Possible causes of stabbing pain in the heart. Pain on the left side of the heart

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death: more than half of those who die from natural causes become victims.

Many factors lead to their development, starting with congenital pathologies and ending with stress and an unhealthy lifestyle. One of the first symptoms becomes pain in the heart.

However, chest pains do not always mean heart problems: problems with the spine, respiratory organs, gastrointestinal tract, and neurological disorders manifest themselves in a similar way.

How does the heart hurt in various diseases, by what signs can cardiac pains be distinguished from non-cardiac ones, and what to do with sudden heart pain?

Heart pain symptoms

The first signs of a serious illness are not always pronounced. In many cases, the heart practically does not bother a person for years, occasionally aches or reminds of itself every day with other unpleasant sensations, such as cold, heaviness, a feeling of squeezing in the chest.

A visit to a cardiologist to check for serious disorders in the functioning of the cardiovascular system is necessary if you observe the following symptoms:

After physical exertion or with nervous overstrain in the chest area, it pulls, presses or burns, colitis makes you feel sick;
During meals, walks, with laughter, shortness of breath, which at first glance seems to be unreasonable, begins;
There is increased fatigue;
erectile dysfunction in men;
Numbness of the extremities, blue at the base of the nails;
Snoring and sleep apnea, especially when lying on your back;
Edema, especially swelling of the feet and hands. In the early stages, they are noticeable only by indirect signs - the shoes begin to press, the rings cut into the fingers. But even slight edema is a very serious symptom that speaks of circulatory disorders.

Vasospasm

A visit to a cardiologist, correct diagnosis and timely therapy can save the patient's life.

Causes of chest pain associated with the heart

Not all pains on the left side of the chest are cardiac.

The most common cardiac causes can be divided into several groups:

Vascular pathologies	Inflammatory diseases	Congenital and autoimmune pathologies
myocardial infarction;	Pericarditis;
ischemic heart disease and angina pectoris;	Endocarditis;	Heart defects;
	Myocarditis.	cardiomyopathy;
TELA.		Arrhythmias of various origins.

myocardial infarction

A heart attack is one of the most formidable heart diseases, without urgent medical care often causing the death of a patient.

The cause of a heart attack is an acute circulatory disorder: blockage of a blood vessel by a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque leads to necrosis of areas of the heart muscle that have lost nutrition. The symptoms are the same for women and men.

Pain in a heart attack is not relieved by nitroglycerin and other drugs.

Extensive necrosis of the heart muscle is accompanied by loss of consciousness, blue lips and nails, respiratory disorders. In some cases, the discomfort characteristic of myocardial infarction is not accompanied by pain at all.

At the first suspicion of a heart attack, it is necessary to call an ambulance as soon as possible. It is impossible to cope with this condition on your own.

myocardial infarction

angina pectoris

Ischemic heart disease, or IHD, most often develops in men over 45 years of age, and makes itself felt by angina attacks caused by spasm or narrowing of the coronary arteries and malnutrition of the heart muscle.

Its popular name, "angina pectoris", expresses the nature of the pains that manifest an attack - a pressing sensation resembles the heaviness of a small but massive load.

Patients describe this feeling with the words "toad presses."

In addition to pain, which, as with a heart attack, often radiates to the neck, lower teeth, left arm, angina pectoris is manifested by pulse interruptions, shortness of breath, weakness, nausea and dizziness, and sudden pouring sweat.

An attack can begin after severe physical or emotional stress or for no apparent reason - this indicates that the pathological process has gone far enough.

In order to alleviate the patient's condition, it is necessary to provide him with peace and take nitroglycerin.

IHD rarely occurs at normal pressure, so long before the onset of attacks, a person may be tormented by symptoms of arterial hypertension.

Dissection and rupture of an aortic aneurysm

A sharp, sharp pain on the left, so severe that it sometimes leads to loss of consciousness, is one of the main signs of aortic dissection or aneurysm rupture.

These pathologies often occur against the background of connective tissue dysplasia, in which the heart muscle and large blood vessels are more vulnerable than in healthy people.

If the aorta ruptures due to an aneurysm or dissection of its walls, a patient without urgent medical care may die due to massive internal bleeding.

TELA

Blockage of the pulmonary artery by a thrombus leads to disruption of the lung-heart complex.

This condition is accompanied by the following symptoms:

With pulmonary thrombosis, nitroglycerin and other heart medicines do not help. Like most other vascular pathologies, this condition is life-threatening.

Inflammatory heart disease

The development of various kinds of inflammation most often causes streptococcal and staphylococcal infections. Autoimmune processes, fungal infections, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, tuberculosis and syphilis lead to them.

Inflammatory heart diseases include:

Pericarditis- inflammation of the lining of the heart;
Endocarditis- inflammation of the heart valves;
Myocarditis- the heart muscle is directly affected.

Myocarditis

The symptoms of pericarditis are similar to those of angina pectoris. These are pressing, pulling pains in the middle part of the chest, accompanied by shortness of breath and palpitations and radiating to the neck, arm, shoulder, lower jaw.

In a sitting position, the patient breathes easier, and at night during sleep he tries to take a semi-sitting position.

The temperature usually rises to subfebrile.

