Left chest pain? here are 18 conditions that could be the cause

When you experience chest pain or pain, you may immediately feel scared, anxious, and immediately think absurdly. Indeed, left chest pain is often associated with heart attacks, so you also cannot underestimate this pain. It is important for you to know other symptoms, to find out whether the pain requires special medical care or not.

If indeed this pain is caused by a heart problem, you will need treatment as soon as possible, but there are other causes that do not require treatment. Knowing the various conditions that can cause left chest pain will help you find treatment as well as reduce the chances of a life threatening situation. So, what are the causes of left chest pain? Check out the complete information below.

Various conditions that can be the cause of left chest pain

Left chest pain can be caused by many things. Starting from what you might take for granted to signs of a serious medical condition, here are some conditions that can cause left chest pain:

1. Angina

Angina is not a disease, but is generally a symptom of heart disease, such as coronary heart disease. Angina is chest pain, discomfort, or pressure that occurs when the heart doesn't get enough oxygen from the blood. Lack of blood supply to the heart results in less oxygen being carried to the heart to pump blood.

As a result. You will feel tightness or chest pain like being stabbed. You may often encounter things like this when you finish physical activity which has the effect of a racing heartbeat. Chest pain that is felt can sometimes radiate to the arm, neck, jaw, shoulder, or left back.

2. Heart attack

A heart attack is when the heart muscle is damaged because it can't get oxygen-rich blood. One of the common features of a heart attack is left chest pain which can occur suddenly with intense pain. This left chest pain can be described as a pressure, squeezing, or tight feeling in the chest cavity.

Even in some cases, sufferers can also feel a sensation of heat and pain in the left side of the body. The left arm will also become stiff, painful, a stabbing sensation or other sensations, and these symptoms can also move to the right arm. Your arms will also feel weak, sore or suddenly feel heavier than normal.

If it's a heart attack, you will also suddenly feel short of breath. Some patients also experience cold sweat before finally having a heart attack. Left chest pain due to signs of heart disease can also move to your back.

However, not all sufferers experience these symptoms. In essence, if you experience pain in the chest suddenly or slowly and last a long time, do not hesitate to consult a doctor immediately.

3. Myocarditis

Left chest pain can also be a sign if your heart muscle is inflamed. This inflammation is caused by a virus. Apart from chest pain, this condition can also be characterized by shortness of breath, abnormal heart rhythm (artimia), and fatigue.

Myocarditis can affect the heart's electrical system, weaken your heart or cause permanent damage to the heart muscle. If so, the heart muscle cannot contract to pump blood to parts of the body. This causes blood to clot in the heart and leads to a heart attack or even a stroke.

4. Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a condition when the heart muscle is weakened, stretched, or has problems with its structure. This condition usually occurs when the heart can't pump blood or function properly.

One of the typical symptoms of cardiomyopathy is chest pain accompanied by shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, and swelling of the ankles, soles of the feet, feet, abdomen and tendons in the neck.

5. Pericarditis

The pericardium is the two thin layers of tissue that surround the heart. When the area is inflamed or irritated, it can cause a sharp stabbing feeling in the left or center of your chest.

You may also experience pain in one or both shoulders. Other symptoms of this condition are often similar to those of a heart attack.

6. Stress

When you are stressed, maybe you will also feel pain in the chest, where the pain can appear on the left side. As with heart disease, you can also feel tightness in the chest and it will get worse during stressful periods. Lifestyle can also put pressure on your heart, causing arteries to tighten and left chest pain to develop.

Diabetes, obesity, or excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco can also increase the risk of left chest pain. If you do not check and treat it, this problem will become a serious heart problem, such as a heart attack.

7. Panic attacks

Panic attacks usually occur suddenly and tend to peak within 10 minutes. One of the typical symptoms is chest pain. Apart from chest pain, several other typical symptoms are shortness of breath, palpitations, trembling, dizziness, cold sweats, ho flashes, or nausea. Symptoms of a panic attack can sometimes trigger a heart attack.

If you think you are having a panic attack, see your doctor right away. Heart and thyroid disorders can produce similar symptoms. Panic disorder is a treatable mental health problem. Your doctor may recommend psychotherapy. If this problem persists, some prescription drugs may help relieve symptoms.

8. Indigestion

Sometimes various problems that attack your digestive system can also cause left chest pain. Because the sternum is right in front of several major digestive organs. That is why, any condition related to your esophagus, stomach, and intestines can cause chest pain. One of the digestive problems that most often causes chest pain isheartburn, which occurs when stomach acid rises into the esophagus. This condition generally occurs after you eat foods that trigger stomach acid to rise.

In addition, chest pain on the left can also be caused because you have acute pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas which is characterized by pain in the abdomen that can radiate to the chest and back. Pain can appear suddenly. Other symptoms that arise can include nausea, vomiting, fever, and a fast pulse.

