home Audience 6 Causes of pain in my heart. Where and how the heart hurts: symptoms in women, causes of pain. Where the heart hurts photo

Causes of pain in my heart. Where and how the heart hurts: symptoms in women, causes of pain. Where the heart hurts photo

The cause of a painful attack in the heart area can be myocardial ischemia or other disorders of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, pathological changes in the lungs, stomach, and spine. To establish the diagnosis, an examination is required: ECG, blood test, ultrasound. With intense cardialgia, especially prolonged, compressive, you need to urgently seek medical help.

Cardiac pain may be a symptom of coronary artery disease due to reduced blood flow in the coronary arteries. Attacks begin during physical or psychological stress, last about 10-15 minutes, stop after taking nitrates. Prolonged spasm or blockage of blood vessels leads to myocardial infarction.

aortic aneurysm

In addition to angina pectoris, cardialgia occurs in such conditions:

inflammation in the muscle layer (myocarditis) or the membranes of the heart (endocarditis, pericarditis);
cardiomyopathy in diabetes mellitus, menopause, hyperthyroidism, alcoholism, renal failure;
hypertension;
thromboembolism.

The most intense, unbearable pain in the dissection of the aortic aneurysm, blockage of the branches of the pulmonary artery by a thrombus, infarction. With inflammatory or dystrophic processes in the heart muscle, the pain syndrome has an undulating course. Cardialgia increases during an exacerbation or increase in heart failure.

If severe acute pain in the heart is not cardiac

Pain in the left side of the chest can occur with diseases of the stomach, lungs, musculoskeletal, nervous system. The most common reasons are:

peptic ulcer, complicated by bleeding, perforation of the ulcer;
burns and injuries of the esophagus or stomach;
acute pancreatitis and cholecystitis;
pneumonia, pleurisy;
tumor processes;
neuralgia;
neurocirculatory dystonia of cardiac type;
osteochondrosis.

Distinctive features of gastric pains are their connection with food, pulmonary - occur during breathing, articular and muscle - when turning, tilting. Cardialgia in vegetative-vascular dystonia is not associated with physical activity, develops after overwork or emotional stress, is not relieved after Nitroglycerin, decreases with sedatives.

Sudden stabbing pain in the heart in children

In childhood, cardialgia occurs most often after suffering infectious diseases - tonsillitis, scarlet fever, SARS. A mandatory cardiological examination is required to exclude or confirm such diagnoses:

congenital malformations of the heart and main vessels;
, pericarditis, ;
rheumatism;
myocardial dystrophy;
neurosis.

Diagnosis of acute pain in the heart

To identify the cause of cardialgia, take into account the nature and time of onset of pain, its relationship with physical activity or stress, as well as the accompanying complaints of patients. The diagnosis can only be confirmed by laboratory and instrumental diagnostics. The most valuable information can be obtained from the ECG data.

angina pectoris

Localization of pain in angina pectoris

Characteristics of typical pain caused by insufficiency of coronary blood flow:

located behind the sternum;
pressing or squeezing;
gives under the left shoulder blade, in the shoulder or forearm, lower jaw;
an attack develops during exercise: when walking, swimming, playing sports or against a background of stress;
the duration of the attack is from 5 to 15 minutes;
after taking Nitroglycerin or at rest, it decreases or disappears completely;
ECG - lowered ST segment, T becomes flat.

It is important to consider that an attack of angina pectoris can provoke pain during an exacerbation of digestive diseases (cholecystitis, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer), osteochondrosis of the spine. In such situations, the diagnosis is made after a comprehensive examination in a hospital setting.

Cardiopsychoneurosis

Patients describe the sensations colorfully, verbosely, the attacks do not have a constant connection with any cause, after taking nitrates, the cardiac pain does not change, but the headache intensifies. Physical activity helps to reduce pain, which never happens with angina.

Signs of heart pain:

sharp, stabbing, throbbing;
felt in the projection of the apex of the heart;
may become stronger when inhaling and bending over;
accompanied by excitement, a feeling of lack of air;
poor tolerance;
sedatives relieve the attack.

ECG changes are not specific (tachycardia, rare extrasystoles) or absent.

Inflammation of the digestive organs

Attacks occur after eating fatty or spicy foods, overeating, drinking alcohol, accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, aversion to food.

On examination, the abdominal wall is tense, palpation of the epigastric region is painful. As a rule, there are no changes on the ECG. The diagnosis is established by gastroscopy, ultrasound or according to x-ray data.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine

Pain occurs after sudden movements and hypothermia, aggravated by turning and changing the position of the body, strong, prolonged. With pressure on the exit site of the intervertebral nerves, an increase in pain attack is noted.

A positive symptom of tension - the patient lies on the bed, the pain increases when the straight leg is raised, and weakens after bending the knee. The diagnosis is confirmed after X-ray examination of the spine.

When a sharp stabbing pain in the heart requires an immediate call for an ambulance

Signs of an emergency with cardialgia:

Prolonged attack of retrosternal pain, does not stop after Nitroglycerin, accompanied by difficulty in breathing, cold sweat, nausea. Pain gives under the shoulder blade, in the left arm, lower jaw. These symptoms are characteristic of a heart attack.
Unbearable pain behind the sternum, epigastric region, severe weakness, cyanotic skin color occur with aortic aneurysm.
A drop in pressure with severe tachycardia, arrhythmia against the background of severe pain lasting more than an hour, which is accompanied by fainting, may be due to pulmonary embolism.

