this case, pain may appear in the left half of the chest, which has an aching, pressing character or a feeling of "heaviness" in the chest.

These are, in principle, all heart diseases that may be accompanied by pain in the left side of the chest. There are much more non-cardiac pathologies that cause this symptom, and now we will analyze them.

Non-cardiac diseases

They are divided into several groups, depending on which organ system was the cause of this symptom.

Psychoneurological pathologies

Painful sensations in the region of the heart may be due to cardioneurosis and cyclothymic conditions, which are identical in their manifestations. In these cases, despite the richness of symptoms, no pathology is detected during examination of the heart and internal organs. A person notes the following symptoms:

pain in the left side of the chest appear in the morning before waking up or during it; attacks almost always occur when overheated, rather than on cold and windy days, as is the case with angina pectoris; it can be provoked by depression or a conflict situation; pain does not disappear if you stop or take nitroglycerin; it can last up to several days, or it can appear several times a day (up to 5), lasting for 1-2 hours. In this case, the nature of the pain can change each time; if you perform a few light physical exercises, it can relieve pain; the nature of the pain can be different: squeezing, heaviness, tingling, it can be described as an "emptiness" in the chest or, conversely, bursting. There may be a "pressing pain" or a syndrome of severe intensity, accompanied by a fear of death; pain radiates to the neck, both shoulder blades, can capture the right half of the chest, the region of the spine; you can accurately indicate the point at which maximum pain is noted; increased sensitivity of the left nipple; the condition worsens when experiencing any - positive or negative - emotions; during an attack, a person begins to breathe often and superficially, as a result of which the content of carbon dioxide in the blood decreases, which is accompanied by dizziness, a feeling of fear, and can serve as the basis for the development of arrhythmia; with all the frequency and intensity of seizures, drugs such as Nitroglycerin or Anaprilin do not affect them; lasting for years, nor do they lead to the development of heart failure phenomena: shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, changes in the chest x-ray or ultrasound picture of the liver.

Patients with cardioneurosis are talkative, fussy, change body position during an attack, looking for a local remedy to help relieve pain. When taking Nitroglycerin, the effect does not occur after 1.5-3 minutes, as with angina pectoris, but almost immediately or after a long time. Such people are more effectively helped by drugs such as Valocordin, Gidazepam or valerian tincture.

Neurocirculatory dystonia is the second main pathology, in which there are no changes in either the function or the structure of the internal organs, but at the same time the person suffers from “heart” pains. They may be of this nature:

Localized in the area near the nipple, have a mild or moderate severity, last several minutes - several hours. Validol and nitroglycerin help relieve pain. This is the most common type of cardialgia. To be aching or pressing, accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, fear, trembling, sweating, shortness of breath. You can remove such an attack with the help of Anaprilin (Atenolol, Metoprolol, Nebivolol) in combination with valerian or motherwort tincture. Possess a burning character, be localized behind the sternum or to the left of it, accompanied by increased sensitivity of the intercostal spaces when they are probed. Nitroglycerin, validol or valocordin do not stop the attack. This is done by mustard plasters applied to the region of the heart. Have a pressing, squeezing, aching character, localized behind the sternum, aggravated by walking and physical exertion.

Pain in diseases of the musculoskeletal system and nerve endings

Pain syndrome can occur with irritation of the nerves innervating the intercostal muscles, with inflammation of the costal and cartilaginous parts of the ribs

Neuralgia of intercostal nerves

The pain is constant, aggravated by breathing (especially a deep breath), tilting the body in the same direction. One or more intercostal spaces are painful. If intercostal neuralgia is caused by the herpes zoster virus, then in one intercostal space you can find bubbles filled with a clear liquid.

Apart from these pains, there are no other symptoms. Only if neuralgia is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the temperature can be raised. In the case of a weakened organism, complications from the nervous system may occur: meningitis, encephalitis.

Myositis of the intercostal muscles

In this case, there are pains in the muscles of the heart area. It intensifies with a deep breath and when the body tilts in a healthy direction. If you start to feel the affected muscle, pain is felt.

Shoulder-costal syndrome

In this case, the pain occurs under the scapula, radiates to the neck and shoulder girdle (what we used to call the “shoulder”), the anterior-lateral part of the chest wall. The diagnosis is made quite simply: if the patient puts his hand on the opposite shoulder, then at the upper corner of the scapula or at the spine in this place, you can feel the point of maximum pain.