Endocarditis is manifested by heart rhythm disturbances, symptoms of heart failure - cyanosis of the skin, swelling of the extremities, face, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, shortness of breath.

Pain during inflammation of the heart valves remains mild for a long time, the clinical picture does not correspond to the real severity of the patient's condition. Even with timely treatment, mortality from endocarditis reaches 30%.

With myocarditis, the heart stabs or pulls, attacks of pain are not associated with physical or nervous tension. Like other inflammatory diseases, it is accompanied by fever.

Pericarditis

Excessive extensibility of the chords - constrictions from the connective tissue, to which the "petals" of the heart valve are attached, leads to its prolapse.

Like an aortic aneurysm, this pathology is a frequent companion of connective tissue dysplasia.

Pain during prolapse is not associated with physical and nervous overload, they are localized in the left side of the heart region, have an aching or squeezing character.

Their frequency and strength depend on how severely the functions of the heart valve are impaired.

Heart defects

Most often, congenital malformations of the heart are detected even in the maternity hospital and corrected in the first years of the patient's life.

But some of them give a rather blurred clinical picture, and it is not immediately possible to recognize them.

With age, when body weight and blood volumes increase, the strength of the heart muscle is no longer enough for full-fledged work. Heart defects are manifested by quite a variety of symptoms.

The place where the pain is localized, how serious the concomitant manifestations are, how often and with what intensity they make themselves felt, depends on the general condition of the patient and what kind of heart disease he suffers from. Only a cardiologist can determine the exact diagnosis.

Cardiomyopathy

Most often, cardiomyopathy is a consequence of autoimmune processes. With it, the vessels and valves of the heart remain healthy, and blood pressure does not exceed normal values, however, the heart muscle gradually thickens and loses its elasticity.

The strength, nature of the pains and where they are felt depend on the stage of the disease: with mild cardiomyopathy, the diseased heart reacts with increased heart rate, pressure and tingling to physical activity, with severe it hurts almost constantly.

Unpleasant sensations can be localized in any part of the chest and under the heart, nitroglycerin is ineffective against them.

Cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmias of various kinds most often affect women. Some of them, such as sinus or respiratory arrhythmia, have practically no effect on health, and the patient may learn about them by chance during a planned ECG. Others, such as atrial fibrillation, often lead to fibrillation and sudden death.

During an arrhythmia attack, pain is rather a secondary symptom that occurs against the background of a heart rhythm disorder.

It is rarely very strong and does not go beyond the region of the heart.

Non-cardiac chest pain

Distinguishing heart pain from other pain is not easy enough, not everyone knows whether the chest can hurt due to reasons not related to the heart.

However, information about how non-cardiac diseases manifest themselves will make it possible to understand what hurts even before visiting a doctor.

Osteochondrosis and herniated discs

An attack of thoracic osteochondrosis is easily confused with an attack of angina pectoris. With it, the patient experiences pressing pains that can radiate to the left shoulder and arm.

An attack of pain is accompanied by a feeling of anxiety, fear of death. Most often, an attack is preceded by an unsuccessful fall, or an awkward turn, intense physical activity.

Spinal pain is not relieved by nitroglycerin, but, unlike heart pain, it is relieved by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Nise and Ketorol.

With intercostal neuralgia, most often occurring as one of the complications of herniated discs.

Unpleasant sensations in the form of burning, sharp or dull pains, aggravated by breathing, talking, sudden movements, are often localized above or below the heart.

The patient can easily indicate where the source of pain is located and where it gives off. A pronounced reaction to any movement makes him breathe quickly, superficially and try not to move his hand from the affected side.

It is possible to distinguish intercostal neuralgia from heart pain by the absence of such accompanying symptoms as increased or interrupted pulse and difficulty in breathing that is not associated with unpleasant sensations.

Heart neurosis

Frequent stress, hormonal disorders, increased excitability of the nervous system lead to the development of cardioneurosis.

Prolonged aching pains in the region of the apex of the heart, on the left side of the chest, are accompanied by insomnia, anxiety, often appear after overwork.

Often cardioneurosis accompanies the onset of menopause. On the ECG, as in coronary heart disease, no changes are visible.

Sedatives and sedatives help relieve pain caused by heart neurosis. This condition almost never leads to disruption of the heart muscle and does not threaten the life of the patient.

lung diseases

Pressing, accompanied by heaviness and shortness of breath, chest pain that accompanies diseases of the respiratory system is almost always accompanied by symptoms such as cough, fever, noise in the bronchi. Therefore, it is difficult to confuse it with heart pain.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Arising from many different causes, stomach cramps, burning pain in the chest caused by peptic ulcer or acute gastritis with high acidity, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

In some cases, they are so intense that they resemble the symptoms of a myocardial infarction.

Acute pancreatitis is similarly manifested - inflammation of the pancreas located in the upper left part of the abdominal cavity. It is impossible to stop this life-threatening condition without urgent medical care.

A hernia of the esophagus is easy to recognize. Pain resembling an attack of angina pectoris usually occurs when the patient is in a supine position, and becomes easier as soon as he gets up on his feet.

Spasms of the gallbladder, blockage of the bile ducts by stones are also often manifested by severe pain. Despite the fact that the liver and gallbladder are located on the right side, the pain in this case is girdle and radiates to the second side, to the region of the left hypochondrium.

