Chest pain is a sign that may indicate a serious pathology or banal overwork. The pain can be pulling, stabbing, cutting, burning, aching, or dull. The heart hurts at certain times in every person's life. In some cases, they can be harbingers of a cardiovascular catastrophe, and in some - manifestations of intercostal neuralgia.
Intercostal neuralgia
Attention! Heart pain is the most common reason for going to a health center. If pain suddenly appears, you need to act clearly and consistently, the main thing is not to be nervous (anxiety creates an excessive load on the heart, which can worsen the patient's condition). If your heart hurts every day, then you need to urgently visit your doctor.
Cardiac abnormalities often manifest as chest pain. The interweaving of nerve endings, which are located in the center of the chest, are very sensitive to the slightest changes in the work of the heart. Insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle (ischemia) or vasospasm are the reasons.
Due to local paroxysmal ischemia, it is called "angina", and if it hurts in the region of the heart due to tissue necrosis, it is myocardial infarction. There are three types of coronary heart disease: myocardial infarction (heart attack), atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis, and angina pectoris. Heart pain with angina pectoris can be at rest and under certain factors: excessive physical or emotional stress. Constant pain is a sign of myocardial infarction, but sometimes it does not appear constantly, but occurs suddenly and strongly.
Inflammation of the heart Idiopathic, allergic, or infectious inflammatory diseases heart muscle - the causes of pain lasting more than a week. The development of myocarditis (myocardial damage) can be fatal, especially if the immune system is weakened. Inflammation of the myocardium is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Arrhythmia.
- Chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Difficulty breathing.
- A sharp rise in temperature (with infectious myocarditis).
- Chest discomfort.
- Swelling of the face.
- Frequent bouts of dizziness.
With inflammation of the bursa (pericardium), aching and dull pains occur, which do not depend on the emotional or physical state. In some cases, the disease is asymptomatic and heart failure develops. With severe heart failure, the face swells and weak aching pains appear in the region of the heart, which do not recede for a long time during the day. In patients, the limbs become edematous and may swell.
Failure of the bicuspid valve located between the left upper and lower chambers of the heart leads to autonomic disruptions, tachycardia, hyperventilation and paroxysmal dizziness... A third of patients with this diagnosis do not experience any symptoms. However, for the most part, at least once a month, extrasystoles, tachycardia and pain in the heart area occur.
The rupture of the largest artery in the human body is emergency... Atherosclerosis of the aorta, hypertension, physical strain or closed injury chest cavity- the reasons why an aortic aneurysm can rupture. The condition can last from 5 minutes to 2 weeks. It is manifested by sharp pain and massive blood loss. Often fatal. Often, dissection of the aorta is accompanied by an adjacent process in diseases of the esophagus and duodenum... If your heart hurts for a week, and the pain feels like a "stab" in your chest, call an ambulance.
Non-cardiac causes of heart pain
Complex dystrophic changes in the musculoskeletal system it is customary to call it "osteochondrosis". Man got to his feet not so long ago (by the standards of the duration of the evolution of primates on Earth), and vertebral column not sufficiently adapted to upright posture. Unbalanced load and insufficient muscle training negatively affect intervertebral discs... Incorrect posture, carrying weights on only one shoulder, soft bed are factors that contribute to the uneven distribution of the load on the intervertebral discs.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine The main causes of osteochondrosis:
- Spinal column injuries.
- Lack of trace elements and water in the diet.
- Physical inactivity.
- Diseases of the foot.
- Excess weight.
- Prolonged uncomfortable posture during the day (when working at a computer).
- Psycho-emotional overstrain.
Important! Panic disorder is characterized by sudden attacks of panic attack, which are treated with anxiolytics. Often, instead of panic disorder, an outdated diagnosis of cardioneurosis or vegetative vascular dystonia is made in Russia. Panic attacks are accompanied by severe discomfort in the sternum on the left, dizziness, derealization, depersonalization and shortness of breath. Panic attack can last for a long time: from 5 minutes to one hour. The pain in the heart is burning and dull. Many patients wonder if a panic attack can be fatal. As a rule, a lethal outcome is possible only in the presence of cardiovascular pathology.
Gastrointestinal problems are associated with pain in the region of the heart much more often than other noncardiac disorders. Often, patients mistake them for a heart attack. Stomach ulcer, gastroesophageal disease, chronic duodenitis, pancreatitis - causes of pulling and stitching pains in the sternum, lasting more than two days.
When to see a doctor?
The appearance of some symptoms may indicate a serious pathology. If one of the following symptoms appears, see your doctor immediately:
- Chills.
- Fear of death.
- Tachycardia or bradycardia.
- Arterial hypertension or hypotension.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Pain in the heart or bakes badly in the sternum on the left.
- Swollen limb syndrome (with severely swollen legs or arms).
How to treat the causes of persistent heart pain?
First of all, you need to contact general doctor and undergo a series of examinations to identify the root cause of the pain syndrome. If your heart is ill, you will most likely get a referral to a cardiologist. After undergoing an electrocardiogram, blood tests, fluoroscopy and abdominal ultrasound, the best treatment option will be considered.
Cardiovascular pathologies that are associated with heavy load on the heart, are treated with beta-blockers (metoprolol) and antihypertensive drugs(5 milligram enalapril). Acetylsalicylic acid is prescribed to improve the rheological properties of blood. Other antiplatelet agents and thrombolytics are prescribed as needed or when aspirin is contraindicated. Every few months, visit a cardiologist to adjust treatment (if there are side effects) or to clarify the diagnosis.
If the pain in the heart is caused by damage to the musculoskeletal system, then general recommendations(sleep for 8 hours, do not break the daily routine, do not slouch and do not overload the back) and drugs topical application(corticosteroids). With severe pain in the left side of the sternum, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. In some cases, surgery is indicated.
Panic disorder is corrected by antidepressants, which affect the turnover of serotonin in the central nervous system. In the short term, benzodiazepines such as diazepam, phenazepam or alprazolam are used. Cognitive behavioral therapy plays an important role in the treatment of panic attacks. Constant sessions with a psychologist will allow you to develop effective strategies for dealing with the disease. With panic disorder, it is necessary to give up psychostimulants - caffeine, nicotine or amphetamine.
Adaptogens Folk remedies that will help get rid of pain in the heart:
- Herbal adaptogens (ginseng or Rhodiola rosea).
- St. John's wort (herbal antidepressant).
- Tincture of ginger.
- Pu-erh (stimulates metabolic processes in the body).
Before taking the above products, consult your doctor. Adaptogens have a stimulating effect on all organ systems and can increase arterial pressure... St. John's wort in combination with MAO inhibitors can cause serotonin syndrome. Puerh contains caffeine and an overdose is fraught with increased, rather than weakening, pain in the region of the heart.
More:
How does your heart ache? Symptoms of cardiac pathologies found in women
At the same time, a symptom that people refer to as pain in the heart, may not be at all associated with the pathology of the heart itself. For example, it may be due to pathological process from the stomach, spinal column, lungs, ribs and sternum.
Sometimes it is only at the doctor's appointment and after the examination that it is possible to establish exactly what the pain in the region of the heart is connected with.
What are the causes of heart pain?
There are many reasons due to which pain in the region of the heart develops. They can be roughly divided into two large groups:1. Associated directly with the defeat of the heart itself:
- violation of the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle;
- inflammatory changes in the tissues of the heart;
- metabolic disorders in the tissues of the heart;
- too much stress on the heart muscle due to high blood pressure or heart disease.
- the most common situation is stomach diseases such as gastritis and peptic ulcer;
- pain syndrome can be caused by damage to the thoracic spine, ribs, intercostal nerves;
- diseases of the lungs and pleura;
- diseases of the esophagus.