Any cardialgia requires an appointment with a doctor to make the correct diagnosis and choose a treatment strategy. The intensity of pain is not always an indicator of the severity of the patient's condition. Myocardial infarction occurs in some cases without symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo a cardiological examination at least once a year, especially after 45 years of age or with concomitant diseases of the endocrine system.

How are sharp pains in the heart treated?

To relieve an attack of pain, drugs are used that can expand the coronary vessels, normalize the rhythm of the heart and have a calming effect on the nervous system. The most famous means:

If you suspect angina pectoris, you need to take a tablet of acetylsalicylic acid, dissolve a tablet of Nitroglycerin. If after 10-15 minutes the pain attack has not decreased, then you can repeat the reception again. If there is no result, an ambulance should be called urgently.

Severe pain in the region of the heart of a paroxysmal nature may be associated with ischemic disease or other cardiac pathology, diseases of the nervous system, spine, and digestive organs. To establish the cause, you need to undergo an examination, the most informative is the ECG. It is impossible to treat cardialgia on your own; Nitroglycerin or sedatives are used for short-term relief.

Useful video

For information on what drugs will help with acute chest pain, see this video:

cardiac causes

Direct pain in the heart occurs for a number of reasons:

In the presence of cardiovascular diseases;
Against the backdrop of stress;
In the presence of concomitant diseases;
Against the background of hormonal changes, especially during menstruation or menopause in women;
Against the background of high blood pressure.

Depending on the true root cause, choose the tactics of first aid and further treatment. With hormonal changes, this symptom is practically safe, with neurosis it carries a moderate danger, and in the presence of a heart disease it can indicate the development of dangerous complications that can lead to death.

Pain in the heart with heart disease is of a different nature: it can be sharp, stabbing, aching. It is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis only by the nature of the pain and its localization. Usually it is associated with a violation of the blood supply to a certain area of \u200b\u200bthe heart muscle.

If, against the background of pain in the heart, there is a feeling of numbness in the left hand, it is necessary to call an ambulance as soon as possible. Such a clinical picture of character for a heart attack.

If you are alone at this moment, notify any of your relatives, acquaintances and neighbors. Don't lock the front door: it will take several minutes before the ambulance arrives, with a heart attack during this time, many patients lose consciousness.

The most common causes of heart pain:

Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle);
Heart disease;
Cardiosclerosis (scars form on the heart);
Spasm of the coronary arteries;
Ischemia, heart attack;
Thrombosis of the cardiac artery;
Chronic heart failure.

With ischemia (impaired blood supply to the heart muscle), as well as acute infarction, acute intense pain is observed. They last several hours, are not stopped by taking medications. Accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure, pallor, weakness.

Angina pain occurs on the background of stress or after heavy physical exertion. Pressing, arching pain occurs in depth behind the sternum, the pain often radiates to the arm, side or jaw. The attack lasts a few seconds, less often - a few minutes. May be accompanied by hand numbness.

Myocardial infarction is the most dangerous condition. It occurs when the blood supply to a section of the heart muscle stops and tissue necrosis begins. The larger the necrotic area, the more dangerous the patient's condition.

Characteristic signs of the disease: severe pain and burning in the region of the heart, which last longer than 15 minutes, shortness of breath, pallor and weakness. In this case, the sooner the patient receives medical care, the more likely he is to survive.

The most favorable prognosis is for those who were helped within the first 20 minutes after the onset of the attack. If you delay calling an ambulance, 40-60 minutes after the onset of an attack, serious irreversible changes may begin or the patient will die altogether.

In other heart diseases, the pain is of a short-term nature. There are additional symptoms - pallor, shortness of breath, increased or decreased pressure, sweating, heart rhythm disturbance.

If a person has a history of heart disease, when an attack of pain in the heart, you need to drink the remedy recommended by the doctor. If there were no heart diseases before, but you are sure that it is the heart that hurts, corvalol, validol or nitroglycerin will help relieve the pain symptom.

With severe pain, an ambulance is needed. When the pain is mild and short-lived, you should consult a doctor who will help establish the most accurate cause.

non-cardiac reasons

The heart is located in the chest, pain in its area is projected to the left side of the sternum. But the true heart and other pains that are localized nearby are easy to confuse.

"False" heart pain is caused by:

Neurosis, stress. Against the background of strong emotional experiences, a sharp vasospasm occurs, including near the heart. Due to circulatory disorders, pain occurs, as well as heart rhythm disturbances, sweating, shortness of breath.

The nature of the pain is sharp stabbing, or aching and dull. Stopping an attack of "nervous" heart pain is simple: just drink Corvalol or valerian infusion.

Classic heart drugs such as nitroglycerin do not help in this case.

lung diseases(inflammation, tumors, metastases). Pain occurs regularly. Her “companions” are shortness of breath, shortness of breath, cough, a feeling of “gurgling” in the chest (a symptom indicates fluid accumulation, pulmonary edema).

May be accompanied by fever (pneumonia).

Diseases of the stomach(gastritis, ulcer) quite often give to the heart. They are associated with food intake and violation of the diet.

If pain in the sternum occurs on an empty stomach or immediately after eating, after eating too spicy and fatty foods, accompanied by heartburn, nausea, vomiting - instead of a cardiologist, you should visit a gastroenterologist.

Intercostal neuralgia. Pain occurs after physical overexertion, hypothermia, prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position.

The pain is aggravated by taking a deep breath and moving.

But after taking a more comfortable position, it subsides. When palpation of the sternum or spine, you can determine the most painful place.

Myositis- Inflammation of a muscle in the back, chest, or shoulder. It occurs due to a general infectious process, with hypothermia, a strong load.

The pain appears in the depth of the muscle tissue and may be mistakenly identified as cardiac.