Interscapular pain syndrome

This condition occurs when the complex of structures located between the shoulder blades is inflamed: muscles, ligaments and fascia. It begins with the appearance of heaviness in the interscapular zone. Then a pain syndrome develops, which has a breaking, boring, burning character. Its intensity increases during emotional stress, during a night's sleep, when breathing and turning the body, it radiates to the neck, shoulder, forearm and arm. What distinguishes the syndrome from intercostal neuralgia and heart pain is that pain points can be found in the area of the scapula, and the intercostal muscles are painless.

Inflammation of the costal cartilage (chondritis) on the left side

It is manifested by the appearance of swelling of one of the cartilages; she is sick. After a while, the edematous area softens, it can open with the release of pus. In this case, the temperature may rise to subfebrile numbers. Even after opening the abscess in the area of the inflamed rib, pain persists, which can disturb for 1-3 years.

Tietze syndrome

This is the name of a disease of unknown cause, in which one or more costal cartilages become inflamed at the point where they connect to the sternum. The syndrome is manifested by pain in the localization of inflammation, which is aggravated by pressing on this area, sneezing, movements, and also with deep breathing.

The disease proceeds with periods of exacerbation, when all symptoms appear, and remissions, when a person feels healthy.

Injuries, fractures, bruises of the ribs

If an injury was inflicted, and then pain is noted in the chest, it is impossible to differentiate by symptoms whether it is a bruise or a fracture. Both of these pathologies are manifested by severe pain that extends to the entire chest; it gets worse with breathing. Even if it was a fracture and it healed, chest pain will still be noted for some time.

Tumor of one of the ribs on the left - osteosarcoma

It can appear in people of any age. Oncopathology is manifested by a pain syndrome localized in the region of the ribs. It intensifies at night, is characterized by a pulling character. In the later stages, swelling is noted in the area of the affected rib.

Osteochondrosis

When squeezing the bundles of the spinal nerves on the left, pain appears in the region of the ribs. She:

aching; constant; changes intensity with a change in body position; increases with physical exertion, overheating, drafts and hypothermia;

Additional symptoms are:

tingling and numbness in the left hand, weakness of its muscles, there may be pain in the left hand, which has three variants of distribution: along its outer surface to the thumb and forefinger; on the inner, closest to the little finger, area of \u200b\u200bthe hand; along the back-outer part, heading towards the middle finger - this will depend on which of the roots is pinched.

Osteoporosis

This is the name of the pathology in which the bones (including the ribs) are too low in calcium. It occurs due to its insufficient intake, poor absorption or increased destruction.

The pathology is asymptomatic, you can find out about it if you perform an ultrasound densitometry of the ribs (find out their density). The first symptoms appear when small cracks appear on the ribs or such fractures that appear when the body is tilted or sharply turned. During such movements, a strong, sharp pain usually appears in the region of the ribs, which then persists even when the position of the body changes.

Herniated disc

This pathology - akin to osteochondrosis, is associated with malnutrition of the intervertebral disc with its subsequent destruction. Only in the case of a hernia, that part of the disk that cannot be destroyed begins to protrude beyond the vertebrae and compress the nerves passing there.

Hernia manifests itself as a pain syndrome:

growing gradually; intensifying to the most pronounced degree, leading even to loss of consciousness; gives to the neck or arm, where it has a shooting character.

Symptoms can be confused with myocardial infarction. The main difference is the fact that with a herniated disc, the general condition of a person does not suffer.

fibromyalgia

This is the name of chronic musculoskeletal pain that occurs for no apparent reason in symmetrical areas of the body. In this case, the pain syndrome appears after stress or emotional trauma. The ribs hurt not only on the left, but also on the right, the pain is aggravated by rain and a similar change in weather conditions.

A person notes a feeling of stiffness in the chest, complains of poor falling asleep, periodic headaches. Decreased coordination of his movements; quality of life suffers.

Musculoskeletal syndrome

This disease is not rare. Its cause is an injury to the soft tissues of the chest (in this case, on the left), in which blood enters the muscles, sweats out its liquid part and deposits the fibrin protein, which the blood needs to ensure the clotting process. As a result of such impregnation of the muscles, their tone rises sharply, which causes pain syndrome, described as "in the muscles" or as "in the ribs", of varying intensity, which changes with movement.