Cardiac ischemia
Ischemic heart disease is a whole group of diseases and pathological conditions, the main symptom of which is pain in the heart. The most common types of coronary artery disease are angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.Angina pectoris
Angina pectoris is a very common disease and the main cause of acute pain in the region of the heart in patients over 40 years of age.The mechanism of occurrence of pain in the heart with angina pectoris is quite simple. The blood supply to the heart muscle is carried out through the coronary (coronary) arteries that braid the organ. With a narrowing of their lumen (most often cholesterol plaques in atherosclerosis), an insufficient amount of oxygen is supplied to the myocardium. As a result, a large amount of lactic acid is formed in muscle cells, which leads to pain. This violation is of a paroxysmal nature. Most often, attacks occur in stressful situations, with an increase in blood pressure, during intense physical exertion - that is, when the heart requires an increased amount of oxygen.
Angina pectoris is characterized by severe acute pain in the region of the heart behind the breastbone, most often stitching and burning. They come on very quickly and get worse, but usually go away within five minutes. The pain syndrome is quickly relieved by taking pills or a spray of nitroglycerin under the tongue. During an attack, pain can be given to the left arm, shoulder, under the scapula, to the left half of the neck and jaw.
Heart pain with angina pectoris can occur when different conditions, depending on the course of the disease:
1.
Angina pectoris can be considered a more favorable variant of the pathology. In this case, pain occurs only at the moment of stress or strong physical exertion. The heart begins to contract faster and stronger, it needs more oxygen, but a sufficient amount of it is not supplied through the narrowed vessels.
2.
With rest angina, pain occurs at any time, maybe even during sleep. This variant of the course of the disease is considered less favorable.
A painful attack with angina pectoris is relieved by taking nitroglycerin. A tablet or spray is placed under the tongue, where the drug is very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. If the pain persists, then it is necessary to call the ambulance team. Such patients are monitored by a local therapist and undergo periodic treatment.
Most reliable method studies to establish the narrowing of the coronary arteries of the heart - coronary angiography, when a radiopaque substance is injected into the vessels, and an x-ray is taken.
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction in most cases develops against the background of angina pectoris, and is, as it were, a more severe stage. In this case, the appearance of pain behind the sternum is due to the fact that at a certain point in time the coronary arteries narrow so much that the blood flow to the heart muscle completely stops, and its area dies. In this case, pain in the heart and other characteristic symptoms appear: 1. Very severe sharp stitching and burning pain behind the sternum in the region of the heart, which for a long time(more than 5 minutes) does not go away, does not come off after taking nitroglycerin.
2. At the same time, a drop in blood pressure is noted, sometimes to such an extent that the patient faints.
3. The patient's skin turns pale, he becomes covered with a sticky cold sweat.
4. Appears strong feeling fear of death.
5. In this case, the patient's body temperature may rise.
Pain in the heart with myocardial infarction is so strong that it has to be relieved with narcotic drugs. When such pains appear, you need to immediately call the ambulance team. After performing an ECG, the cause of the pain immediately becomes clear: myocardial infarction manifests itself very clearly.
The patient is admitted to the intensive care unit. Myocardial infarction is a direct threat to life, therefore, much depends on the quality and timely treatment carried out.
Arterial hypertension
Arterial hypertension is an increase in blood pressure above normal values (more than 120 and 80 mm Hg). At the same time, the heart is increased loads, his muscles have to work harder and with greater frequency. In addition, atherosclerosis, which in most cases is the cause of hypertension, also affects the heart vessels. Not only is the myocardium overloaded, it also receives less oxygen.The most characteristic of high blood pressure with arterial hypertension is pain in the heart in combination with headaches. They can be pressing, stabbing, aching. At the same time, the following symptoms develop simultaneously:
- even more pronounced increase in blood pressure;
- tinnitus, "flies before the eyes";
- headache, dizziness;
- unsteadiness of gait, weakness, fatigue, drowsiness;
- redness of the skin of the face, a feeling of heat;
- swelling, mainly on the legs in the evening.
To understand the origin of pain in the heart, it is enough to measure blood pressure. Most often, pain in the heart area occurs with the so-called hypertension stage 3, when an increase in blood pressure and impaired blood flow lead to severe violations from the heart and other organs.
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is an inflammatory lesion of the myocardium - the heart muscle. There are nerve receptors in the myocardium that respond to inflammation by causing pain. It can be caused by viruses, other microorganisms, and inflammation.Heart pain and chest discomfort are quite common in myocarditis (about 80% of patients with this pathology). In some patients, the disease progresses without any symptoms.
Pain in the heart with myocarditis is most often pressing or aching, sometimes it is stabbing. At the same time, it has practically nothing to do with stress and physical exertion. Pain with myocarditis differs from angina pectoris in that there is no relief from taking nitroglycerin. Also, there are no pathological signs during the ECG.
With myocarditis oppressive pain in the heart is combined with other signs:
- weakness, lethargy, general fatigue;
- a slight increase in body temperature - no more than 37 o С;
- a feeling of an interruption in the work of the heart, a rapid heartbeat or fading.
Pericarditis
It is also an inflammatory disease, but it does not capture the heart muscle, but the outer shell of the heart - the pericardium. It also has many nerve endings, the irritation of which leads to pain. With pericarditis, pain in the region of the heart is characterized by the following features:
1.
Painful sensations are noted in the lower and left in the chest - where the apex of the heart is. In some cases, they can cover the entire area of the heart, or the entire left side of the chest.
2.
With pericarditis, pain in the heart is uncommon, reflected in the left arm, under the left shoulder blade, in the left half of the neck and jaws.
3.
With this disease, the pain syndrome often spreads to the right half of the chest and the right arm.
4.
With pericarditis, there is a sharp, aching, cutting pain in the heart.
5.
Painful sensations do not increase during stress and intense physical exertion, but their intensity depends on the patient's body position. Often, in order to relieve pain, the person is sitting and leaning forward.
6.
Pain in the heart during inhalation is characteristic.
7.
The most interesting is the dynamics of pain in the heart over time. They occur at the very beginning of the disease, with the so-called dry pericarditis, when during the contractions of the heart there is friction between the inflamed sheets of the pericardium. Then, with effusion pericarditis, fluid forms in the heart bag, friction ceases, and the pain subsides. But this does not mean that the disease has been cured.
If pain in the heart appears and pericarditis is suspected, the patient is examined, including ultrasound of the heart, ECG, chest X-ray. Treatment is prescribed against the main cause of the pathology: antiviral or antifungal drugs, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is understood as all heart pathologies that are not associated with insufficient oxygen supply, inflammatory processes and valvular defects. For the most part, cardiomyopathy is based on metabolic disorders, which, one way or another, lead to pain in the heart.With cardiomyopathy, pain in the region of the heart can be of the most varied nature. They can be localized only in a certain place, or occupy a large area. The pain syndrome can bother the patient constantly, and can also be associated with physical exertion or stress. Sometimes it turns out to be removed with the help of nitroglycerin, but not always.
To diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment, any patient with incomprehensible pain in the heart area must go to the doctor for examination and undergo an examination, which includes a chest x-ray, ECG, ultrasound of the heart, general and biochemical blood tests.
Heart defects
Heart defects can be congenital or acquired, but in any case, they are accompanied by heart pain.Pain in the heart with a malformation has the following developmental mechanism. If the structure of one of the valves is disturbed, certain chambers of the heart are forced to constantly pump a large amount of blood, while the filling of others remains rather weak. In this case, the overloaded heart muscle is forced to contract more often and harder. She experiences an increased need for oxygen, and besides, her resource is not endless - at a certain point in time she stops working adequately. All this manifests itself in the form of heart pains.
Pain in the heart with its defects are permanent. Most often they are pressing, stabbing, pinching. They can be accompanied by high blood pressure, swelling in the legs, and other symptoms.
Most often, pain in the region of the heart is accompanied by the following defects:
1.
Aortic stenosis - narrowing of the aorta in the place where it departs from the left ventricle;
2.
Prolapse mitral valve, which is located between the left ventricle and the atrium - a very common congenital disorder that is detected in many children and can be expressed in varying degrees, often so weak that it is considered not a defect, but a small insignificant anomaly;
3.
Acquired rheumatic heart defects arising from a prolonged course of rheumatism.