Distinguishing true heart pain from non-heart pain is easy: try changing your body position and taking a deep breath. If the pain has passed or weakened, there is no reason for alarm, the sensations are caused by diseases of other organs. If the pain did not go away, its intensity intensified - its cause is an unhealthy heart.

You need to urgently seek medical help.

The nature of the pain

Depending on the nature of the pain, the most likely cause of its occurrence can be assumed. But a more thorough examination is required to make an accurate diagnosis.

Heart pain is:

Sharp, sharp. They say about such people: "the heart seized." Such pain occurs with many cardiac and non-cardiac diseases. It is important to lie down or sit down as soon as possible, get rid of clothing that restricts movement, and provide the patient with fresh air.

Breathe slowly and evenly. It is worth taking Corvalol, and if a person has a heart disease - nitroglycerin.

stabbing. Especially colitis in the sternum during inspiration - normal or deep. Such sensations are characteristic of both a heart attack and intercostal neuralgia.

If a sharp stabbing pain is accompanied by numbness, call an ambulance immediately. Take Corvalol and try not to move.

pressing. They are often accompanied by difficulty breathing. It is necessary to open the window, free the patient from the pressing clothes. You need to breathe calmly.

Be sure to take Corvalol, Validol or Nitroglycerin. If at rest the pain does not go away after 15 minutes, you need to call an ambulance.

Aching. Pain of low intensity, often occurs against the background of neurosis, stomach, muscle pain. Taking Corvalol helps: with neurosis, it calms the nerves, with the stomach it removes irritation and helps reduce the intensity of stomach pain.

If the heart "whines" often, it is necessary to observe, after which these sensations arise: against the background of stress, anxiety, after eating or on an empty stomach.

This will help to avoid unnecessary examinations: the doctor will prescribe only the most necessary.

If pain occurs in the heart, it is important to quickly help the patient to take a comfortable position - sit down or lie down.

Heart hurts. Which doctor should I contact?

Heart pain is an alarming symptom that should not be ignored. In case of acute pain that does not go away after taking the usual sedatives, accompanied by respiratory failure, loss of consciousness, numbness of the limbs, an ambulance is needed.

In other cases, you will be helped:

Therapist- prescribe additional tests, a cardiogram, help you decide which specialist you need to consult.
Cardiologist- deals directly with heart disease. Conduct a set of studies that will help confirm or exclude a cardiac diagnosis.
Neurologist– deals with neurosis, neuralgia, heart pains of nervous etiology.

To clarify the diagnosis, you will need to pass a general blood test, undergo an electrocardiogram, ultrasound of the heart - this is a minimum program. Further examination will be prescribed by the doctor, based on the results of basic tests.

What to take at home?

With heart pain, first aid comes down to taking sedatives and drugs that will help restore blood circulation. Corvalol can be taken for any pain. It removes panic and anxiety, which increase pain, provoke deterioration.

Valerian infusion will help with stress pain. For the same purpose, you can take validol.

"Hearts", who have a history of heart disease, with an attack of pain, you need to take:

Nitroglycerin + validol- to improve blood circulation, relieve vasospasm, reduce the manifestations of fear and panic.
Nitroglycerin + aspirin- to remove spasm, normalize blood circulation, make blood less viscous. This combination helps with a suspected stroke, it will help the patient "hold out" until the ambulance arrives and minimize necrosis of the heart muscle.

Also in this case, you can drink No-shpa: with neuralgia, it completely relieves pain, with heart disease it improves the condition of muscle tissue, relieves muscle and vascular spasm.

The table shows the most popular drugs that are used for heart pain, and their dosage.

a drug	dosage	kind of pain	For what purpose is it taken?
Infusion of valerian or motherwort	20-30 drops in a little water	aching	Calms the nerves, relieves anxiety, normalizes the pulse
Corvalol	20-30 drops, diluted in a little water	Aching, pressing, stabbing neurological	Calms, relieves nerve pain, normalizes heart rate
Validol	1 tablet under the tongue	aching	Soothes, normalizes the pulse. It is used for heart pain against the background of stress and with strong emotional experiences.
	1 tablet under the tongue. If the pain does not go away, after 5-7 minutes you can take another one, but not more than 5 pieces in a row.	Sharp, poignant	Expands blood vessels, prevents the development of ischemia. Reduces blood pressure. Relieves an attack of angina pectoris.
Cardiomagnyl	1 tablet	Sharp, stabbing, or any kind of pain in the presence of heart disease	Thins the blood, improves blood circulation, prevents ischemia. Unlike aspirin, it is not harmful to patients with gastrointestinal diseases.

Treatment with folk methods

Folk remedies are used mainly for prevention and maintenance treatment. At the time of a painful attack, you can drink a cup of mint and lemon balm tea (not hot) - this will help calm the nerves and normalize the heart rate.

Hawthorn tincture will help relieve pain in the heart.

Pour 20 g of berries and 15 g of lemon balm herb with a glass of boiling water, insist in a water bath. Drink 20 ml before each meal for 2 days. The tool will help to avoid a second attack, calm the nervous system, improve heart function.

Also, during an attack, you can rub a drop or two of fir oil into the skin of the left nipple. A light massage of the tips of both little fingers also helps (performed simultaneously on two hands).

With frequently recurring attacks, you can use walnut tincture. 30 fruits (unripe) pour liters of vodka, insist 2 weeks. Drink no more than 20 drops three times a day before meals. The course is 3-4 weeks.

An infusion of blue cornflower is prepared as follows: a tablespoon of dried flowers in a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour. Drink a third of a glass three times a day, before meals.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of heart pain, it is necessary to monitor the health of the cardiovascular and support the immune system.