All of the above diseases from the described group, there is pain in the ribs. This symptom will also be noted with pleurisy, pleural tumors and cardioneurosis. We will talk about diseases of the pleura a little lower.

When the cause is in the disease of one of the internal organs

Pain syndrome, localized near the heart, can be caused by pathology of the lungs and pleura, in which they are wrapped. It can occur due to diseases of the mediastinal organs - that complex of organs that is located between the two lungs, next to the heart. Diseases of the esophagus, stomach, gallbladder and liver can also cause pain resembling heart pain.

lung disease

Pneumonia. Most often, the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart will hurt if an entire lobe (croupous pneumonia) of the lung is inflamed. Less often, "cardialgia" will be noted with pneumonia of a focal nature. The pain syndrome is stabbing in nature, aggravated by inhalation and coughing. In addition, there is fever, weakness, cough, nausea, lack of appetite. Lung abscess. In this case, fever, lack of appetite, nausea, muscle and bone pain come to the fore. The pain syndrome to the left of the sternum differs in intensity, especially it increases if the abscess is about to break through into the bronchus. If the abscess is located near the chest wall, pain will increase when you press on the rib or intercostal space. Pneumoconiosis is a chronic disease caused by the inhalation of industrial dust, which the lungs try to delimit from healthy areas with the help of connective tissue. As a result, the respiratory zones become smaller. The disease manifests itself as shortness of breath, cough, pain in the chest of a stabbing character, which radiates to the interscapular region and under the shoulder blade. The progression of the disease is characterized by fever up to 38 degrees, weakness, sweating, weight loss. Tuberculosis of the lung. Chest pain in this case appears only when the specific inflammation characteristic of the tuberculous process extends to the pleura enveloping the lungs, or the chest wall (rib-muscular frame). Prior to this, attention is paid to weight loss, sweating, lack of appetite, increased fatigue, subfebrile temperature, cough. The pain syndrome is aggravated by breathing, coughing, pressing on the chest. Tumor of the lung. There is constant pain of a different nature: aching, pressing, dull, burning or boring, aggravated by coughing and deep breathing. It can give to the shoulder, neck, head, stomach; may radiate to the right side or be encircling. Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, that is, the membrane that covers the lungs. It is almost always a complication of pneumonia, lung tissue tumors or injuries. If left-sided pleurisy develops, the pain syndrome can be localized in the region of the heart. It is associated with breathing, and is also aggravated by coughing. In addition, there is an increase in temperature, shortness of breath. Pneumothorax. This is the name of the condition in which air enters between the pleura and the lung. It is incompressible, therefore, with an increase in its volume, it compresses the lung, and then the heart with blood vessels. The condition is dangerous, requires urgent hospitalization. Pathology is manifested by stabbing pain on the side of the lesion. She gives in the arm, neck, behind the sternum. Increases with breathing, coughing, movements. May be accompanied by fear of death.

Mediastinal pathologies

There are not very many of them:

Pneumomediastinum (mediastinal emphysema) - the ingress of air into the fatty tissue, which is located around the heart and blood vessels. It occurs as a result of injury, damage during surgery or purulent fusion of air-containing tissues - the esophagus, trachea, bronchi or lungs. Symptoms: a feeling of pressure behind the sternum, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath. Embolism of the pulmonary artery. This is a life-threatening condition characterized by sudden, sharp pain behind the sternum, which is aggravated by taking a deep breath and coughing. Shortness of breath, palpitations, loss of consciousness are also noted. Tracheitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea. It is manifested by cough, dry burning pain behind the sternum. Spasm of the esophagus. The symptoms of this condition are difficult to distinguish from an attack of angina pectoris: the pain syndrome is localized behind the sternum, in the region of the heart and scapula, and is relieved by nitroglycerin.

Diseases of the abdominal organs

The following pathologies can cause pain similar to heart:

Esophagitis is inflammation of the lining of the esophagus. It is characterized by a burning sensation behind the sternum, which is aggravated by swallowing especially hard, hot or cold food. Achalasia cardia is the expansion of the esophageal opening of the stomach. Retrosternal pain syndrome is associated with food intake. Heartburn and nausea are also noted. Hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm. Pain syndrome appears or intensifies after eating, as well as in a horizontal position. The pain goes away with a change in body position. Peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum. The pain in this case either occurs on an empty stomach, or 1-2 hours after eating. Heartburn is also noted. Exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis is most often accompanied by pain under the ribs on the right, but can also be given to the left half of the chest. In addition, there is bitterness in the mouth, loosening of the stool. Exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, if the inflammation is localized in the tail of the pancreas, in addition to nausea, vomiting and loosening of the stool, is accompanied by pain in the left side of the chest.