These pathologies are detected after chest X-ray, ultrasound of the heart, ECG. Depending on the type of defect, the severity of pain in the heart and other symptoms, surgical or conservative treatment is prescribed.
Cardiopsychoneurosis
Neurocirculatory dystonia (vegetative-vascular dystonia, vegetative dystonia) is functional disease nervous system, in which the nervous regulation of many internal organs, including hearts. And this often becomes the cause of pain in the heart. Most often, neurocirculatory dystonia develops in adolescents, which explains the high prevalence of such pain in adolescence. Depending on the course of the disease, there are four types of heart pain in adolescence.
Simple cardialgia
This is a form of heart pain with neurocirculatory dystonia, which occurs in 95% of all patients. Most often it occurs spontaneously, lasts several minutes or hours, and then passes. Pain in the heart with simple cardialgia, aching or aching, occupies the entire region of the heart, or only its apex. Special help during the onset of such a pain syndrome is not required. Usually, a neurologist prescribes general therapy aimed at treating the underlying disease.A separate subspecies of simple cardialgia is the so-called angioneurotic cardialgia. With her, pains in the heart - pressing or squeezing, are always paroxysmal in nature, are very short-term, but extremely strong. The pain can go away on its own, without any help, but most often patients use drops of validol or nitroglycerin to relieve it. In the presence of such seizures, a neurologist should be visited, who will examine the patient, conduct an examination and prescribe an appropriate treatment.
Cardialgia of a vegetative crisis
It is also called paroxysmal lingering cardialgia. Heart pain occurs during the so-called vegetative crisis - acute condition when neurocirculatory dystonia manifests itself especially clearly.Heart pain with cardialgia of a vegetative crisis continues very long time, it is pressing or aching, does not go away after taking validol and nitroglycerin. At the same time, other symptoms are observed:
- increased blood pressure, which is why this condition may resemble a hypertensive crisis;
- lethargy, weakness, a sense of fear;
- trembling all over the body;
- shortness of breath, feeling short of breath;
- feeling of rapid heartbeat.
Sympathetic cardialgia
With sympathetic cardialgia, there is pain in the heart of a burning character, or just a burning sensation. The pain syndrome is located in the region of the heart or in the chest region. Moreover, if you feel the gaps between the ribs, there will be an increase in pain. Validol, valocordin and nitroglycerin in this case do not help, as is the case with other types of neurocirculatory dystonia.For pain in the heart caused by sympathetic cardialgia, oddly enough, it is not medications that help thermal procedures such as mustard plasters or acupuncture.
In this case, the cause of pain in the heart is excessive irritation and excitement of the nerve plexuses, which are responsible for stress reactions in the body.
False angina
It turns out that in some cases vegetative-vascular dystonia can resemble angina pectoris. Although, in fact, these two diseases are very different.With the so-called pseudo-angina pectoris, as with true angina pectoris, pain occurs in the region of the heart behind the sternum of a pressing, squeezing, aching character. They become stronger when the patient is in psycho-emotional stress or is experiencing increased stress.
In this case, the cause of pain in the heart is an inadequate response of the body and the heart muscle to physical activity. Often this condition is confused with angina pectoris. Therefore, it is very important to distinguish them from each other. The patient must definitely go to the doctor's office and undergo an examination (ECG, ultrasound of the heart, etc.) in order to accurately establish the diagnosis and receive adequate treatment.
Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia is a disorder characterized by an abnormal heart rhythm. There are many different types arrhythmias, and often many of them can be accompanied by pain in the region of the heart. Pain syndrome occurs immediately during an attack, and is accompanied by the following symptoms: - weakness, dizziness;
- sense of disturbance heart rate: heart failure, fading, rapid and strong heartbeat;
- sometimes the heart during an attack of arrhythmia ceases to cope with its function so much that the patient loses consciousness.
Often, the patient himself can distinguish arrhythmia pain from other diseases, since cardiac arrhythmias are felt quite well.
To clarify the origin of pain during an attack, an ECG is performed: the diagnosis of angina pectoris and its type are immediately clear.
If an attack of arrhythmia is accompanied by acute pain in the region of the heart, then urgent medical attention is needed. It is necessary to call the ambulance team: the doctor will administer the appropriate antiarrhythmic drugs.
Pain in the heart reflected from other organs
In the immediate vicinity of the heart are many important organs: the stomach and esophagus, the lungs and the pleura covering them, the spinal column, ribs, sternum. Their diseases can create pain syndrome, which very much resembles pain in the heart.Gastritis and stomach ulcer
Gastritis and peptic ulcer are diseases of the gastric mucosa, which differ from each other only in that gastritis is an inflammatory process, and an ulcer is inflammation in combination with a defect in the gastric wall.With gastritis and peptic ulcer stomach reflected pain in the heart most often occurs after eating or, on the contrary, on an empty stomach (with damage to the lower stomach or duodenum). They are stabbing in nature, can last for a long time and do not go away after taking nitroglycerin and other drugs. The "gastric" origin of pain in the heart can be suspected by the following additional symptoms:
- a feeling of heaviness under the left rib, pain under the heart;
- heartburn, sour taste in the mouth;
- strong belching.
Gastroesophageal reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux can confidently be called a disease of the 21st century. Almost 50% of all heart pains of extraneous origin are associated with it.Usually, after the examination has been carried out and all "cardiac" causes of pain have been excluded, there is no doubt about the diagnosis. The patient is most often treated by a neurologist, and radiography and computed tomography of the spinal column are prescribed to confirm the diagnosis.
Intercostal neuralgia
For many people, it sometimes happened like this: it pricks for a short time in the side, presumably in the region of the heart, and then almost immediately "lets go." This is how intercostal neuralgia manifests itself, the symptoms of which are often confused with attacks of heart disease.The causes of intercostal neuralgia are very diverse. It can be injuries, infections, and disorders of the spinal column.
If an attack of intercostal neuralgia was an isolated one, or it happens extremely rarely, then there is no particular reason for concern. If such pains recur regularly, you need to see a neurologist.
Psychogenic heart pain
Pain in the heart, which actually does not exist, can be felt by patients with neurasthenic neurosis, hysteria, obsessions, increased anxiety and suspiciousness, mental illness. To reveal true reason heart pain in such a patient, only a thorough examination and consultation with a psychiatrist will help.Treatment of pain in the heart
As can be seen from all of the above, heart pain is a symptom that can result from a large number different reasons. Accordingly, the treatment will be very different.Usually, patients who have been suffering from a disease for a long time already have recommendations from their attending physician, and are well aware of how to act in such situations.
If severe pain have arisen in the heart for the first time in my life, then you should not risk it - it is better to call an ambulance.
Pain in the heart: first aid in road conditions - video
Before use, you must consult a specialist.Pain in the region of the heart is a common reason for seeking medical attention. They have a different character, duration, a certain irradiation. In addition, unpleasant sensations in the chest have a different etiology and their appearance is not always associated with a pathology of the heart. This article describes the most characteristic signs heart pain, pathologies that can mimic it are indicated, it also tells how to distinguish true cardialgia from pain syndrome of a different etiology.
Causes of pain in the heart
The etiology of this unpleasant symptom is very diverse. Heart pain occurs, as a rule, in the presence of coronary artery disease, in which the coronary vessels are affected. Also, the cause of true cardialgia is inflammatory heart disease, congenital defects, VSD. In addition, there is a wide list of pathologies that are accompanied by pain in the chest, which mimics heart damage. Some of them are described below.
Cardialgia with osteochondrosis
Clinical manifestations breast osteochondrosis are very similar to pathologies of the respiratory or cardiovascular system. Patients complain of pain in the chest, which intensifies when bending, changing body position, as well as after dynamic or static loads. The pain often appears in the area of the shoulder blades and spreads to the region of the heart, left arm and sternum. It can be disturbing when lying on the side or back, which forces patients to take a forced position, which reduces pain. Unpleasant sensations have different intensities, arise in different time days. 
Shortness of breath is also a common symptom. Patients note that they do not have enough air, since normal inhalation is difficult. Sometimes during a meal, patients also notice a foreign body sensation in the throat and along the esophagus.