For this you need:

Lead a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits.
Do not exclude physical activity, even in the presence of heart disease. The doctor will help determine the safe level of exercise. Even with serious illnesses, the patient is recommended simple gymnastics to improve blood circulation and short walks in the fresh air.
Eat right, exclude foods rich in cholesterol, large amounts of sweet, starchy and spicy.
Eat foods containing potassium and magnesium (bananas, apricots, nuts, legumes, dairy products).
Normalize the daily routine, sleep 7-8 hours a day.
Avoid stress, physical and emotional overstrain.

Healthy lifestyle

Forecast

A one-time pain in the heart that arose against a background of stress may no longer be repeated if a person reconsiders his lifestyle: he will have more rest, eat right and be less nervous.

Constantly recurring attacks, as well as acute stabbing pain, indicate the need for a more thorough examination. This will allow you to take action at an early stage and prevent a significant deterioration in health.

Ignoring this symptom and attempting self-treatment can result in a serious illness and heart attack, after which not all patients survive. The risk increases with age. But if pain in the heart occurs at a young age, this is a reason to contact the doctors.

Quick Answers

How to relieve heart pain after drinking alcohol?

Answer: It is important to determine the nature of the pain: it was provoked by an acute attack (pain begins abruptly, accompanied by respiratory failure) or caused by intoxication. In the first case, emergency medical care is needed. In the second, you need to take activated carbon or any other sorbent. After that, you need to drink a glass of water with a little lemon juice. Valocordin or hawthorn tincture helps (16 drops per 100 ml of water).

What to give a drink from the heart to a child or teenager?

Answer: If there is no cardiac pathology, pain often occurs against the background of nerves or pain in the stomach. You can give an infusion of motherwort, valerian, in extreme cases - Corvalol (10-12 drops). If nervous heart pains occur frequently, you need to increase physical activity, avoid overeating. And seek advice from a pediatrician.

Is it necessary to take aspirin for heart pain?

Answer: It is taken at the risk of a heart attack and with high blood pressure to reduce blood viscosity. If the pain is associated with emotional overstrain or stomach disease, aspirin is not recommended and even contraindicated.

How to stop a heart attack at home?

Answer: You can alleviate the patient's condition before the arrival of doctors - give a sedative, nitroglycerin or other heart remedy that will help prevent irreversible consequences. It is impossible and dangerous to completely cope with an acute attack without the help of doctors.

How to make sure that the heart does not hurt from nerves and experiences?

Answer: You need to lead an active lifestyle, do a minimal set of exercises, spend more time outdoors, sleep 7-8 hours a day. You should give up strong tea and coffee, alcohol. You can take mild sedatives.

What to take if the heart hurts during pregnancy?

Answer: You can’t choose a drug on your own: many heart remedies can provoke a miscarriage or premature birth, at best, cause hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) of the fetus. At the first appearance of discomfort in the sternum, a pregnant woman should consult a doctor. Before consulting a specialist, you can take mild sedatives - but only those that are allowed for pregnant women or recommended by your gynecologist.

My heart hurts and my left arm goes numb. What to do in this case, what to take?

Answer: If the pain is stabbing, such symptoms signal the presence of serious disorders and even an incipient heart attack. It is necessary to take a position of the body in which pain is minimal. Be sure to breathe deeply, even if it is accompanied by increased pain. It is necessary to give the patient a tablet of nitroglycerin and call an ambulance. If a person in this state is alone, you need to call relatives or seek help from neighbors or passers-by.

If the pain is aching, not acute, it most often has neurological causes. You need to take Corvalol or another sedative, take a more comfortable position.

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 with 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 an increase or interruption in the 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.

Even if the picture of the disease seems clear enough, any attack of acute chest pain, regardless of its origin, is the reason for contacting a specialist and a complete examination of the body.

Only a doctor can say exactly what causes the painful sensations, and what the patient needs so that the attack does not recur in the future.

Video: Pain in the heart. Causes and Symptoms

Pain in the heart is a symptom of multiple problems, but not always of the heart. So pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory organs, gastrointestinal tract, neurological disorders can manifest themselves. Therefore, each of us needs to know how to distinguish pain in the heart area associated specifically with his disease in order to prevent serious complications, for example, myocardial infarction.

Unpleasant sensations in the chest area received a collective name in medicine - cardialgia.

What pathologies can pain speak of?

Pain in the heart area can indicate many pathologies. Hearts include:

ischemia (angina pectoris, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, postinfarction cardiosclerosis);
inflammation of the myocardium, with a violation of the main functions of the muscle: excitability, conduction and contractility;
myocardiopathy;
myocardial dystrophy;
heart injury;
neoplasms.

Pathologies manifested by heart pain:

esophagitis;
gastroesophageal reflux pathology;
stomach ulcer;
malignant neoplasms;
chemical burns of the mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach;
Mallory-Weiss syndrome, accompanied by gastric bleeding;
ulcer perforation;
pneumonia;
pleurisy;
tuberculosis;
pneumoconiosis;
aneurysm or dissection, congenital narrowing of the aorta;
pulmonary thrombosis, etc.

Only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis after a detailed diagnosis.

The nature of pain

Pain in the region of the heart can have a different character and intensity. Therefore, you should know what pains in the heart are in order to prevent its complications. Let's take a look at their types.

Compressive

Constant compressive pains in the heart inform about the lack of oxygen in the myocardium - the heart muscle. Such a symptom is characteristic of almost all forms of ischemia (ischemia is a decrease in myocardial blood supply with weakening, cessation of arterial blood flow).