Diagnosis depending on the characteristics of pain

We examined pathologies that cause pain syndrome localized in the left half of the chest. Now let's look at what pain each of them gives.

It's a dull pain

Aching pain is typical for:

angina; myocarditis; cardioneurosis; peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum; scoliosis; osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine; exacerbation of pancreatitis.

The stabbing nature of the pain syndrome

Stinging pain occurs when:

myocardial infarction; pericarditis; cardioneurosis; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; neurocirculatory dystonia; intercostal neuralgia; pneumonia; pleurisy; tuberculosis; shingles; cancer of the lung or bronchus.

Pressing character

Pressing pain can be a manifestation of:

angina; myocarditis; mitral valve prolapse; pericarditis; foreign body of the esophagus (in this case, the fact of swallowing some inedible object, for example, a fish bone is noted); cardiomyopathy; myocardial dystrophy; heart tumors (eg, myxoma); poisoning with drugs, alcohol, drugs, phosphorus-organic compounds, poisons. In this case, there is the fact of taking drugs, alcohol, treating plants from pests, and so on; ulcers in the stomach at the junction with the esophagus.

If the nature of the pain is sharp

The word "sharp pain" is usually used only to describe myocardial infarction. In addition to cardialgia of a similar nature, there is a general deterioration in the condition, cold sweat, fainting, heart rhythm disturbance. Irradiation of cardialgia - in the left shoulder blade, arm.

If the pain feels like "severe"

Severe pain occurs when:

myocardial infarction; osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic regions; intercostal neuralgia, especially caused by herpes zoster; thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery; rupture of a dissecting aortic aneurysm; myocarditis.

Pain is felt all the time or most of the time

Constant pain is characteristic of osteochondrosis. At the same time, there is no deterioration in the condition, but “goosebumps” and numbness in the left hand, a decrease in its strength, may be noted. A similar complaint is described and pericarditis - inflammation of the outer shell of the heart - the heart bag. It is also characterized by general malaise and fever. Pericarditis can also be a source of frequent pain that goes away from time to time. This is how you can describe the pain syndrome with menopause or anxiety disorders.

Pain syndrome of blunt nature

If a dull pain is felt in the region of the heart, it may be:

anterior chest wall syndrome; arterial hypertension (in this case, high blood pressure is recorded); overload of the intercostal muscles, for example, during very active physical training or playing wind instruments for a long time.

Sharp pain in the region of the heart

Acute pain is observed with pleurisy or pericarditis. Both diseases are characterized by fever and weakness.

Nagging pain

It is typical for:

thrombosis; neuro-circulatory dystonia; angina; osteochondrosis; diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Pain syndrome of a burning character

Such a symptom is noted with myocardial infarction, in which case there will be a sharp deterioration in the condition, there may be clouding of consciousness due to pain shock. Pain in neurosis is described in the same way, when psycho-emotional disorders come to the fore.

Diagnosis depending on the conditions for the occurrence of pain syndrome and associated symptoms

Consider additional characteristics of the pain syndrome:

If the pain radiates to the shoulder blade, it can be: angina pectoris, spasm of the esophagus, myocardial infarction, cardioneurosis. When the pain increases with inspiration, this indicates: intercostal neuralgia, pleurisy or myositis of the intercostal muscles. When the intensity of the pain syndrome increases with a deep breath, it can be: pneumonia or pulmonary embolism. In both cases, there is a deterioration in the general condition, but with inflammation of the lungs this happens gradually, and with PE, the count goes on for minutes. If the pain syndrome increases with movement, this may be a sign of osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic region. When there is pain that gives the hand, a person may have one of the following diseases: osteochondrosis; myositis of the intercostal muscles on the left side; myocardial infarction; angina; interscapular pain syndrome; endocarditis; pneumothorax. When the pain syndrome is accompanied by shortness of breath: myocardial infarction; pneumothorax; pulmonary embolism; pneumonia; ruptured aortic aneurysm. If both weakness and pain in the region of the heart appear, it may be tuberculosis, pleurisy, pericarditis, dissecting aortic aneurysm, pneumonia. The combination "pain + dizziness" is typical for: mitral valve prolapse; cardiomyopathy; cardioneurosis; osteochondrosis or hernia of the cervical region, accompanied by compression of the vertebral artery.