Pain in the heart with neuralgia
Cardialgia with this pathology occurs in only 10% clinical cases but is characterized by high intensity. Sudden pain syndrome develops. Patients cannot raise their left arm or turn their head. If pain spreads from nerves that are pinched by intercostal neuralgia, palpation of the intercostal spaces leads to increased pain. An increase in the intensity of pain is also observed when inhaling, coughing or laughing. The nature of the pain is usually shingles, stabbing, cutting, dull, persistent, or paroxysmal. Maybe sharp pain, which does not allow you to make a single movement.
Cardialgia with neuroses
Why does the heart hurt during psycho-emotional overstrain? The main reason is the development of cardiac neurosis. At the same time, cardialgia has certain features. So, in most cases, it occurs among people who are characterized by negativism, isolation, emotional lability. Favorable factors in this case, you can name bad habits, chronic lack of sleep, concomitant mental disorders... With neurosis of the heart, there is compression and discomfort in the chest, dizziness and excessive sweating, headache and nausea. Patients may lose consciousness. Also characterized by an accelerated pulse, changes in blood pressure, a feeling of lack of air, tremors, panic attacks and stabbing pain in heart.
Heart pain during exercise
As a rule, this complication develops after excessive training. With intense physical activity, the heart requires more oxygen. An inadequate reaction of the body is manifested in a narrowing coronary vessels, which impairs the blood supply to the myocardium, and leads to the appearance of pain syndrome. Typically, athletes may experience heart pain, which disappears after rest. If the aching pain in the heart region persists for a longer time, you should reconsider the training scheme and reduce the load, as this can be dangerous. In addition, it should be remembered that in cases where significant tachycardia appears after exercise, excessive sweating and shortness of breath even after the cessation of physical activity or the left hand becomes numb, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Cardialgia with vegetative-vascular dystonia
For cardiological syndrome with this pathology, the following symptoms are mainly characteristic: pain in the heart of an acute and stabbing nature, which appear both after physical exertion and at rest, disturbance of the heart rhythm in the form of tachy- or bradycardia, changes in blood pressure. Pain syndrome can be mild.
As a rule, there is a paroxysmal or Blunt pain in the heart, but it is accompanied by excessive fear or even hysterical fits, in which a person cannot adequately assess his condition and overestimates the complexity of the existing manifestations. In addition, with vegetative-vascular dystonia, temperature changes, general weakness and sweating, tinnitus and excessive sleepiness, headaches, mood swings are recorded, which is especially pronounced in adolescents.
Heart pain in chronic alcoholism
With constant abuse of alcoholic beverages, myocardial dystrophy is formed. At the initial stages of its development, patients complain of palpitations, lack of air, headache and bad sleep. It is also characterized by pressing pain in the heart, increased irritability and sweating. First, cardialgia occurs in the form of attacks at night, accompanied by tachycardia, extrasystole or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, which later becomes permanent. In addition, after alcohol, which is consumed in large quantities, the heart enlarges, its tones become muffled, acrocyanosis appears, the liver thickens, edema of the extremities and signs of heart failure develop.
Heart pain during pregnancy
During this period, a woman's body occurs major changes and the usual work of many organs and systems, including the heart, is disrupted. Typically, cardialgia during pregnancy is caused by increased blood volume, constant weight gain, uncomfortable posture, iron deficiency, fluid retention, and high blood pressure. Do not forget about significant hormonal changes during this period, which makes women weaker to the action of stressful situations or to sudden atmospheric changes.
Cardialgia for lung diseases
With the defeat of the respiratory system, chest pain has the following features:
- characterized by an acute but short-term character;
- as a rule, there is no irradiation of pain sensations;
- the pain intensifies with a deep breath;
- the presence of such pulmonary symptoms like coughing, sputum production, shortness of breath;
- dry or wet wheezing, percussion evidence indicating lung involvement.
It is worth noting that most often pain in the heart during inhalation is observed with the development of pleurisy. With this pathology, it can have a different distribution. With inflammation of the parietal pleura, pain is localized in the lower parts of the chest. In the area of the shoulder blades, pain appears if the parietal pleura is affected upper lobe lung. If apical pleurisy is diagnosed, then due to irritation of the brachial plexus, concomitant pain in the arm can be observed, and with diaphragmatic pleurisy, pain is spread to the abdominal area and is accompanied by vomiting.
That is why, for a correct diagnosis, it is important to clearly determine where it hurts. This helps to distinguish true cardiac pain from clinical manifestations of lung damage. It is important to remember that cardialgia in respiratory pathology cannot be considered the leading clinical syndrome. More specific manifestations are taken into account (cyanosis, fever, signs of intoxication, cough, shortness of breath, sputum production).
How to understand that it is the heart that hurts?
If you experience any discomfort in the area of the heart, you should immediately consult a doctor for thorough examination... Blood tests, ECGs, myocardial scintigraphy, angiography, echocardiography, and cardiac MRI are done to confirm cardiac involvement.
How does your heart ache?
Of course, according to the complaints of patients, one or another pathology can be suspected, but clinical manifestations are not always decisive for correct diagnosis, since, as can be seen from the information presented above, pain in the heart region can appear in many other diseases that are not associated with direct heart damage.
If we talk about the main characteristic manifestations of heart pain, then we can name the following:
- if the cause is angina pectoris, the pain occurs behind the sternum, has a compressive, cutting, dull or sharp character. As a rule, it extends to the left hand, the scapula, sometimes it may not have a clear localization, lasts from a few seconds to 20 minutes. During an attack, shortness of breath, a feeling of shortness of breath and fear of death appear. Painful sensations do not depend on the position of the body or breathing, are quickly removed by nitroglycerin;
- in the case of myocardial infarction, intense anginal pain occurs, which radiates to the scapula, arm, abdomen, left half of the neck, lasts longer than 15 minutes and does not respond to nitrates, accompanied by profuse sweat and fear of death, as well as shortness of breath and unproductive cough. In some cases, myocardial infarction occurs without pain.
What to do with cardialgia?
When an attack of heart pain occurs, you should stop any physical activity, sit comfortably or, if possible, take a horizontal position, unbutton your clothes and provide access fresh air... The patient should be given one nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue. If there is no effect, taking the drug can be repeated at intervals of three minutes. If the pain syndrome lasts more than 20 minutes and does not decrease after taking nitroglycerin three times, you should call an ambulance. By her arrival, the patient can be given an aspirin tablet to chew. With tachycardia more than 110 beats / min. it is advisable to take anaprilin (if there are no contraindications).
It is important that first aid is provided as soon as possible after the onset of pain. This helps to avoid serious complications, including myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac arrest. In addition, it should be remembered that even in the case when it was possible to independently eliminate the pain syndrome, you should definitely consult a doctor to find out its etiology and prevent a second attack.
Scientists estimate that heart disease and its consequences have taken away more lives than the military conflicts that have occurred in the entire history of mankind. About 17.5 million cases are added to this number annually. Thus, every third deceased becomes a victim of heart disease.
Most of these deaths were avoidable if the risk factors were reduced. Smoking, being overweight, drinking alcohol and unhealthy eating habits negatively affect heart health.
A significant role in the prevention of negative consequences is played by timely diagnosis and therapy. At the first unpleasant sensations, it is important to find out why the heart hurts. In some cases, the reason lies elsewhere, and the source of sensation is not the heart muscle. Put accurate diagnosis and only a specialist can prescribe treatment.
Unpleasant sensations emanating directly from the heart must be distinguished from pain in the region of the organ. Mostly with lesions of the heart muscle, localization of pain in the central part of the chest is characteristic.
When the heart hurts, the patient most often experiences sensations of the following types: 
- burning;
- tearing;
- compressing, etc.
The pain can occur at rest or after physical activity, the attack can last for several minutes or drag on for hours. In some cases, sensations do not stop after taking nitroglycerin and are accompanied by an increase in heart rate.