Nitroglycerin is ineffective in all these diseases. Antispasmodics and agents that reduce the acidity of gastric juice will help relieve unpleasant symptoms.

Article publication date: 02/08/2017

Article last updated: 12/18/2018

From this article you will learn: what diseases can be accompanied by pain in the heart area, is it possible to find out from the characteristics of pain how the heart hurts, and how other organs hurt. Why you need to pay attention to additional symptoms. What to do when heart pain occurs, and which specialist to contact.

The heart is a vital organ connected with all organs and tissues through a system of blood vessels and nerve plexuses. Therefore, pain in the part of the chest where it is located is always perceived as a signal of cardiac pathology. But it is only 60–70% of such a sign. About 30-40% of pains are of non-cardiac origin and are associated with the pathology of other systems.

It is possible to completely stop (relieve) pain in the heart, but this is not enough to get rid of the causative disease of which they are a symptom. In order to solve this problem, you need to contact a specialist who has the most knowledge about the origin of heart pain. This could be a cardiologist, internist or family doctor.

Characteristics of pain in cardiac pathology

The heart can hurt in different ways - it presses, pricks, aches, burns, bakes; and with different strengths - from mild discomfort to intense, pronounced pain. Localization can also be different, but always corresponds to the location of the heart: the region of the sternum, the left half of the chest and the areas located next to it (the left half of the neck, shoulder, shoulder blade, paravertebral and interscapular region).

If it presses

The most common pain that occurs in cardiac pathology is pressing (in 95–99%). It indicates a violation of blood circulation in the coronary arteries, ischemic disease and angina pectoris.

Its typical characteristics are:

It is provoked and intensified by any physical activity, experience or psycho-emotional stress.
It is localized clearly behind the sternum or to the left of it.
Can give to the left hand and shoulder blade.
Accompanied by a feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath and weakness.
Passes at rest after the termination of loadings or reception of nitroglycerin.

Similar manifestations are possible with inflammatory myocardial damage - myocarditis. Additional criteria listed in the table will help distinguish angina pectoris from inflammation.

- a reliable sign of cardiac pathology.

If it bakes

Pain behind the sternum or in the left side of the chest can be acute, burning. Patients say that their heart hurts, as if baking, burning in the chest. Such characteristics of the pain syndrome in 95–99% indicate a particularly dangerous cardiac pathology:

1. Myocardial infarction

Bakes behind the sternum and gives to the left half of the neck, shoulder blade, shoulder.
It occurs suddenly or after a previous pressing pain more often during physical or psycho-emotional stress.
Accompanied by a drop in pressure, sweating, fear of death, marked shortness of breath.
Symptoms are not relieved by taking painkillers or nitroglycerin.

2. Pulmonary embolism

This is a blockage of the vessels of the lungs by blood clots that enter them from the veins of the lower extremities. According to the characteristics of pain and clinical manifestations, the disease is difficult to distinguish from myocardial infarction (they are almost identical).

3. Dissecting aortic aneurysm

With this pathology, there is a rupture of an abnormally enlarged section of the largest vessel of the body close to the place of exit from the heart.

Burning pain is similar to a heart attack, but:

rarely gives to the left half of the body;
accompanied by pain between the shoulder blades in the spine;
arises and intensifies after a previous episode of high blood pressure.

With acute burning pain in the heart, first of all, you need to think about the most serious illnesses that can end in death if the patient is not provided with emergency care.

If it hurts

Stitching pain is not specific to, but in 20–25% it may indicate them. It can be:

If stabbing sensations are associated with these diseases, they are:

constant and do not depend on the position of the body or certain movements (turning or tilting the torso, raising the arm);
may be aggravated by walking or psycho-emotional stress;
accompanied by general weakness or irritability;
heartbeat is fast or the rhythm is disturbed;
may increase with deep inspiration.

About 80% of stabbing pains in the region of the heart are a symptom of conditions not associated with cardiac pathology.

If there is pain or discomfort

Aching pain and discomfort in the heart are the most non-specific varieties of cardialgia, according to the characteristics of which it is impossible to find out what they are associated with and what to do with them. They equally often indicate both that the heart hurts and about diseases of other organs and systems (muscles and nerves, lungs and pleura, stomach and esophagus). Therefore, it is impossible to focus only on them. The main attention should be paid to the general condition, age of the patient, and other manifestations that are characteristic of cardiac pathology:

acceleration, slowing down or interruptions in the rhythm;
shortness of breath and feeling short of breath;
swelling in the legs;
pressure drops (increase or decrease).

All these symptoms, combined with aching pain or discomfort in the heart, can indicate any of its diseases: from harmless secondary cardialgia in healthy people against the background of body overload to a painless form of myocardial infarction and. To establish the true cause, it is necessary to do examinations, the volume of which can only be decided by a specialist (cardiologist, therapist, family doctor).

If not the heart, then what?

In general, pains localized in the region of the heart - behind the sternum and the anterior surface of the left half of the chest, in 30% indicate the pathology of this organ. They may be caused by the lesions described in the table.