Angina pectoris is characterized by compressive discomfort behind the sternum, radiating under the shoulder blade and into the left arm. Discomfort occurs almost always after physical exertion, at rest or after taking nitroglycerin preparations.

Compressive sensations occur in people with various rhythm disturbances (bradycardia, tachycardia, arrhythmia). Often discomfort is accompanied by fear, shortness of breath. With such pathologies, compressive pain appears in the heart.

Sharp

Sharp pains come on suddenly. They are characterized by the following pathologies:

At the same time, pressure jumps are observed - at first it rises significantly, then drops rapidly. Characteristic signs - asymmetry of the pulse on the hands, blue skin. A person sweats a lot, at the same time, he faints, his breathing is disturbed, his voice is hoarse, shortness of breath is observed. Hematoma leads to a lack of oxygen in the myocardium and coma.

pressing

Sudden pain and pressure in the chest develops with angina pectoris. The pain is paroxysmal, it can be relieved by taking nitroglycerin drugs. The difference between angina and a heart attack is that angina does not occur at rest and at night. Pressing sensations are almost always accompanied by jumps in blood pressure.

Pressing pains in the region of the heart can be the cause, symptoms (cardiac neurosis). In addition, a person will feel dizziness, arrhythmia, which are observed most often after a strong stressful situation, excitement.

Another reason for feeling pressure and discomfort in the chest is myocarditis. Symptoms: severe squeezing in the chest, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, swelling of the lower extremities.

Myocardiopathy, myocardial dystrophy, neoplasms of the diseased heart also give pressing sensations. But in this case, discomfort does not arise from physical activity. Develops independently even at rest.

stabbing

Many people perceive stabbing sensations as life-threatening pathologies. But such tingling indicates a neurosis. This condition is not life threatening. It is associated with an intense pace of life, a large load on the psyche. Any cardiologist, having heard from a person that chest pain is sudden, short-lived and looks like an injection, will say that this is not a cause for concern. Such symptoms do not indicate serious pathologies.

The causes of such pain in the heart can be irritability, a nervous breakdown. Most often subject to such crises are emotional, strongly experiencing any, even the smallest troubles, people.

With constant anxiety, fear, emotional overstrain, adrenaline is reflexively released, which activates vital systems. In the process of evolution, the body has adapted to fight, for example, to attack or run away in the face of imminent danger. In the event that adrenaline is not spent on muscle mass, it “tries to find” its implementation in other organs, provoking stabbing sensations in the chest area.

Strong

Unbearable severe pain in the heart may indicate a heart attack, pulmonary thrombosis, aortic aneurysm dissection. At the same time, the person is excited, rushing about. In addition to severe pain in the region of the heart, people experience a strong fear of death.

burning

Such pains in the heart have the following causes: pericarditis, neurocirculatory dystonia, heartburn with gastroesophageal reflux (reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus).

Chest pain on inspiration

Shooting pains when inhaling from the side of the heart can be a sign of temporary infringement of the spinal nerves. Aching sensations at the exit - a symptom of protrusion (a pathological process in the spine, in which the intervertebral disc bulges into the spinal canal), intervertebral hernias. Constant discomfort and frequent pain on inspiration in the region of the heart are formed against the background of a violation of muscle tone and are expressed in muscle strain, as well as spondylosis (a pathology of the spinal column, which consists in the growth of vertebral tissue in the form of spikes, protrusions), osteochondrosis.

How to understand that pain is associated with heart disease

There are a number of specific symptoms that will tell you how to determine that pain in the heart is associated precisely with its pathology. If at least a few of them are present, this is a reason to contact the cardiology center:

painful sensation lasts at least 30 minutes;
discomfort occurs during a night's sleep, at rest;
pain in the heart and disappear after taking nitroglycerin preparations;
pain in the region of the heart is periodically accompanied by suffocation, dizziness, fainting;
pressure in the chest area appears after physical or psychological overstrain, pain in the heart radiates to the region of the left arm, shoulder blade;
there is an increase in the frequency of contractions, rhythm disturbance without obvious reasons;
the skin, while the heart hurts, turns pale, acquires a bluish tint, especially in the region of the nasolabial triangle;
a person feels weak, sweats a lot.

Often, pain in the region of the heart is accompanied by aches, numbness of the muscles of the forearms. Then they rise to the muscles of the shoulder, give behind the sternum; sweat is intense; breathing becomes difficult; legs and arms "do not obey" a person.

What to do with heart pain

What to do if you experience pain in the heart area:

Take Corvalol. If the discomfort does not subside, then most likely the person has serious problems. In this case, you should call an ambulance.
Hold your breath for a while. But if at the same time the pain in the region of the heart still does not subside, this indicates serious problems, if it decreases, it indicates neuralgia or muscle problems.

Any kind of discomfort in the chest area should not be ignored. We should not forget that many pathologies proceed secretly, can be perceived by people as a result of fatigue after physical exertion. To prevent the development of serious diseases that threaten life, you should visit a cardiologist.

In this article, you will learn how pain in the heart manifests itself in its diseases, the main factors in the appearance of discomfort. 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 about chest pain at least once. They do not always indicate heart problems. Everyone needs to know how the heart really hurts, what the symptoms can be. You will learn the causes and methods of dealing with heart pathologies.

This article will be useful to all readers, since heartaches can occur in any of us. After all, timely diagnosis is the key to a healthy heart.

The human heart, the cardiac muscle, is the central organ of the circulatory system. Every day, the human heart performs more than 80,000 contractions, constantly being in active mode, 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 a different period of the cycle. Between the chambers are valves that close and open in different phases of contractions.

