“My chest hurts when I take a deep breath!”– if this describes you, then you have to see your doctor instantly. While in many cases the pain in your heart might in fact be chest pain, it is important to rule out serious conditions such as heart problems that can be harmful.
Chest pain can be caused by a range of reasons including pain in any one of the organs located in the chest cavity– lungs, heart, esophagus, ribs, muscles, nerves or tendons. The pain might likewise have infected the chest from the abdomen, back or neck. Depending upon what is causing it, chest pain can be a stabbing, sharp, burning, dull, aching, tight or squeezing sensation. It is advisable to have a doctor examine you to determine the cause. However, here are some common causes of chest pain.
Why Does My Chest Hurt When I Take a Deep Breath?
If you feel “heart hurts when I take a deep breath”, some possible causes of the pain might include:
Muscle Strain
Extreme coughing can quickly irritate or hurt the tendons and muscles in between the ribs. This will cause chest pain. This sort of pain has the tendency to get worse with time.
Rib and Chest Injury
If you have a rib fracture, you will experience a sharp chest pain, which intensifies when you cough or take deep breaths. The pain is most of the time restricted to a single area that might feel sore when pushed. With such an injury, the joint in between the rib cage and the breastbone might end up being swollen. This condition is called Costochondritis and it causes chest pain when you take deep breaths. Injury to the ribs will recover by themselves, however you can take pain reliever and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Pneumonia
If the chest pain is on one side, it could be a sign of pneumonia. When you have pneumonia you will feel pain on either the right or left side of your chest. You will likewise discharge yellow or green sputum that may consist of blood at times. The chest pain usually gets worse and is alonged with coughing and shortness of breath. Pneumonia will need prescription medication.
Pneumothorax
This is a condition that occurs as a result of the rupture of the wall linings of the lungs. This causes the lungs to collapse and as a result you can experience sharp chest pain, rapid breaths, quick pulse and extreme perspiration. In case of pneumothorax, you should see a doctor as it can be deadly.
Pleurisy
The chest pain could be as a result of swollen wall linings in the lungs. This is a condition referred to as pleurisy. It is usually caused by pneumonia, a viral infection, lung cancer or tuberculosis. See a doctor as it can be fatal.
Pulmonary Embolism
This is a condition caused by the blockage of arteries by an embolism in the lungs. You will experience fever, fast breaths, chest pain and excessive sweating. The color of your skin might also change to a pale blue shade. In extreme cases, you may spend blood. See a doctor if you presume you establish lung embolism as it can be fatal.
Heartburn or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
GERD or merely heartburn (acid reflux) can likewise result in chest pain. GERD causes acids in the stomach to move up-wards through the esophagus causing chest pain. The esophagus is located behind the middle of the chest thus it gives the impression that the pain is coming from the chest. You will feel a stinging burning sensation. If you’re struggling with GERD, you can treat it by following an unique diet of vegetables and fruits. You need to avoid fatty foods.
Heart Disease
Angina or heart disease could also be the cause of the chest pain. The pain is typically focused in the middle of the chest. This occurs when the heart does not get enough oxygen, according to iytmed.com. The pain might feel like some sort of tightness, squeezing, heavy pressure or crushing pain. The pain can spread to the shoulder, arm, jaw or back. This condition requires surgery or angioplasty.
Other Causes
Sometimes if you have the sensation of “heart hurts when I take a deep breath”, the causes may likewise include:
- Stress or anxiety attack alonged with fast breathing. Relax, change place.
- Shingles, where you experience sharp, tingling pain on one side of the chest and back. You might likewise develop a rash.
- Narrowing or spasms of the esophagus.
- Gallstones which cause pain and worsen after eating a fatty meal.
- Gastritis or stomach ulcers cause burning pain when you’ve not eaten for a while.
- A tear in the aorta can cause severe pain in the chest and upper back.
- Swollen pericarditis is the sac surrounding the heart. Pain is focused at the center of your chest.
When to See a Doctor
Never ignore chest pain. See a doctor as soon as possible in order to get diagnosis and begin treatment in time. You likewise have to seek immediate medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms:.
- Abrupt feeling of squeezing, pressure, crushing or tightness under your breastbone.
- Pain in the chest that spreads to the back, left arm and jaw.
- Abrupt sharp pain in the chest alonged with shortness of breath, particularly after you have been non-active for long.
- Dizziness, nausea, rapid breathing, fast heart rate, extreme sweating, confusion or ashen color.
- Extremely low heart rate and extremely low blood pressure.
- Difficulty in swallowing.
- Severe pain in the chest that doesn’t go away.
Does costochondritis hurt when moving upper body in a weird way or bending over?
And does it radiate to back?