Diseased organs and tissues	Diseases and causes of pain in the heart	Features of pain syndrome: when it occurs and how it proceeds
Spine, ribs, intercostal muscles and nerves	Osteochondrosis	More often sharp, stabbing, like a backache during turns of the torso, a deep breath, or constant aching along the ribs to the left from the spine to the sternum.
	Hernia
	Myositis
	Intercostal neuralgia
Lungs and pleura	Left sided pneumonia	Often aching, heaviness or discomfort is constant, but can be severe acute during each breath, accompanied by shortness of breath, cough, high body temperature.
	Left-sided dry and exudative pleurisy
	Injuries
Esophagus and stomach	diaphragmatic hernia	Aching pain and discomfort behind the sternum, may be heartburn. Occurs after eating (especially overeating), accompanied by belching, heaviness, bloating.
	peptic ulcer
	Reflux esophagitis, erosions and ulcers of the esophagus

Possible causes of heart pain

To understand exactly why pains in the heart arose, pay attention not only to their nature (acute, burning, aching, etc.), but also to other existing symptoms. But remember that they are not always interconnected, as they can be combined manifestations of different diseases in one person (for example, pathology of the esophagus and coronary disease or pleuropneumonia and intercostal neuralgia).

Diagnosis: main features of cardiac and non-cardiac pain

The table describes the most common criteria and signs by which you can determine what the pain in the region of the heart is connected with - with its defeat or not. This data will help you understand what to do with a sick person and whether he needs emergency care.

Heartache	non-cardiac pain
Behind the sternum or to the left of it along the anterior surface	Spot in one area of the left half of the chest
Gives to the left arm, neck, shoulder blade	Gives along the ribs on the left, into the spine
Pressing, burning, stabbing	Stitching, aching, shooting
Triggered or exacerbated by exercise (walking)	Provoked by sharp turns of the body, deep breath, eating
More often paroxysmal	paroxysmal or persistent
Decreases at rest	Decreases in a certain position of the body (stationary on the left side, half-sitting)
It is removed (stopped) by nitroglycerin	Does not decrease after nitroglycerin, is stopped by painkillers
Chest pressure does not increase pain	Pressure on the pain point, near the spine and along the ribs is painful
Accompanied by symptoms: shortness of breath or shortness of breath; palpitations or interruptions; high or low pressure; sweating and weakness; general disorder.	Possible additional symptoms: curvature and crunch of the spine; cough and fever; heartburn, feeling sour in the mouth; belching, abdominal discomfort; the general condition is rarely disturbed.

What to do, how to help

If you don't know the cause of the pain

If you cannot determine what causes heart pain - regardless of the cause of their occurrence, do the following:

Do not panic, calm down, do not be nervous, breathe smoothly and shallowly.
Physical rest - it is better to lie down or sit down so that the torso is slightly elevated, in extreme cases, just stand if you feel that you will not fall.
Access to fresh air - on the street, simply unfasten the top buttons or tie, which can squeeze the neck and chest, in the room, additionally open a window, window or door.
Measure your heart rate and blood pressure whenever possible. If the pulse rate is above 90–95 or less than 55–60 per minute, and the pressure is above 140/90 mm Hg. Art. or below 100/60 (more or less than your usual numbers) - call an ambulance (phone 103), as there is a high probability of serious heart disease.
If after a few minutes the pain does not decrease, take an anesthetic (Ketanov, Panadol, Imet, Diclofenac) in combination with Aspirin or chew and place only Aspirin under the tongue.
If after 15-20 minutes the pain in the heart does not go away or intensifies, this may indicate a heart attack - call an ambulance. This can be done when it first appeared, if the pain is burning, severe, accompanied by shortness of breath, pallor and sweating of the skin, a sense of fear of death, high or low pressure.

For any cardiac or non-cardiac pain in the chest, in no case should you take Citramon, Copacil or other drugs containing caffeine!

If you know the cause of the pain

If you know the presumptive or exact cause of pain in the heart, in addition to the main measures, you need to do the following:

For angina pectoris:

take Nitroglycerin under the tongue;
chew Cardiomagnyl or another drug containing acetylsalicylic acid;
with normal or elevated pressure and pulse, you can take beta-blockers (Metoprolol, Bisoprolol, Nebival);
persistence of pain for more than 30 minutes is a reason to call an ambulance;
if the pain goes away, contact your cardiologist, internist or family doctor.

With myocarditis and pericarditis, all that can be done at the first stage of help is to take painkillers. Be sure to contact a cardiologist and the sooner the better.
For intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis or other problems with the spine, take painkillers (Analgin, Diclofenac, Dolaren, Nimid) and consult a neurologist.
For problems with the stomach and esophagus, stick to a diet, for pain, you can take Omez, Famotidine, Maalox, Motorix, Motilium. For specialized help, contact a gastroenterologist.

Pain in the heart area is a symptom of diseases not only of the heart. Whenever it appears, it is first of all necessary to exclude its pathology (this condition is the most dangerous and most often requires emergency medical care).

Often people confuse chest pain on the left side of the heart and one that is a harbinger of other problems in the body, for example, squeezing a nerve in the spine. However, imitation of pain in the heart of a non-cardiogenic nature is completely plausible. You need to consult with both a neurologist and a cardiologist to find the reason why your heart aches.

Non-cardiogenic pain

In medical practice, any pain in the heart is called cardialgia. They are aching, dull nature, and there are sharp and strong. A person usually immediately reacts to the latter and goes to see a doctor. But when the heart just aches for a long time, everyone blames it on fatigue. And this is fraught with consequences.