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 to the heart muscle, a feeling of heaviness arises.

Heaviness 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 in the region of the heart. Panic can arise even when there are no prerequisites to worry. But in order to protect yourself from disruptions in the functioning of the body with any unusual sensations in the heart area, you need to visit a doctor.

The heart is such an organ that does not tolerate self-healing. You can not postpone going to a specialist if the feeling of heaviness in the heart is constantly present.

Cause classification

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 pain:

angioedema, which is experienced by a patient with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease at different stages of the course of the disease;
cardialgia that occurs against the background of inflammation, congenital diseases or heart disease, as well as VVD (vegetative-vascular dystonia).

Angioedema pains in the heart are 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 stress, that is, when there is a need for increased blood flow; to relieve pain, it is usually enough for a person to calm down, relax and take medication.

Most often, angio pain is felt as a burning sensation, pressure, squeezing; it occurs in the retrosternal region, radiates to the left arm, shoulder, mandibular region. May be accompanied by a violation of the rhythm of breathing, a feeling of lack of air (shortness of breath).

If the patient has a very severe pain in the region of the heart, he complains of burning, tearing, squeezing or pressing sensations - it is necessary to suspect myocardial infarction in the acute stage and provide urgent medical assistance.

The cause of cardialgia is rheumatic heart disease, damaged heart muscle (myocarditis), inflammation of the pericardial sac (pericardium). The patient complains that the heart hurts for a long time: it pricks, ache, painful sensations spread from the left side of the sternum, aggravated by coughing and simply by deep breathing. Pain medication may provide some relief.

Another large group of reasons why a person’s heart hurts 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 sciatica (or intercostal neuralgia), as well as pathologies of costal cartilage. Such pain intensifies or weakens when a person bends over, turns the body, breathes deeply, moves his arms. Standard "heart" drugs in this case do not affect the intensity of the pain syndrome.
Quite severe pain spreading along the intercostal spaces can be the first symptom of the infectious disease Herpes zoster - herpes zoster.
Patients with neuroses also often have pain in the region of the heart; attacks occur periodically, do not last long, are localized in a small area. Patients define their condition as "pricks in the chest", "aching", or find it difficult to characterize the sensations.
If a person is stressed or depressed, he may experience pain localized in the neck and shoulder. The fear that a “heart attack” is starting usually only aggravates the condition; in fact, such pain is associated exclusively with muscle tension, and any cardiologist can explain this to the patient.
A swollen intestine can also cause pain in the heart area: 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 may appear with osteochondrosis, curvature or weakening of the spine in the thoracic region, infringement of the nerve root (heart nerve), etc.

To verify the presence or absence of heart disease and the cardiovascular system, the patient should know how the heart hurts.

Cardiac diseases that may cause chest pain:

Heart attack.

This disease can have different 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, symptoms such as nausea, increased sweating, disturbances in the rhythm of the pulse, a feeling of weakness, anxiety, and often dizziness can be observed.

In some cases, a heart attack can develop without any external manifestations, even discomfort in the heart area 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 should immediately call an ambulance, because delay can cost a person life.

Cardiac ischemia.

CAD is usually associated with angina pectoris. In this case, the heart may 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 shoulder blade, shoulders, arms, throat.

These symptoms appear most often with strong emotions or performing heavy physical exertion. When pain occurs at night or at rest, this is a dangerous sign.

Pericarditis.

This disease is associated with inflammatory processes occurring in the outer shells of the heart. Pain sensations are most acute when coughing and inhaling, they are usually concentrated in the middle of the chest. Often they are accompanied by difficulty breathing, increased pulse.

Myocarditis.

In this case, the pain may be stabbing, pressing or aching. Often it occurs in the absence of physical exertion. It also cannot be neutralized with nitroglycerin.

Cardiomyopathy.

Pain in the chest with this disease varies depending on the stage of development of the disease. Initially, they occur in the absence of stress, can last quite a long time, are felt in different parts of the chest.

It is not possible to overcome such an attack with nitroglycerin. Over time, pain can occur in attacks in the form of a reaction to overexertion. It also increases the possibility of stopping it with drugs.

Mitral valve prolapse.

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 may be oppressive, aching or pinching, and is not affected by nitroglycerin. This violation is accompanied by dizziness, shortness of breath, frequent pulse, and difficulty breathing. There are also fainting spells.

Stenosis.

When the patient is characterized by this pathology, a feeling of chest tightness may appear. A person gets tired quickly, breathes with difficulty, feels weak, dizzy and faints.

Thromboembolism.

The main symptom of this serious condition is severe pain that gets worse when you try to take a deep breath.

In this case, there is no irradiation. A person's blood pressure decreases, the skin may become bluish, the pulse becomes very frequent, and breathing is difficult. The use of nitroglycerin does not bring results.

Aortic dissection.

If a person has this problem, he experiences severe pain, from which he may even lose consciousness. This disease requires immediate medical attention, otherwise the patient may die.

Arrhythmia.

There are several types of arrhythmias, and some of them are characterized by pain that radiates to the left. In addition, there is a feeling of weakness, difficulty breathing, dizziness.

How to understand what hurts the heart

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 features of pain later. Such pain may be:

pulling;
tingling;
aching;
squeezing;
cutting;
with recoil in 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 degree of activity of the antinociceptive system affects the pain threshold of men.

Neurotransmitters-endorphins, which belong to the group of endogenous opiates, drown out pain. Since men have certain characterological characteristics and are more prone to systematic physical exertion, they release endorphins more regularly and in greater quantities than women.