Female vessels are less susceptible to atherosclerotic changes due to the effects of sex hormones. With the onset of menopause, the frequency of complaints that the heart hurts increases significantly. In some cases, the sensation can be caused. In addition, in women, the heart often hurts due to increased emotionality. This is a feature of the fair sex.
Where the heart hurts in women most often:
- in the central part of the sternum;
- in the central part of the sternum, radiating to the left hand;
- in the area of the solar plexus;
- in the neck;
- in the central part of the sternum, radiating to both hands, etc.
Causes of symptoms of angina pectoris
In many cases, men see a doctor rather late. This is caused by a number of factors:
- Pain threshold. Men do not always feel that their heart hurts - the symptoms can be veiled and mitigated. This is due to the peculiarities of the anesthetic system of the man's body and the production of the hormone testosterone.
- Physical propensity. Men are characterized by stress that leads to the release of endorphins. These opioid peptides are also a natural pain reliever.
- Pathogenic factors. Smoking and alcohol abuse negatively affect the male heart.
Irradiation is one of the most important diagnostic criteria. It is the process of spreading pain from the affected area to other areas. In particular, when the heart hurts, sensations most often radiate to:
- lower jaw (often resembles a pronounced toothache);
- or both hands;
- in one or both shoulders;
- in the peritoneal region;
- in the neck area, etc.
However, organ pathologies do not always accompany the spread of pain. In some cases, this is how other diseases manifest themselves. Similar symptoms - warning sign requiring immediate medical attention.
Why does it hurt?
Unpleasant or painful sensations can be caused by various pathologies heart muscle. From what the heart hurts, you can say for sure only after the diagnosis. Among the probable reasons:
- (, myocardial infarction, cardiosclerosis);
- inflammatory diseases (pericarditis, endocarditis, myocarditis);
- congenital defects (stenosis pulmonary artery, septal defects, Ebstein's anomaly, etc.);
- acquired defects (stenosis of the mitral valve, stenosis of the pulmonary valve, etc.);
- aortic aneurysm (dissection).
Areas of pain irradiation
In some cases, one of the reasons why it hurts in the heart area may be osteochondrosis. It is possible to distinguish a disease by focusing on certain signs:
- The pain is felt in a specific area related to the affected area.
- There may be numbness, burning, tingling in the same area.
- Possible localized increased sweating, pallor or redness of the skin.
- In some cases, the pain spreads to the limbs, shoulder blades, neck region, etc.
Diagnosis of the reason why the heart hurts from osteochondrosis is often complicated by nonspecific manifestations of articular cartilage disease.
Many people, experiencing pain in the region of the heart, immediately consult a cardiologist. Fortunately, in the majority of cases, the cause is not of a cardiac nature. So, intercostal neuralgia can lead to sensations. You can distinguish it by:
- Like. The pain has a stabbing, cutting, piercing, encircling shape.
- Localization of sensations. Most often they appear between the fifth and ninth ribs, in the solar plexus area.
- Strengthening sensations. With intercostal neuralgia, sensations are exacerbated after a change in body position, sudden movement, strong laughter, coughing or sneezing.
- Feelings do not stop after taking nitroglycerin.
- The condition may occur due to hypothermia.
- Prolonged manifestation of pain. The attack significantly exceeds the duration of the attack of angina pectoris.
At night, sensations in the heart area can be caused by: 
- diseases of the respiratory system (pleurisy, pneumonia, etc.);
- peptic ulcer;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- joint pathologies, etc.
In some cases, the pain is indeed of the heart. Manifestations can be caused by a special form of coronary artery disease - nocturnal angina... Another provoking factor is the narrowing of the lumen of the coronary arteries - coronary spasm.
If the heart hurts and at the same time there is difficulty in breathing, then the probable reasons may be:
- preinfarction state;
- embolism of the pulmonary artery or its branches;
- cardiac asthma, etc.
Complaints of difficulty breathing in combination with pain in the heart indicate the presence of dangerous changes in the body and require an immediate response.
Mostly such manifestations are not associated with pathologies of the heart muscle. Most often this leads to:
- traumatic effects on the chest;
- respiratory pathology;
- diseases of bones and joints;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- malignant and benign formations;
- intercostal neuralgia, etc.
If the heart hurts when inhaling, the reasons associated with the organ itself may be as follows:
- cardiac ischemia;
- inflammation of the bursa (pericardium);
- heart rhythm disturbances, etc.
In some cases, without additional examination, it is not immediately possible to differentiate the cause.
If, after physical activity, unpleasant sensations arise in the heart muscle, then it is necessary:
- Reduce or completely stop the load until the reasons that led to such manifestations are clarified.
- Pay attention to what types of workouts lead to heart pain. Exclude them from the program.
- Do not increase the load abruptly and without preparation. The increase in the pace of training should occur smoothly.
Running is a cardio load for the body, therefore, it requires an increased blood supply to the heart muscle. The following can lead to painful sensations during or after running:
- coronary spasms (stenosis);
- atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels;
- dystrophic changes in the heart;
- cardiac ischemia.
Non-cardiac causes are also a contributing factor to discomfort or pain while running.
If the "heart" hurts after eating, then this may signal serious violations in organism. As a rule, sensations are associated with pathologies and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. For instance:
- peptic ulcer;
- gastritis;
- hernia of the esophagus;
- pancreatitis.
Also negative factors can be injuries, mechanical influences, pathologies of the respiratory system. Among the cardiac factors are:
- pericarditis;
- myocarditis;
- endocarditis;
- coronary heart disease, etc.
According to the researchers' data, small amounts of coffee are not capable of affecting the organs. However, excessive consumption of an invigorating drink can lead to disruption of the body. Coffee prevents blood pressure from dropping, which makes it dangerous for people with arterial hypertension... In addition, the drink promotes the elimination of a number of minerals from the body, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the heart muscle. The consequences of such exposure can lead to unpleasant sensations. Coffee can lead to the development of gastrointestinal diseases, which sometimes leads to pain in the heart.
Most often, this condition is not associated with organ pathologies, but is caused by an adaptation process. The female body is undergoing hormonal changes in order to create optimal conditions for the growth and development of the fetus.
In addition, pain during pregnancy can be caused by:
- changes in the tone of the autonomic nervous system;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- anemia;
- gestosis;
- etc.
Soreness in an organ or its area can be caused by:
- diseases of the joints and bones;
- pathologies of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
- impaired renal function;
- the injury received;
- neuralgia;
- heart disease;
- inflammatory disease, etc.
The child usually cannot show where the heart hurts (a photo with a picture of a person can help parents find out the localization of sensations). The reason most often has nothing to do with the cardiovascular system, but is the reason for an urgent appeal to a specialist.
Puberty is accompanied by hormonal changes and rapid growth. It is at this time that a teenager may begin to complain that his heart hurts. This could be due to:
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- rheumatism;
- myocarditis;
- psycho-emotional overstrain.
The best prevention of negative manifestations in adolescents is healthy image life and adherence to the daily routine.
Vegeto-vascular dystonia is special form disorders of the nervous system, manifested in the form of various symptoms. One of them is pain in the heart.
As a rule, such sensations:
- are long lasting;
- are associated with psycho-emotional stress;
- stop after taking sedatives.
Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia is carried out in a comprehensive manner. It is recommended to visit a psychologist, adjust the daily regimen and adhere to the principles of a balanced diet.
Excitement and stress can trigger the mechanisms that make your heart ache. Exactly:
- Vascular spastic reaction. Stenosis of arteries and veins, leading to the manifestation of myocardial ischemia or angina pectoris. The condition develops as a result of a pronounced reaction of the adaptation system.
- Cardioneurosis. Soreness of the heart muscle caused by psychological or mental factors.
Alcoholic drinks have a toxic effect on the entire body as a whole. The heart also suffers from their use. Long-term intake of alcoholic beverages leads to the following changes in the organ:
- Development of fatty degeneration. It is characterized by excessive accumulation of fat cells in the tissues of the heart muscle.
- Dilation. This is the stretching of the cavities of the organ, leading to disruptions in its work.