Non-cardiogenic aching pain in the heart can be due to several reasons:

heart neurosis;
advanced osteochondrosis;
VVD (vegetovascular dystonia);
extrasystoles.

Suspicions of extrasystoles (violation of the rhythm of contraction) arise if the patient says that he has pressure in his chest, there are sensations of a sinking heart, and at the same time there are difficulties with swallowing.

How to recognize these conditions? Is it life-threatening when the heart aches? A qualified cardiologist should recognize the exact cause of discomfort and pain in the chest.

Pain due to osteochondrosis

When examining a patient who complains of chest pain on the left side, the doctor should do tests. After all, the sensations with angina pectoris are almost the same, sometimes there is an innervation of pain in the left hand, but the attack lasts only 3 to 5 minutes.

As a diagnostic, experts suggest checking:

Throwing back his head and moving his bent arms first back then up, a person with problems in the thoracic spine will immediately feel pain in the chest.
Nitroglycerin promotes vasodilation, therefore it is used to stop an attack of angina pectoris. After taking nitroglycerin tablets or drops, the pain goes away after 5-10 minutes. And if not, then the pain is not heart.

There are many interconnected nerve plexuses in the chest, which are innervated when stimulated. Therefore, pains due to the spine are quite obvious. With osteochondrosis, discomfort usually increases with turns, sudden movements, or when inhaling. But there is no danger to life. Heart pain manifests itself in a different way: they do not depend on the position of the body.

Psychogenic factors

Caused by strong and prolonged stress, chest pain on the left side is called cardiac neurosis. When diagnosing, a cardiologist does not detect any abnormalities in the work of this organ. However, piercing or aching pains do not stop attacking a person. They are unpredictable in nature. Some people note the feeling that something is pressing in the chest, others notice that the pain is sharp. All sensations are very subjective. And the pain is transmitted either to the limbs or to the back.

In such cases, it is necessary to consult a psychotherapist who deals specifically with neuroses and knows the symptoms of psychosomatic disorders. Along with pain, there may be: asthenia, a decrease in temperature below 36 ° C, numbness of the extremities and headaches.

Vegetovascular dystonia

The disease is also characterized by dull and aching pains, as is the case with angina pectoris. The main symptom found in all patients with VVD is complaints that the heart aches and the left hand goes numb. Sometimes a tingling sensation is felt in the hand. The pain is accompanied by tremor of the limbs and constant fatigue.

Often these patients have problems with sleep and a lot of other accompanying symptoms. How to help yourself with such attacks? Doctors recommend taking valocardine (50 drops) and rest. In fact, VVD is the same serious disease and requires treatment by a psychoneurologist.

Cardiogenic pain

Consider the etiology of cardiogenic pain. They are caused by heart disease. These include several groups of ailments:

Myocardial dystrophy is a metabolic disorder of the heart muscle. At the beginning of the disease, a person feels that, for some unknown reason, the heart aches, at first the pain is barely perceptible, but it grows over time. And if you do not consult a doctor at the initial stage, the pain will become sharp and severe.
Heart defects.
Ischemic disease is a violation of blood circulation in the heart artery.
Aortic aneurysm. Other.

Cause-and-effect relationships are of more interest to doctors. How to cope with pain - this question worries a person more if he feels that his heart is aching again. What to do - call a doctor or take valerian? The doctor is called when the most serious heart problems are present - ischemia, severe angina, or aneurysm. If you do not know how these diseases manifest themselves, or if your heart suddenly aches for no reason, although this has not happened before, it is better to play it safe and call an ambulance.

Features of cardiac ischemia

This is a common disease, the main symptom of the disease is chest pain on the left side. Ischemic disease usually develops much faster in women than in men. The main reason is the narrowing of the lumen in the coronary artery, through which the heart receives new blood.

The development of the disease is paroxysmal. At times, the pain subsides, then grows with renewed vigor during the period of exacerbation. Small violations are manifested by rapid fatigue after any physical activity, a person feels: his heart aches. And if you listen to the heartbeat, it will be rapid even in a calm state. Ischemia can be identified by such signs:

sweating is increased;
weakness;
dyspnea;
aching pain in the heart may radiate to the left arm.

If the doctor does not examine in time and does not tell you how to treat your heart, the risk of a heart attack increases many times over. After all, a heart attack is nothing more than a complete cessation of blood flow to the heart due to blockage of blood vessels.

Sometimes physical activity disproportionate to the capabilities of the heart leads to metabolic disorders in it. This is also one of the factors that increase the risk of myocardial infarction.

aortic aneurysm

Increased pressure and atherosclerotic plaques in the vessels lead over time to aneurysm. An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement of a portion of a vessel. Slow dissection of the walls of the aorta with blood threatens that the wall will not withstand the pressure and burst. Then the person needs an urgent operation on the aorta.

An aneurysm pain occurs behind the sternum and radiates to the back. It is not stabbing, but dull, and lasts a long time. Other symptoms are: shortness of breath and problematic swallowing. If the wall begins to tear, then the pain is strong, penetrating. The patient faints, and an urgent need to call the doctors.