The hormone testosterone also positively affects the threshold, which, by definition, is several times higher in men. Such gender characteristics of pain signal perception lead to a late visit to the doctor, which delays the start of adequate therapeutic measures. Of course, not one symptom is treated, but the disease itself as a whole.

The earlier treatment begins, the more effective it will be. It is noteworthy that regular alcohol intake also increases the pain threshold, which increases the risk of coronary death, because the heart begins to hurt weakly and often after the onset of irreversible ischemic changes.

Under the typical soreness behind the sternum is meant the clinical manifestation of ordinary angina pectoris. The heart hurts behind the sternum and radiates to the upper limb, collarbone, neck, lower jaw on the left. To determine the painful area, patients point to the mid-left region of the chest. These symptoms are very similar to myocardial infarction.

There are situations when a man focuses on 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 the 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, crushing.

And sometimes vegetative symptoms come to the fore, when the heart hurts, but not so much. With dextrocardia, it hurts more on the right side.

How a woman's heart hurts

In most cases, the pain syndrome has no fundamental differences 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 lower level of endorphins.

Their testosterone is several times lower than in healthy men, which contributes to the formation of the threshold of pain sensitivity. Most often, women experience the following symptoms:

common 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;
occasional 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. Nevertheless, it is worth giving special attention to such a minor symptom if expectorant medicines do not help. A dry cough that suddenly appears in a patient in a supine position is a reasonable cause for alarm.

As for the general weakness of the body and pallor, such symptoms are signs of disorders and disorders of the nervous system. Such symptoms are characteristic of neuroses of the heart muscle, although they are often associated with other diseases.

Pain in the heart in young children and younger students occurs for the same reasons as in adults. However, some causes in babies are diagnosed more often 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 vessels in the baby's heart grow faster than the organ itself, and its blood supply is too intense, the child feels pain.
Mobile, emotional children complain that their heart aches after a quick run or walk.

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 catches his breath and rests a little, the pain goes away. In adolescents, pain in the heart accompanies vegetative-vascular dystonia: it tingles on the left in the chest and in the armpit.

You should not hesitate to visit a doctor if it hurts the child to inhale deeply or cough, especially if complaints appeared a few weeks after a cold, flu or streptococcal infection (scarlet fever, tonsillitis). This is how viral myocarditis or rheumatism begins. Inflammation of the pericardium or cardiomyopathy can be suspected if the child complains that his heart is pressing.

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 questions, make a cardiogram, if possible, and conduct a physical activity test. A small child does not yet know how his heart hurts, he cannot always show exactly where he feels 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 baby to a neurologist, gastroenterologist or orthopedist.

tingling

If your heart sometimes tingles, do not make terrible diagnoses for yourself. Often it appears as a result of injuries or problems with the musculoskeletal system. A tingling sensation can occur with such pathologies of the heart:

angina;
dystonia;
pericarditis;
myocardial infarction;
thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery.

Diseases not related to the main human motor can lead to “false” symptoms in the form of tingling:

intercostal neuralgia - differs from cardiac punctation of localization;
osteochondrosis - such pain, unlike heart pain, disappears after taking antispasmodics;
instability of the nervous system - in addition to pain, there is insomnia and constant fatigue.

Also, one should not forget that tingling in the region of the heart can be caused by overexertion during physical exertion, brisk walking, the presence of a cold (flu, SARS).

The main "culprit" of chest pain with irradiation to the left hand is called ischemia. Also, this symptom is very often 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 related to the main organ, namely:

inflammation in the anterior part of the middle section of the chest cavity, this usually happens due to injuries to the digestive organs. The return of pain to the left hand occurs during inhalation / exhalation, swallowing;
periarthritis, arthritis, tendinitis of the shoulder joint, with such disorders, the center of pain is the left shoulder joint, which radiates it to the arm and chest;
intercostal neuralgia, located on the left side. Usually causes painful spasm awkward turning of the body or raising the arm;
all kinds of pneumonia, pleurisy, tumors located in the left side of the respiratory tract. Usually, in addition to pain, there are: shortness of breath, cough, lack of oxygen;
in women - formations of a different nature 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 aching in the left arm.

How does the heart hurt with angina pectoris

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 feeling that provoked in ancient times to call this disease angina pectoris.

It can be localized not only near the heart, but also give to the left arm, shoulder, neck, jaw. Basically, the pain syndrome appears suddenly, and it can be provoked by strong physical, emotional stress, eating, deep breathing. The duration of such pain is up to 15 minutes.

Myocardial infarction is an ischemic necrosis of the heart tissue:

in the process (during an attack), necrotic areas appear on the myocardium, a sudden sharp pain appears with irradiation to the left arm and back;
there is numbness of the limb;
with a small area of necrosis, the patient feels burning and squeezing in the sternum, but can stand on his feet.

The insidiousness of the pathology lies in the fact that the symptoms may be completely absent. The patient only occasionally complains of discomfort in the chest. With extensive tissue damage, a person loses consciousness and requires immediate resuscitation, followed by hospitalization.

Pain in pericarditis

Pericarditis is called an inflammatory lesion of a certain membrane of the heart. Basically, such a pathology is a consequence (complication) of other diseases:

Pain with pericarditis is felt in the middle of the chest, can be given to the back, arm.
It is especially strongly felt during swallowing, with a deep inhalation / exhalation, coughing, in the prone position.
It feels like a dull, aching pain in rare cases with a cutting feeling.

If you sit down or lean slightly forward, there is relief. In people suffering from this pathology, shallow breathing and rapid heartbeat.

With pericarditis, doctors come to the doctor with complaints of stabbing, pressing or aching pain in the region of the heart, which occurs spontaneously, regardless of physical activity, and taking nitroglycerin does not lead to improvement.