9. Bone damage

The sternum (sternum) is an elongated flat bone located in the middle of the chest. Damage to the skeletal structure due to a fracture to the left sternum can cause severe pain in the left chest area and upper body. The most common cause of this condition is due to a hard impact to the center of the chest, such as a driving accident, being hit while exercising, falling, or engaging in other risky physical activity.

If you have a breast fracture, you should seek medical attention immediately. This is to anticipate the development of the risk of further injury to vital organs in the body. This is because this bone is connected to the ribs which protect the vital organs of the body such as the heart, lungs, stomach and liver.

Bone damage can be diagnosed using an X-ray. Treatment can include surgery and immobilizing the damaged area.

10. Hiatal hernia

A hiatal hernia is when the top of your stomach is pushed up to the surface of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscular wall that separates the stomach from the chest. When the hernia grows in size, it can cause a variety of symptoms, one of which is heartburn. Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest due to increased acid in the esophagus. This condition can be the cause of your left chest pain.

Other symptoms of a hiatal hernia include difficulty breathing, palpitations, frequent belching, and possibly problems swallowing.

11. Muscle damage

The sternum and ribs are covered with many muscles that are attached to them. Without you knowing it, a severe cough or excessive exercise can cause your chest muscles to tighten. Tension or tear of muscle fibers can cause pain and cause swelling above and around the chest.

And, if you have pain when pressing against your chest wall, it may be due to a musculoskeletal injury, not to the heart. You can diagnose this condition using ultrasound, or an MRI and physical exam.

12. Costochondritis

Costochondritis is one of the most common causes of chest pain. Costochondritis occurs when the cartilage in the ribs becomes inflamed, causing pain. Left chest pain can be a symptom if the inflamed bone is in the left lung.

This pain does not only occur in the chest but also spreads to the back. Costochondritis is not life threatening because it usually goes away after a few days. However, if you have certain concerns about this condition, you should immediately consult a doctor.

13. Pleuritis

Pleuritis is inflammation that attacks the pleura, which is the lining of the lungs. Inflammation can be caused by a bacterial infection that attacks the airways, tumors, broken ribs, lung cancer, chest wounds, and lupus. Inflammation of the lining of the lungs can cause chest pain when deep breathing or coughing and sneezing.

If the inflammation attacks the left lung, you can feel a sharp pain in the lung or left chest.

14. Pneumothorax

Pneumothorax is a condition when air collects in the pleural cavity, which is the thin cavity between the lungs and the chest wall. This condition can be caused due to a gap that forms in the pleural cavity due to injury to the chest wall or a tear that occurs in the lung tissue. This causes sudden pain on both sides of the chest because the air trapped in the lung cavity presses on the lungs and causes your lungs to collapse, aka deflate.

Other symptoms of this condition are shortness of breath or rapid fast breathing, skin turning blue, and coughing. Treatment will depend on the cause. However, in general, seek medical help immediately if you experience this condition. If not treated properly, this condition can lead to death.

15. Pneumonia

A sharp, stabbing chest pain when you take a deep breath or a persistent cough accompanied by phlegm can be a sign that you have pneumonia. Especially if you have recently had a respiratory disease such as bronchitis or influenza.

Pneumonia is an infectious disease that attacks the lungs, causing the air sacs in the lungs to become inflamed and swell. This health condition is also often referred to as wet lungs, because the lungs can be filled with water or mucus.

16. Lung cancer

Left chest pain that doesn't go away can also be a symptom of lung cancer. Other signs and symptoms of lung cancer include persistent cough, wheezing, bloody phlegm, hoarseness, to inflammation in the lungs. Everyone is at risk of developing lung cancer, but active and passive smokers have a higher risk. This condition not only attacks the lungs, but can attack other parts of the body.

Symptoms may not appear in early stage lung cancer. In general, the sooner you are diagnosed and treated, the better the results.

17. Pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure that occurs in the lungs. Besides being able to cause left chest pain, this condition can also cause a person to experience shortness of breath, weakness and lethargy, dizziness, or even fainting.

As the disease progresses, pulmonary hypertension can cause an irregular heartbeat. If not treated immediately, it can cause heart failure.

18. Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism is when one of the arteries in the lung becomes blocked by a blood clot. In many cases, pulmonary embolism is caused by a clot of blood flowing to the lungs from the leg, or less frequently from another part of the body (deep vein thrombosis).

Pulmonary embolism can cause left chest pain, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, and coughing up blood. Generally, pulmonary embolism is experienced by the elderly and obese people. Because the clot blocks blood flow to the lungs, it can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.

What can be done to deal with left chest pain?

The following are things you can do:

• You should see a doctor, if the pain from the heart symptoms feels like tightness compared to that of a stabbing pain.
• You can lie down in bed and take short breaths until your breath is calm. Drink a glass of water, if it calms you down.
• Change your lifestyle to be healthier. You can have a healthy diet, stop drinking alcohol, and do regular exercise.

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