Treatment of cardialgia

It depends on the diagnosis. And to diagnose any heart disease is possible only after several studies. When the cause of pain is VVD or intercostal neuralgia, the cardiologist will not help. As for cardiac problems, here, depending on the condition of the patient, the doctor may prescribe medication. But any therapy should be accompanied by a transition to proper nutrition. Otherwise, treatment with pills will be useless.

Serious changes in the vessels of the heart during ischemia cannot be corrected by drugs. When occlusion of the vessels is confirmed on coronography, an operation is prescribed. The essence of the operation is to restore the normal flow of blood with the help of stenting or coronary angioplasty.

These modern methods of treatment completely eliminate the risk of complications during surgery. Tissue damage is minimal. After the operation, it is desirable to conduct another study to verify the effectiveness of stenting.

Pain in the chest can occur for various reasons, they do not always speak of diseases of the heart muscle. Sometimes only a doctor can determine the exact cause of discomfort in the heart and lungs after a complete examination. It is worth knowing if the heart hurts, what symptoms may indicate the development of the disease, what you should pay attention to, what the nature of the pain may be in diseases of other organs.

One of the main difficulties in diagnosing many diseases is that often it starts to hurt in the wrong place where the source of pain is located. In diseases of many organs, pain can radiate to the region of the heart, while there may not be any pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Moreover, in some cases, pain in the chest is not a dangerous condition that speaks of any disease. Painful sensations can occur due to the psychological state of a person or be a temporary phenomenon, for example, due to physical exertion.

Pain in the sternum can be completely different in nature. There are both thrills, literally fettering and not allowing to take a deep breath, and “dull” pain that does not interfere with daily activity, but causes discomfort and anxiety.

To understand what really could provoke pain and immediately consult a suitable doctor and choose a treatment, you should pay attention to the nature of the pain and the accompanying symptoms.

Important! Before starting treatment, you should always undergo an examination, in this case, with self-diagnosis, there is a high probability of error.

How to know what hurts the heart

First of all, it is worth considering the main symptoms of pain associated specifically with the heart muscle and the cardiovascular system. Contrary to misconceptions, pain in the sternum with heart disease is not the most common cause of these sensations. You should consider the most common diseases of the circulatory system, leading to this symptomatology.

angina pectoris

With an attack of this disease, pain occurs precisely in the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart muscle: on the left side, behind the sternum. Angina pectoris is a common disease, pain during an attack usually has the following character:

painful sensations are always "dull", accompanied by a feeling of squeezing, compression;
pain can spread under the shoulder blades, in the jaw, in the left arm;
a feeling of discomfort occurs after emotional stress, physical activity, after heavy meals, at night.

It is also worth noting that the pain does not depend on the position of the human body, the attack usually lasts up to twenty minutes. In addition to discomfort in the heart area, there may be a feeling of panic, dizziness, and it becomes difficult to breathe. Immediately after the withdrawal of the attack, the rest of the symptoms disappear.

Pain of the same nature occurs with inflammatory diseases of the heart muscle. However, it should be borne in mind that inflammation in the body is almost always accompanied by an increase in temperature, therefore, with an inflammatory process in the heart, the patient usually has a high temperature. Also, with inflammation, the joints swell, a cough occurs.

With a heart attack, pain is much more intense, they are sharp, a person feels a burning sensation and heaviness in the heart. With myocardial infarction, it is impossible to lie down, the patient always tries to take a sitting position, breathing becomes more frequent and stray.

With a heart attack, pain increases with sudden, careless movements, in contrast to angina pectoris. These sensations cannot be removed with the usual medicines, in this condition it is advisable to immediately call an ambulance.

aortic aneurysm

With an aortic aneurysm, the pain increases with physical exertion, it is usually localized in the upper part of the sternum. With a dissecting aneurysm, pain becomes bursting in nature, this disease is extremely painful. You need urgent help from a specialist.

In general, in most heart diseases, pain sensations increase rather quickly; in different conditions, they are mainly present, as it were, behind the sternum, always on the left side. Discomfort with heart disease often "gives" to other organs, usually on the left side of the body.

Most often, the pain gives to the left hand. It is also worth considering that with heart disease, the pulse often goes astray, pressure rises or falls for no apparent reason: stress or physical exertion. At the same time, emotional or physical stress can increase pain.

In case of acute, sharp pains, impaired breathing and heartbeat, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. In the event of an attack, it is advisable to immediately call an ambulance, doctors should see if hospitalization is required, say what medicine should be taken to eliminate the attack.

Important! A single attack does not mean that the disease will no longer bother. After relieving pain in the heart, you need to visit a cardiologist as soon as possible and undergo a full examination.

Other causes of pain in the region of the heart

Discomfort, discomfort in the sternum is not always a consequence of heart problems. Especially if symptoms appear in young people who have never encountered diseases of the circulatory system. In this case, you should pay attention to signs of other possible diseases that are not related to heart function.

Osteochondrosis

The cause of discomfort in the chest may be symptoms of osteochondrosis. With this disease, compression of nerve endings in different parts of the spine, blood vessels occurs, in severe cases, pressure is exerted on the lungs. As a result, there is pain in the sternum.