- Hypertrophy. Excessive development and thickening of the heart tissue.
People who regularly consume alcohol for a long period develop alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
After a stormy evening, my heart hurts for a number of reasons. Most often due to:
- with stenosis of the coronary arteries associated with the end of the vasodilating effect of alcohol;
- toxic effects of acetaldehyde;
- , which often occurs against the background of angina pectoris.
Feelings can occur both in people who regularly take alcohol, and in those who rarely indulge in strong drinks.
Unpleasant sensations in the left half of the sternum may be the result of the most different diseases... Manifestations are recorded in people of any age, have different shapes and duration. At the first such manifestations, it is necessary to consult a specialist. An experienced doctor, based on the description of the nature of pain sensations, in many cases will be able to make a preliminary diagnosis.
Useful video
How bad habits affect a person's heart, see the following video:
Conclusion
- Life and health largely depend on ourselves. That is why it is so important to understand how and where a person's heart hurts, and in which cases there is another reason.
- Preventive examinations, regular examinations and self-observation reveal many dangerous conditions at the initial stage.
- Seeing a doctor early increases the chances of success for subsequent therapy.
In this article, you will learn how pain in the heart manifests itself in case of heart diseases, the main factors in the appearance of unpleasant sensations. In our time, the pathology of the cardiovascular system is the main cause of death. Doctors are sounding the alarm about this, creating new drugs and technologies to fight diseases.
Most people have complained of chest pain at least once. They don't always indicate heart problems. Everyone needs to know how the heart really hurts, what the symptoms may be. You will learn the causes and methods of dealing with heart pathologies.
This article will be useful to all readers, since any of us can experience heart pains. After all, timely diagnostics is the key to a healthy heart.
The human heart, the heart muscle is the central organ of the circulatory system. Every day, the human heart carries out more than 80,000 contractions, constantly being in a mode of vigorous activity, cyclically changing the phases of rest and active contractions.
The human heart is located in the chest cavity, where it lies on the dome of the diaphragm. It is represented by a special type of muscle tissue. The human heart consists of four chambers, the activity of which falls on different period cycle. Valves are located between the chambers, which close and open in different phases reductions.
The heart always hurts unpleasantly. This organ is so sensitive that heaviness in the heart can occur due to poor ecology, gas pollution. As soon as there is not enough oxygen in the heart muscle, a feeling of heaviness arises.
Severity in the heart muscle can occur due to frequent experiences, stress, nervous conditions.
Distress signals are always given by a feeling of heaviness and a slight tingling sensation in the region of the heart. Panic can arise even when there are no prerequisites to worry. But in order to be safe from disturbances in the functioning of the body in case of any unusual sensations in the region of the heart, you need to visit a doctor.
The heart is an organ that does not tolerate self-medication. You cannot postpone the visit to a specialist if the feeling of heaviness in the heart is constantly present.
Classification of causes
Heart pain is the most common reason for calling an ambulance or an urgent visit to the doctor. By genesis, doctors distinguish two large groups of heart pains:
- angular, which a patient with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease experiences at different stages of the course of the disease;
- cardialgia arising against the background of inflammation, congenital diseases or heart disease, as well as VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia).
Angular pain in the heart is associated with insufficient blood supply to the myocardium; they are also called ischemic or angina pectoris. Usually they are paroxysmal in nature and occur during physical effort or during stress, that is, when there is a need for increased blood flow; to relieve pain, a person usually needs to calm down, relax and take medication.
Most often, angular pain is felt as burning, pressure, squeezing; it arises in the retrosternal region, radiates to the left arm, shoulder, mandibular region. It may be accompanied by a disturbance in the rhythm of breathing, a feeling of lack of air (shortness of breath).
If the patient has a very bad heartache, he complains of burning, tearing, squeezing or pressing sensations - it is necessary to suspect a myocardial infarction in the acute stage and provide urgent medical attention.
Cardialgias are caused by rheumatic heart disease, affected heart muscle (myocarditis), inflammation of the pericardial sac (pericardium). The patient complains that the heart hurts for a long time: it hurts, aches, painful sensations spread on the left side of the sternum, aggravated by coughing and simply by deep breathing... Taking pain relievers may provide some relief.
Another large group of reasons why a person has a heartache has nothing to do with the heart itself; in these cases, pain is provoked by damage to other organs:
- Pain in the heart area can be caused by thoracic radiculitis (or intercostal neuralgia), as well as pathologies of the costal cartilage. This pain increases or decreases when a person bends over, turns the body, breathes deeply, and moves his arms. Standard "heart" drugs in this case do not affect the intensity of the pain syndrome in any way.
- A rather severe pain spreading along the intercostal spaces may be the first symptom of an infectious disease Herpes zoster - shingles.
- In patients with neuroses, it also often hurts in the region of the heart; attacks occur periodically, do not last long, localized in a small area. Patients define their condition as "stabbing in the chest", "aching", or find it difficult to characterize the sensations.
- If a person is in a stressful or depressed state, he may experience pain localized in the neck and shoulder region. The fear that a "heart attack" is about to begin usually makes the condition worse; in fact, such pain is associated exclusively with muscle tension, and any cardiologist can explain this to the patient.
- Bloated bowels can also cause pain in the region of the heart: physical pressure causes some heart functions to malfunction.
- It happens that pain in the heart region is caused by diseases of the stomach and pancreas. In this case, a person can trace a clear dependence of pain on the intake of a particular food or on hungry periods.
- Pain in the region of the heart can appear with osteochondrosis, curvature or weakening of the spine in the thoracic region, infringement of the nerve root (cardiac nerve), etc.
To make sure in the presence or absence of heart and cardiovascular diseases, the patient should know how the heart hurts.
Diseases of the heart that may cause chest pain:
- Heart attack.
- Ischemic disease hearts.
- Pericarditis.
- Myocarditis.
- Cardiomyopathy.
- Mitral valve prolapse.
- Stenosis.
- Thromboembolism.
- Aortic dissection.
- Arrhythmia.
This disease can be different in its symptoms. Most often, a person has pressing pain in the center of the chest, which is characterized by irradiation to the left side of the body.
In addition, there may be symptoms such as nausea, increased sweating, irregularities in the rhythm of the pulse, a feeling of weakness, anxiety, and often dizzy.
In some cases, a heart attack can develop without any external manifestations, even unpleasant sensations in the area of the heart may be absent. With an extensive heart attack, the patient loses consciousness, his lips and fingertips turn blue, breathing difficulties arise, and suffocation may occur.
If there is a suspicion of a heart attack, you need to immediately call an ambulance, because delay can cost a person his life.
IHD is usually associated with angina pectoris. In this case, the heart can work intermittently, the pulse becomes frequent and irregular, dizziness and difficulty breathing occur. The patient feels heaviness and tightness in the chest. Possible irradiation to the scapula, shoulders, arms, throat.
These symptoms appear most often with strong emotions or heavy physical exertion. When pain occurs at night or at rest, it is a dangerous sign.
This disease is associated with inflammatory processes occurring in the outer membranes of the heart. Painful sensations are most acutely manifested when coughing and on inhalation, they are usually concentrated in the middle of the chest. Often they are accompanied by breathing difficulties, increased pulse.
In this case, the pain can be stabbing, pressing or aching. Often it occurs in the absence of physical stress. It also cannot be neutralized with nitroglycerin.
Pain in the chest with this disease varies depending on the stage of development of the disease. Initially, they arise in the absence of stress, they can last for a fairly long period, they are felt in different parts of the chest.
It is not possible to overcome such an attack with nitroglycerin. Over time, pain can occur with attacks in the form of a reaction to overstrain. It also increases the possibility of stopping it medicines.
An unpleasant sign in this case is not a reaction to stress or emotions. The area of localization of pain becomes the left side of the chest.
The sensation can be pressing, aching or nagging, the effect of nitroglycerin does not lend itself to. This disorder is accompanied by dizziness, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing. Fainting also occurs.
When the patient has this pathology, there may be a feeling of tightness in the chest. A person quickly gets tired, has difficulty breathing, feels weak, dizzy and faints.