What to do with cardialgia

If you have pain in the heart area, what to do:

Stop performing any action, take a semi-lying position, put your legs just below the body (if there is dizziness - above the position of the body). Unfasten all interfering clothes, ask to open the windows. If the pain is similar to that described for angina pectoris, take "Nitroglycerin" under the tongue. If the syndrome is stopped by 1-2 tablets (they act within 1.5-3 minutes), on the same day or the next, contact a therapist to diagnose coronary heart disease and prescribe appropriate treatment. You can’t drink more pills - from them, among other things, pressure decreases (P.S. headache after taking nitroglycerin is a normal phenomenon, it is removed by Validol or Corvalment, which contain menthol). If nitroglycerin did not help, and at the same time there is difficulty in breathing, weakness, fainting, severe pallor - call an ambulance, be sure to indicate that there is pain in the heart. You can first drink an anesthetic tablet: Diclofenac, Analgin, Nimesil or another. If the pain in the region of the heart disappeared after you stopped, this condition requires an early diagnosis using an ECG and ultrasound of the heart. Not paying attention threatens to aggravate the situation with the development of heart failure.

Treatment is prescribed only by a doctor - based on the results of the examination. Self-medication is unacceptable, since the diseases manifested by this symptom are radically different. Self-medicating, for example, osteochondrosis, which actually turns out to be myocarditis, can lead to the development of heart failure, when any wrong movement will be accompanied by shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air and swelling.

Thus, pain syndrome localized in the region of the heart can be caused not only by heart diseases. Much more often, its causes are pathologies of the ribs and intercostal muscles, spine, esophagus and stomach. In order to start moving towards a diagnosis, you need to state your complaints to the therapist. The doctor will either sort out the problem on his own, or refer you to the right specialist. This will be a better solution than to undergo examinations on your own, wasting time and money.

Pain in the left side of the chest manifests itself for various reasons, which cannot be independently determined. To facilitate your well-being, you need to contact a specialist to undergo a diagnosis, identify the nature of discomfort and prescribe appropriate treatment. This article will be devoted to these aspects.

To the question why the left side of the chest hurts, only a doctor will competently answer.

Since there are many reasons due to which chest pain develops on the left. The most common are listed below:

angina pectoris, which occurs due to a tissue defect, which is provoked by oxygen starvation; myocardial infarction, due to which the death of some parts of the heart occurs. In this condition, there is a sudden onset of discomfort. Moreover, the pain gives to the neck, shoulder, stomach, left arm, jaw; pericarditis, characterized by inflammation around the lining of the heart. Pain is aggravated by lying down and is accompanied by cough, shortness of breath, fever, and fatigue. The patient feels a little better sitting, leaning slightly forward; pulmonary embolism, which is characterized by blockage of the pulmonary artery. In addition to pain, the patient has shortness of breath, shortness of breath, fainting, pallor of the skin, cough, accompanied by blood discharge; aortic dissection, in which blood pools on the wall of blood vessels. This pathology is accompanied by detachment and rupture of the aorta; a stomach ulcer sometimes causes pain that passes into the left region of the thoracic bone.

The relationship between the cause of the disease and the nature of the pain

When it hurts in the upper left part of the chest, this does not always indicate a life-threatening condition. However, with the development of these symptoms, you need to consult a specialist.

To accurately understand the cause of the development of discomfort, you need to consider the intensity of pain, its localization and diseases that are related to it.

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Sharp pain

The development of a sharp pain syndrome is characteristic of the following diseases:

Pericarditis is characterized by stabbing pain in the region of the heart, which radiates beyond the sternum. Pericarditis is the outer shell of the heart, fixing its size, contributing to better filling with blood. The symptoms are similar to myocardial infarction. When the patient takes a horizontal position, the discomfort intensifies, while leaning forward, on the contrary, weakens. Usually, with this cause, it hurts in the left shoulder and arm, there is shortness of breath, sharp hot flashes, combined with cold.

Pneumothorax is characterized by pain only when pathological disorders affect the pleura, since the lungs do not have nerve endings. The pleura contains a large number of nerve endings.

Pneumothorax is characterized by pain during inhalation, which completely disappears during breath holding. This disease most often occurs due to trauma to the thoracic bone. In addition, the patient experiences dizziness, shortness of breath, weakness.