With osteochondrosis, pain is given to the back, under the shoulder blade, usually they are dull in nature and are accompanied by a feeling of numbness. Also, with this disease, there is usually a headache, dizziness, especially when changing position. Osteochondrosis causes many autonomic symptoms, especially as the disease progresses.

Important! With osteochondrosis, sensations similar to those experienced during a panic attack may occur.

In many diseases of the digestive system, pain can be given to the left half of the body and the sternum, especially often this occurs in diseases of the stomach, liver, pancreas. The pains are usually dull, with a slight sensation of pressure.

Usually, pain in the region of the heart is complemented by other symptoms. There is heaviness, pain in the abdomen, especially in the right hypochondrium with pancreatitis, peritonitis, liver diseases. Acute conditions are accompanied by digestive disorders, nausea, vomiting, stool disorders. During inflammation, the temperature rises.

With these diseases, you must urgently consult a doctor. However, in some cases, the feeling of pain in the heart can be triggered by severe heartburn or overeating, in which case the person's condition is not so dangerous. Although with frequent heartburn, it is advisable to consult a gastroenterologist, since it can be a symptom of gastritis.

Psychosomatics

Another cause of pain in the heart is psychological problems. In this case, the person really experiences discomfort, however, during the examination, no problems in the functioning of the organs are observed.

The feeling of pain in the chest is often observed with strong emotional stress, stress, panic attacks. With this condition, there are difficulty breathing, a strong, sometimes causeless feeling of fear, increased sweating, a feeling of derealization.

If discomfort in the sternum occurs for psychological reasons, they disappear with an improvement in the emotional state of a person. Psychosomatic symptoms are more common in women than in men.

It is worth noting that if stress is permanent, a disease called heart neurosis develops. To get rid of it, they recommend psychotherapy, rest from worries, sometimes taking antidepressants and sedatives. Indeed, sometimes the heart hurts "from the nerves." Sometimes constant stress can provoke the development of real diseases of the heart muscle, but this is not the main factor, it usually takes years for the development of the disease.

The child has a heartache: what are the symptoms?

If a child develops any kind of cardiac pathology, the first signs can be seen from the outside. A child with heart problems begins to get tired faster, it is harder for him to study or any other activity that requires serious emotional and physical effort.

Signs of heart disease in a child are a bad sign; in childhood, the body and the cardiovascular system are fully formed. It is at this age that the likelihood of developing severe pathology is high, with signs of the disease, you should definitely contact a cardiologist.

What to do

First of all, you should not immediately panic if the pain is not acute, there is no threat to life, you should make an appointment with a therapist or cardiologist if you are sure that the problem is in the heart. At the appointment, the nature of the pain and accompanying symptoms should be described, then the doctor should send for examination.

Be sure to do an ECG, take a general blood test. If osteochondrosis is suspected, an x-ray of the cervical region is required. If there is a possibility that the pain is caused by digestive problems, you need an examination by a gastroenterologist, ultrasound of the liver, pancreas, and other organs.

In each individual case, the list of necessary studies will be different, it all depends on the symptoms present and information about already diagnosed diseases.

Treatment depends on the cause of the discomfort. In some cases, therapy is not needed at all if the pain is provoked by a single stressful situation. However, there are several drugs that will help relieve anxiety during emotional stress or while waiting for an ambulance with possibly serious heart disease.

First of all, sedative preparations of natural origin are acceptable: based on motherwort, valerian, and other medicinal herbs. Also, if there are no contraindications, you can try to stop the pain in heart disease with nitroglycerin.

With osteochondrosis, you can take painkillers. The most effective for this disease are Diclofenac, Nimesulide, Ibuprofen. After a while, the pain should subside.

In order for pain to no longer occur, it is imperative to establish their exact cause and begin treatment. It is worth remembering that for most diseases that cause this symptom, self-medication is unacceptable, otherwise they can worsen their course.

Pain near the heart is considered the most popular symptom and can only be compared with headaches in prevalence. But not all pain sensations that are described as cardiac are in fact.

For example, the sternum has a mass of nerve fibers and certain large plexuses, during irritation of which pains arise, similar to those of the heart. Direct pain near the heart is sometimes the main claim in the process of various ailments.

Pain near the heart - are symptoms of failures of the central nervous system, respiratory and digestive systems. Often the pain is perceived as a pathology of the heart. At a young age, pain in the heart area is a symptom of a variety of health difficulties: osteochondrosis, neuralgia, pleurisy.

Dull pain in the heart

Not in all cases it is clear that this is a symptom of pathological processes in the heart. Only professional diagnostics determines that dull pain will not be the result of diseases of the spine, pleura, and lungs.

The causes of dull pain are:

mitral valve defect;
myocarditis;
cardiopsychoneurosis.

The pathology of pain is associated with the heart, this is evidenced by its constant manifestation, duration. Often, before this, the patient is engaged in active physical activity, is experiencing stress, suffers from hypothermia, or has consumed an excessive amount of food.

Sharp pain in the heart

Acute pain sensations, which are especially sharp, often occur during the period of pericarditis, angina pectoris, are a harbinger of a heart attack. Additional symptoms include general lethargy and malaise. Symptoms in women are complemented by severe nausea, and pain is reflected at the top of the abdomen.

Sharp pain is quite difficult to distinguish from the symptoms of pleurisy. At the same time, with an attack of pain, a cough appears. It can also be provoked by pulmonary embolism, dissection of an aortic aneurysm.