The main symptom of this serious condition is severe pain that gets worse when you try to take a deep breath.
At the same time, there is no irradiation. A person's blood pressure decreases, the skin may acquire a bluish tint, the pulse quickens greatly, and breathing difficulties arise. The use of nitroglycerin does not work.
If a person has this problem, they experience severe pain, from which they may even faint. This disease requires immediate medical care otherwise the patient may die.
There are several types of arrhythmias, and some of them are characterized by pain radiating to the left. In addition, there is a feeling of weakness, difficulty breathing, dizziness.
How to understand that a heart hurts
As already found out, it can hurt in the chest area not only because of cardiac pathology. This is due to the fact that all internal organs are interconnected by nerve endings.
To make sure that it is the heart that hurts, you need to contact a medical institution for examination and confirmation or refutation of the diagnosis. The manifestation of heart pain directly depends on the reasons that provoked it, we will talk about the peculiarities of pain later. Such pains can be:
- pulling;
- tingling;
- aching;
- squeezing;
- cutting;
- with recoil to the hand, under the shoulder blade.
In both sexes, the heart hurts in a similar way, and the differences in this symptom are dictated not so much by gender as by individual characteristics. However, the threshold of pain sensitivity in men and women is different. The pain threshold of men is influenced by the degree of activity of the antinociceptive system.
Neurotransmitters-endorphins, which belong to the group of endogenous opiates, muffle pain. Since men have certain characterological characteristics and are more prone to systematic physical activity, they release endorphins more regularly and in greater quantities than women.
The threshold is also positively influenced by the hormone testosterone, which, by definition, is several times higher in men. Such gender characteristics of the perception of a pain signal lead to a late visit to the doctor, which delays the moment of onset of adequate therapeutic interventions... Of course, not one symptom is treated, but the disease itself as a whole.
How earlier treatment starts, the more effective it will be. Notably, regular alcohol consumption also increases pain threshold, which increases the risk coronary death, because the heart begins to ache weakly and often after the onset of irreversible ischemic changes.
Typical soreness behind the sternum means clinical manifestation ordinary angina pectoris. The heart hurts behind the breastbone and radiates to upper limb, collarbone, neck, lower jaw on the left. For determining painful area patients point to the mid-left chest region. These symptoms are very similar to myocardial infarction.
There are situations when a man focuses on the areas of irradiation and describes them in the first place, which is already regarded as atypical angina... Sometimes the individual characteristics of the innervation of internal organs determine the fact that it hurts at the level of the stomach, in the hypochondrium. The nature of this symptom in this case is more diffuse, bursting, depressing.
And sometimes they come to the fore vegetative symptoms when the heart hurts, but not so much. With dextracardia, it hurts more on the right side.
How the heart hurts in women
In most cases, the pain syndrome does not fundamentally differ from men, however, women react to pain in the heart earlier and more actively, which is associated with their physiological high sensitivity and, accordingly, a lower pain threshold.
Women are less likely to use substances that increase the pain threshold, less likely to engage in activities that require physical activity, which determines their more low level endorphins.
Their testosterone is several times lower than that of healthy men, which contributes to the formation of the pain threshold. Most often, women experience the following symptoms:
- ordinary cough;
- general weakness and pallor;
- elevated temperature;
- high or low blood pressure;
- general swelling;
- dizziness in crowded places and motion sickness in any transport;
- frequent shortness of breath;
- recurrent vomiting and nausea;
- pain in the neck or shoulder blades, resembling ordinary osteochondrosis;
- pain in the chest area;
- strong and frequent heartbeats.
As a rule, cough is a symptom of viral diseases, flu, colds and bronchitis. However, it is worth giving Special attention such a minor symptom, if expectorant drugs do not help. A dry cough that suddenly appears in a supine position is a valid cause for alarm.
Concerning general weakness body and pallor, then such symptoms are signs of disorders and disorders of the nervous system. Such symptoms are characteristic of cardiac muscle neuroses, although they are often associated with other diseases.
Heart pain in young children and junior schoolchildren occurs for the same reasons as in adults. However, some causes are diagnosed more often in babies than in their parents, others are much less common, and still others do not occur in adults, and disappear in children as they grow.
- If the blood vessels in the baby's heart grow faster than the organ itself, and its blood supply is too intense, the baby feels pain.
- Active, emotional children complain that their heart aches after brisk running or walking.
Their vegetative system has not yet matured, and the body does not know how to quickly adapt to changing physical activity. But as soon as the child takes a breath and rest a little, the pain goes away. In adolescents, heart pain accompanies vegetative dystonia: Tingling in the left chest and armpit.
You can not hesitate to visit a doctor if it hurts the child to breathe deeply or cough, especially if the complaints appeared several weeks after a cold, flu or streptococcal infection (scarlet fever, sore throat). This is how viral myocarditis or rheumatism begins. Pericardial inflammation or cardiomyopathy can be suspected if the child complains of heart pressure.
However, you should not panic ahead of time! At the initial appointment, you will tell the doctor what worries you about the baby's health, he will examine the child and ask him questions, make a cardiogram, if possible, conduct an exercise test. Small child does not yet know how his heart hurts, he cannot always show exactly where he feels the pain.
The baby cries and points to the chest, but it is quite possible that the gallbladder is disturbing him, and the pain radiates to the sternum; in younger schoolchildren, pain is caused by incipient scoliosis or osteochondrosis. If the cardiological examination shows that the child is healthy, the doctor will refer the child to a neurologist, gastroenterologist or orthopedist.
Tingling
If your heart tingles sometimes, don't put yourself terrible diagnoses... It often appears as a result of injuries or problems with the musculoskeletal system. Tingling sensation can occur with such heart pathologies:
- angina pectoris;
- dystonia;
- pericarditis;
- myocardial infarction;
- pulmonary embolism.
Diseases not associated with the main human motor can lead to "false" symptoms in the form of tingling:
- intercostal neuralgia - differs from the cardiac point of localization;
- osteochondrosis - such pain, unlike heart pain, goes away after taking antispasmodics;
- instability of the nervous system - in addition to pain, there is insomnia and constant fatigue.
Also, do not forget that tingling in the heart area can be caused by overexertion during physical exertion, fast walking, the presence of a cold (flu, ARVI).
The main "culprit" of chest pains radiating to the left arm is called ischemia. Also, very often this symptom is noted when:
- angina pectoris or, as it is popularly called, "angina pectoris";
- heart muscle infarction;
- myocarditis;
- atherosclerosis (plaques reduce the lumen of blood vessels, thereby preventing the heart from working normally).
Pain in the heart and left arm can provoke diseases not associated with the main organ, namely:
- inflammation in the anterior part of the mid-chest cavity, usually due to trauma to the digestive system. The return of pain to the left hand occurs during inhalation / exhalation, swallowing;
- periarthritis, arthritis, tendonitis of the shoulder joint, with such disorders the center of pain is the left shoulder joint, which irradiates her into the arm and chest;
- intercostal neuralgia, located on the left side. An awkward twist of the body or raising an arm usually causes a painful spasm;
- all kinds of pneumonia, pleurisy, tumors located on the left side of the respiratory tract. Usually, in addition to pain, there are: shortness of breath, cough, lack of oxygen;
- for women - different types of education and inflammatory processes in the mammary glands. With such problems, tissues are compressed, to which nearby lymph nodes react, spreading pain to nearby tissues;
- diseases associated with disruption of the autonomic nervous system, the manifestations of which can be pain in the sternum and aches in the left arm.
How the heart hurts with angina
With angina pectoris, the patient complains of pain, as if someone stepped on his chest. Chest discomfort is described as a constricting feeling that interferes with breathing. It was this sensation that provoked in ancient times to call this ailment angina pectoris.
It can be localized not only near the heart, but also in the left hand, shoulder, neck, jaw. Basically, the pain syndrome appears suddenly, and it can be provoked by strong physical, emotional stress, food intake, and a deep breath. The duration of such pain is up to 15 minutes.