Gastric reflux, due to which hydrochloric acid, penetrating into the esophagus, leads to an inflammatory process. Reflux is accompanied by sharp pain, difficulty swallowing, an unpleasant aftertaste in the oral cavity. Pulmonary embolism, due to which a blood clot forms, is characterized by sharp pain in the chest area, which increases during a deep breath. This condition often develops during long flights, motor races, occurs suddenly, is manifested by a sharp lack of air, rapid breathing. Pneumonia. Due to an infectious lesion of the mucosa, on which the nerve endings are located, the pain radiates to the left half of the chest, most often develops in the nipple area, increases with coughing. back to contents

acute pain

Acute pain occurs when:

prolapse. Characterized by a sudden acute pain syndrome, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness. This is a rather dangerous condition, characterized by life-threatening heart rhythm failures. Aortic aneurysm - a strong acute pain sensation is manifested. Its symptoms are characterized by suddenness followed by bleeding. With an aneurysm, a person also experiences shortness of breath, lack of air, darkening of the eyes, paralysis, numbness of the arms and legs, lethargy of the tongue. This disease often leads to death. With a stomach ulcer, the chest on the left side may hurt. Pleurisy. The infection irritates the nerve endings and is manifested by acute pain when inhaling in the left half of the chest.

Pain of a different nature and first aid

Pain in the left side of the aching character is manifested when:

Feedback from our reader - Natalia Anisimova

Read the article -> Myocarditis, which is characterized by a squeezing sensation, heart rhythm disturbance, weakness, shortness of breath. These symptoms require urgent medical attention. Cholecystitis, pancreatitis. Attacks that develop with these diseases are characterized by pain in the left half of the chest under the ribs.

Pain that radiates to the arm is characteristic of:

Heart attack. Prolonged discomfort that is given to the left shoulder, arm and neck area is often a harbinger of a heart attack and requires an immediate call to a doctor. Ischemic heart disease is an obstacle to normal blood flow, leads to atrophy of the heart muscle, and has symptoms similar to a heart attack. Angina pectoris is manifested by a sharp discomfort that radiates to the left side of the arm.

Pain sensations that give under the ribs are manifested when:

Pathology of the spleen. An enlarged organ presses on the chest region and leads to pain sensations that radiate to the hypochondrium. Intercostal neuralgia, which is characterized by discomfort, aggravated by inspiration, sudden movement. Often seen in teenagers. It usually resolves on its own after a short rest and does not require a visit to a doctor.

Discomfort that manifests itself above the chest occurs when:

Fibromyalgia, which develops due to regular mental shocks. Mastopathy, which develops due to the replacement of glandular tissue with fibrous tissue and is manifested by pulling, pressing and tingling discomfort. A breast cyst that appears as a liquid capsule due to a hormonal shift. There are times when a cyst develops as a result of injury.

Many women, when pain occurs in the chest area, are worried, associating discomfort with breast cancer. In fact, at the initial stage of oncology, cancer does not manifest itself in any way. Thus, if a woman has discomfort in the left side of her chest, then this is most likely not oncology.

Treatment of pain that has developed in the chest depends on the cause of the disease. It is impossible to take medicines on your own, you must urgently consult a doctor for diagnosis and the appointment of adequate treatment. Before the arrival of the doctor, you can drink painkillers:

No-shpu; Spazmalgon; ibuprofen; Analgin.

If the discomfort is caused by a heart condition, then the following can be used to reduce the heart rate and relieve the condition:

Valerian; Nitroglycerine; Validol.

There are some symptoms that you need to pay increased attention to and immediately call an ambulance, among them:

severe pain in the left side of the chest, paroxysmal cough, fainting; a feeling of pressure and burning, spreading to the neck, back, shoulder, lower jaw; prolonged discomfort lasting more than 20 minutes that does not go away after rest; chest tightness, palpitations, increased sweating, fainting, restlessness, nausea; cough, which is accompanied by bloody discharge, pain in the chest, heavy breathing.

If the chest hurts on the left, then this can indicate many diseases that cannot be determined independently.

Therefore, if such symptoms appear, you should consult a specialist.

nervousness, disturbed sleep and appetite… frequent colds, problems with the bronchi and lungs…. headaches… bad breath, plaque on teeth and tongue… change in body weight… diarrhea, constipation and stomach pain… exacerbation of chronic diseases…

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