Burning pain in the region of the heart

A burning sensation can be a sign of neurosis, malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract, pathological processes of the esophagus and heart attack. To accurately determine, it is necessary to focus on the general symptoms.

Pain on inhalation in the region of the heart

Many people often suddenly stop due to sharp pain in the chest, when trying to take a deep breath. It also happens at a young age. Often people feel that something can burst in their chest.
In the same way, herpetic or intercostal neuralgia often manifests itself., thoracalgia, precordial syndrome, not affecting the functioning of the heart.
When taking a deep breath shortness of breath begins and then a deep breath is impossible, general symptoms of heart disease appear, then, most likely, urgent help from a specialist is needed.

Pain in the heart gives into the hand

Sometimes this is how ischemia manifests itself. The pain varies in character: compressive, stabbing. In certain situations, patients may notice a sensation under the armpit. The heartbeat may become more frequent, blood pressure may increase, rhythm failure, etc.

Pain on movement

Pathological processes in the heart very often manifest themselves at the time of physical exertion, for example, in the process of climbing stairs or at the moment of fast walking on level ground. This is how ischemia manifests itself.

Together with an unpleasant sensation, shortness of breath occurs, malfunctions in the functioning of the heart (feeling that the heart may stop).

What to do if there is pain in the heart, first aid

People are often afraid of sudden pain in the region of the heart.

Necessary actions for this:

Stop panicking, stay calm, take a sitting or lying position.
Loosen clothing to allow free breathing, allow access to oxygen.
1 tablet of nitroglycerin sublingually for 15 minutes will relieve pain.
If nitroglycerin does not help, you need to call an ambulance - most likely, a myocardial infarction occurs.
If the pain started for the first time, you should not self-diagnose yourself. The difficulty may not lie in cardiac pathology. If in doubt, you need to take Corvalol, Validol, take a comfortable position lying or sitting and try to minimize movements.

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The examination process includes many stages and consists of the following procedures:

Consultations with a doctor. A cardiologist who specializes in heart disease can give advice about heart discomfort. The specialist asks the patient, performs an examination and listens to the heart rhythm for the presence of a murmur. The initial examination also includes percussion (the heart is tapped).
This method helps to determine the dimensions and boundaries of the heart. If the specialist has suspicions, he sends the patient for further diagnostics.
ECG. An electrocardiogram is carried out in local hospitals, a similar diagnostic method has been done for a long time. A functional examination will show the heart rate during the period of a calm state of the body. The process usually takes up to 15 minutes.
Research may reveal:
- rhythm regularity.
- The work of the heart muscle.
- Heart rate.
- ECG helps detect coronary heart disease, rhythm failures and tachycardia.
Holter monitoring. When the electrocardiogram is not able to show interruptions, but the patient still complains of pain near the heart, a similar research method is prescribed.
Monitoring is carried out for three days. A special portable device is used, its electrodes are applied and fixed on the patient's chest.
The patient may not be present during the study in the hospital, the purpose of the diagnosis is to check the functioning of the heart in a variety of conditions. This method makes it possible to prevent a heart attack.
-test. A method that is generally similar to a conventional electrocardiogram, but the patient is examined while running, on the track. A similar method determines the degree of exercise tolerance by the heart of physical activity and will determine the possible pathological processes of the cardiovascular system. The study will detect interruptions in the rhythm, ischemia.
This method is used to obtain the results of coronary bypass surgery after a heart attack and angioplasty.
Ultrasound examination of the heart. Allows you to assess the condition of the heart and determine the degree of its ability to pump blood.
Diagnostics contributes accurate determination of the thickness of the heart walls, the size and condition of the valves, chamber cavities. Internal formations are revealed and information is obtained about the amount of blood flow of large vessels of the heart.

Treatment

Pain near the heart in women, extending to the left hand are quite a serious symptom requiring timely surgical operation. Therapy of the patient depends on the initial diagnosis and a specific disease. When the diagnosis is made, an experienced specialist will tell you why the patient's left hand goes numb and prescribes the appropriate therapy.
In some cases, to completely forget about the pain near the heart you need to drink a course of conventional medications to strengthen and improve the function of the main muscle. In other situations, surgical intervention is needed, after which the sensations in the left arm and heart will disappear.
I must say that when the pain lasts more than 5 minutes, this may indicate the symptoms of angina pectoris, therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor. When a sharp pain lasts more than half an hour, there is a possibility of myocardial infarction.

Complications

Complications and dangerous consequences of pain in women vary from the factors that caused them:

Some diseases are characterized a favorable course, for example, neurocirculatory dystonia (interruptions occur in the central nervous system) or osteochondrosis (the destruction of the intervertebral discs begins, and the nearby nerves are compressed).
Other diseases detected at the wrong time, significantly lower the quality of life and reduce its duration.
For example:
- formations of the mediastinum and lungs are the cause of difficult breathing and hemorrhages in the chest;
- myocarditis (inflammation in the heart muscle) leads to disturbances in the heart rhythm and heart failure;
- gastric ulcer (defects are formed in the walls of the stomach) complicated by ulcerative bleeding or malignancy (transition to cancer).

The main prescription is to lead an active lifestyle.