How to distinguish pain from non-cardiac origin

Any tingling, pain, squeezing in the left side of the chest suggests thoughts about heart problems. Is it so? It should be noted that the nature of cardiac pain differs from non-cardiogenic manifestations.

Pain not associated with the heart is characterized by:

tingling;
shooting;
acute pain in the chest, left arm when coughing or sudden movement;
do not disappear after taking nitroglycerin;
constant presence (not paroxysmal).

As for heart pain, they differ:

heaviness;
burning sensation;
compression;
spontaneous appearance, come attacks;
disappearance (recession) after taking nitroglycerin;
radiating to the left side of the body.

What to do if the engine hurts

Heart pains terribly frighten a person, it seems to him that the condition is catastrophic. Unnecessary stress can arise from this, which will further aggravate the situation.

It is in order to prevent negative consequences, at the slightest ailment in the work of the cardiac system, that the patient needs to visit a doctor. Here are some tips for when you can't see a doctor:

The first thing to do in this situation is to calm down. Nervousness in this case is strictly prohibited.
An excellent sedative is an infusion of valerian or motherwort. You can take another soothing herbal infusion.
With heart pain, it is not recommended to lie down, it is best to take a comfortable sitting position and relax.
A nitroglycerin tablet placed under the tongue until 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 per glass of milk). Drink 3 times a day, course for 2 weeks.
Also, foot baths with the addition of mustard powder will help relieve pain in the heart.

With pain in the heart, it is very important to monitor your diet. The daily menu should contain 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.

Give preference to boiled food. In the event that the disease manifests itself regularly, then a person needs to take care of his physical condition. To do this, it is recommended to avoid nervous and stressful situations, go in for sports, and have a good 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 of serious diseases, which should only be treated by a specialist. At home, you can relieve an attack of soreness, but after that a visit to a cardiologist is still a necessity.

When a patient goes to the doctor with a complaint of heart pain, one should carefully examine the symptoms and perform diagnostic procedures. This will help to 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 during the day, while the patient performs his usual activities).

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 pain in the heart can occur due to problems with other organs, additional diagnostic methods may be required. This:

MRI of the spine.
Radiography.
Blood test (general and biochemical).

In addition, a cardiologist can refer a person with such symptoms for examination to a neurologist, orthopedist, gastroenterologist and other specialists. Based on this, conclusions will be drawn about the causes of pain. Cardiologists say that certain conclusions can be drawn from the way the patient describes his condition.

When the patient manages to accurately characterize the sensations, the cause is usually not related to the heart. But if the symptoms are described a little, and the person's story is concise, this indicates a cardiac pathology.

Most of the drugs are sold without a prescription and must be at home. You can get acquainted with the types of drugs in the article:

Validol.

It has a calming effect, useful for eliminating stress. In the fight against angina pectoris, the drug is ineffective, to enhance the action, it is recommended to take nitroglycerin simultaneously. Both funds are placed under the tongue and dissolve.

Corvalol.

It has a strong calming effect, helps with intercostal neuralgia. Available in the form of tincture and tablets.

Attention! It has been proven that Corvalol negatively affects the vital activity of the liver. When using, you need to consult a doctor.

Acetylsalicylic acid.

Everyone knows aspirin is able to cope with pain in the heart, one tablet is enough. Chew the drug well.

Cardiomagnyl.

It has an analgesic effect, in addition, it does not harm the stomach. A single dose of one tablet. These remedies will help when the heart hurts at home.

Important! Any drug must be approved by a specialist.

In ancient times, there were no modern medicines, 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 goes numb.

Garlic. Eating two cloves of garlic daily can help prevent heart pain.
Hawthorn. An infusion of berries will help in the treatment of heart pain. For cooking you need:

take red hawthorn berries - 20 g and lemon balm grass - 15 g;
put in a glass, add boiling water and send to a water bath;
cook for 20 minutes, then cool and strain through cheesecloth.

Infusion can be drunk 20 ml before each meal. The course of treatment is two days. You can also make hawthorn tincture: the berries are poured not with water, but with vodka and infused for 14 days in a dark place.

Herbal collection.

To prepare the dosage form, you will need herbs of succession, motherwort, lingonberry leaves and chamomile flowers with hawthorn, they are taken in 20 g and mixed thoroughly.

Now take 25 g of the composition, place in a glass and pour boiling water. Infuse for 4 hours, then strain through cheesecloth, squeezing out the infusion. Drink 50 ml at a time, in the morning, afternoon and evening. The duration of treatment is 14 days.

Wild carrots for heart pain.

The recipe is useful in that you can cook at any time. The medicine has the form of an infusion, for preparation you need 60 g of wild carrot seeds, pour 250 ml of vodka.

The remedy is infused for 20 days in a cool and protected from sunlight place. For the prevention of pain, 6 drops per 20 ml are used. water. Drink three times a day. If there is severe pain in the region of the heart, then drink 3 drops every 30 minutes.

Heather grass.

Based on the plant, an infusion is prepared that will help eliminate pain. In the process of preparation, 10 g of a dry plant is poured with 200 ml of boiling water and infused in a water bath for 5 minutes. Drink 50 ml with an interval of 4 hours.

May lily of the valley.

This recipe is time-tested, it has come down to our days from ancient times. How to cook: take a liter jar and fill three-quarters of the plants with flowers; pour vodka up to the neck and cover with a lid; insist 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 should be used with caution.

Mint and Melissa.

These plants will not cope with heart pain, but they will calm the nerves, which will favorably affect 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! Mint lowers blood pressure.