Myocardial infarction is an ischemic necrosis of heart tissue:
- in the process (with an attack), necrotic areas appear on the myocardium, a sudden sharp pain appears with irradiation to the left arm and back;
- there is numbness in the limb;
- with a small area of necrosis, the patient feels a burning sensation and squeezing in the sternum, but can stand on his feet.
The insidiousness of pathology lies in the fact that symptoms may be completely absent. The patient can only occasionally complain of chest discomfort. With extensive tissue damage, a person loses consciousness and requires immediate resuscitation, followed by hospitalization.
Pericarditis pain
Pericarditis is an inflammatory lesion of a particular lining of the heart. Basically, this pathology is a consequence (complication) of other diseases:
- Pain with pericarditis is felt in the middle of the chest, it can be given to the back, arm.
- It is especially felt during swallowing, during deep inhalation / exhalation, coughing, and lying down.
- It feels like a dull, aching pain in rare cases with a cutting feeling.
Sitting down or leaning slightly forward gives relief. People suffering from this pathology have shallow breathing and heart palpitations.
With pericarditis, doctors come to doctors with complaints of stabbing, pressing or aching pain in the heart region that occurs spontaneously, regardless of physical activity, and taking nitroglycerin does not lead to improvement.
How to distinguish pain from non-cardiac origins
Any tingling, pain, squeezing on the left side of the chest suggests thoughts of heart problems. Is it so? It should be noted that the nature of heart pain differs from noncardiogenic manifestations.
- Non-heart pain is characterized by:
- tingling sensation;
- shooting;
- acute pain in the chest, left arm when coughing or sudden movement;
- do not disappear after taking nitroglycerin;
- constant presence (not paroxysmal).
- heaviness;
- burning sensation;
- compression;
- spontaneous appearance, come in attacks;
- disappearance (fading) after taking nitroglycerin;
- irradiation to the left side of the body.
What to do if the motor hurts
Heart pains terribly frighten a person, it seems to him that the condition is catastrophic. From here, unnecessary stress can arise, which will further exacerbate the situation.
It is in order to prevent negative consequences, with the slightest ailments in the work of the cardiac system, that the patient needs to visit a doctor. Here are some tips in case you can't see a doctor:
- The first thing to do in this situation is to calm down. It is strictly forbidden to get nervous in this case.
- An excellent sedative is an infusion of valerian or motherwort. You can also take another soothing herbal infusion.
- In case of heart pain, it is not recommended to lie down, it is best to take a comfortable sitting position and rest.
- A nitroglycerin tablet placed under the tongue until it is completely dissolved will help reduce soreness in the chest area.
- As a sedative, you can drink a mixture of warm milk and iodine (10 drops of iodine in a glass of milk). Drink 3 times a day, with a course of 2 weeks.
- Also, foot baths with the addition of powdered mustard will help relieve pain in the heart.
With heart pain, it is very important to monitor your diet. The daily menu should include dishes rich in calcium and potassium. It is necessary to completely exclude alcoholic beverages, strong coffee and even tea from the diet. In addition, it is necessary to limit the consumption of flour, sweet, fatty and fried foods.
Boiled food should be preferred. In the event that the ailment manifests itself regularly, then the person needs to take care of his physical condition... To do this, it is recommended to avoid nervous and stressful situations, play sports, and have good quality rest - often walk in parks or forests, where there is fresh air.
It is important to remember that a sharp pain in the heart is a sign serious illnesses, which should only be treated by a specialist. At home, you can relieve an attack of pain, but after that, a visit to a cardiologist is still a necessity.
When a patient seeks a doctor with a complaint of heart pain, the symptoms should be carefully examined and performed diagnostic procedures... This will help identify the cause of the deviation and prescribe the most correct and effective treatment.
The patient must strictly follow medical recommendations and in no case self-medicate - this can be dangerous. Investigating the activity of the heart, the following methods are used:
- Stress ECG (performed during physical activity using simulators).
- Holter monitoring (data are recorded throughout the day, while the patient performs his usual tasks).
Phonocardiography helps to identify diseases associated with the activity of the heart valves. If there is a need to study the state of the heart chambers, an ultrasound of the heart is used. The work of the vessels is examined using coronary angiography.
Since heart pain can occur due to problems with other organs, it may be necessary additional ways diagnostics. This:
- MRI of the spine.
- Radiography.
- Blood test (general and biochemical).
In addition, a cardiologist can refer a person with such symptoms to a neurologist, orthopedist, gastroenterologist and other specialists for examination. Based on this all, conclusions will be drawn about the reasons painful sensations... Cardiologists say that certain conclusions can be drawn from the way the patient describes his condition.
When the patient is able to accurately characterize the sensation, the cause is usually not related to the heart. But if the symptoms are described a little, and the person's story is laconic, this indicates a heart pathology.
Most of the drugs are sold over the counter and must be at home. You can familiarize yourself with the types of medicines in the article:
- Validol.
- Corvalol.
- Acetylsalicylic acid.
- Cardiomagnet.
It has a calming effect and is useful for relieving stress. In the fight against angina pectoris, the drug is ineffective, to enhance the action, it is recommended to take nitroglycerin at the same time. Both funds are placed under the tongue and dissolve.
Has a strong sedative effect, helps with intercostal neuralgia. Available in tincture and tablets.
Attention! It has been proven that Corvalol has a negative effect on the vital functions of the liver. When applying, you need to consult a doctor.
The familiar aspirin is able to cope with pain in the heart, just one pill is enough. Chew the drug well.
Has analgesic effect, in addition, does not harm the stomach. One-time intake of one tablet. These remedies will help when your heart hurts at home.
Important! Any drug must be approved by a specialist.
In ancient times, there were no modern medical devices, people successfully healed heart ailments with the gifts of nature. How to help a sick heart? Many recipes have survived to this day and help when the heart hurts and the hand grows numb.
- Garlic. Eating two cloves of garlic daily will help prevent heart pain.
- Hawthorn. In the treatment of heart pains, an infusion of berries will help. For cooking you need:
- take red hawthorn berries - 20 g and lemon balm herb - 15 g;
- put in a glass, add boiling water and send to a water bath;
- cook for 20 minutes, then cool and drain through cheesecloth.
The infusion can be drunk 20 ml before each meal. The course of treatment is two days. You can also make a hawthorn tincture: the berries are poured not with water, but with vodka and infused for 14 days in a dark place.
For cooking dosage form you will need herbs of a string, motherwort, lingonberry leaves and chamomile flowers with hawthorn, they are taken in 20 g each and mixed thoroughly.
Now take 25 g of the composition, place in a glass and pour boiling water over it. Insist for 4 hours, then strain through cheesecloth, squeezing the infusion. Drink 50 ml at a time, in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. The duration of treatment is 14 days.
The recipe is useful in that you can cook at any time. The medicine has the form of an infusion; for preparation, you need to pour 60 g of wild carrot seeds in 250 ml of vodka.
The remedy is infused for 20 days in a cool and protected from sunlight location. For the prevention of pain, 6 drops per 20 ml are used. water. Drink three times a day. If you have severe pain in the heart area, then drink 3 drops every 30 minutes.
An infusion is prepared on the basis of the plant, which will help eliminate pain. In the process of preparing 10 g of a dry plant, 200 ml of boiling water is poured and infused in a water bath for 5 minutes. Drink 50 ml at intervals of 4 hours.
This recipe is time-tested, it has come down to our days from ancient times. How to cook: take a liter jar and fill the plant with flowers by three quarters; pour vodka up to the neck and cover with a lid; leave for 20 days, then strain.
For use, you need to dissolve 20 ml of tincture in water. Take water in a ratio of 1:10. Drink no more than three times a day.
Attention! The plant is very poisonous and must be consumed with care.
These plants will not cope with heart pain, but they will calm the nerves, which will have a beneficial effect on the treatment. The recipe is simple:
- herbs, taken in 25 g, pour 250 ml of boiling water;
- insist an hour, then filter;
- drink 25 ml 20 minutes before meals.
Attention! Peppermint lowers blood pressure.
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