Chest Discomfort Symptoms

The minute one experiences chest discomfort or pain, one tends to get a panic attack. The only possible cause of chest discomfort symptoms is termed as a heart attack. Most of the time, thinking of a heart attack gives one a heart attack! Anyway, it's not always a heart attack that makes you feel chest discomfort. Let us see the various causes of chest discomfort in the following paragraphs.

Chest Discomfort Considerations

When you experience chest tightness or pressure it does not always indicate a heart attack. Sometimes there are mild problems that can lead to chest discomfort and sometimes life-threatening disorders can lead to chest discomfort symptoms. It's not just the heart, but other organs like lungs, esophagus, muscles, ribs, nerves and tendons that may have some medical complications leading to chest discomfort. The following paragraphs will cover the various causes of chest discomfort symptoms.

Symptoms of Chest Discomfort

You can know if you are experiencing discomfort in chest, if you feel or experience any or most of the following symptoms:

• Chest pain
• Chest tightening
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• Dizziness or lightheartedness
• Fainting spells
• Fatigue
• Sleepiness during daytime
• Increased or high blood pressure
• Arm and/or jaw pain
• Excessive yawing

Conditions Leading to Chest Discomfort Symptoms

There are many diseases, disorders and conditions that may make one experience chest discomfort symptoms. These conditions include:

• Altitude sickness
• Angina
• Aortic dissection
• Aspergilloma
• Atrial fibrillation
• Cadmium poisoning
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Chest joint inflammation
• Coxsackievirus
• Esophagus pain or disorders
• Heart disease
• Low red blood cells
• Mesotheliom
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Myocarditis
• Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Panic attacks
• Pericarditis
• Pheochromocytoma
• Sore muscles
• Thoracic aortic aneurysm

Lung Conditions Leading to Chest Discomfort Symptoms

• Tuberculosis
• Asbestosis
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• COPD
• Lung cancer
• Lung sarcoidosis
• Pleurisy
• Pneumonia
• Pneumothorax
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Whooping cough

Other Causes of Chest Discomfort

The chest discomfort symptoms can also occur due to digestive problems. These digestive problems include heartburn, indigestion, gallbadder symptoms, stomach ulcer, etc. Medications like lithium, heparin, etc. can also lead to chest discomfort.

Chest Discomfort Care

If you experience chest discomfort you need to first understand the reason behind it. Most of the time chest discomfort occurs due to coughing, overexertion, muscle strain, acidity, etc. These problems are usually treated with home remedies like ibuprofen, ice compress, heat pad and even rest. In case of chest discomfort due to an asthma or angina attack, you need to follow the instructions given by your doctor to feel comfortable again.

However, if you experience a sudden squeezing, tightening or crushing pain in your chest, call 911 immediately. You should also watch out for other symptoms like pain radiating to the jaw, left arm and shoulder blades. Sudden nausea, dizziness, sweating, breathing problems too need medical attention. You need to stay alert regarding heart attack symptoms, especially if you have suffered a stroke before or have a family history of heart diseases. People with diabetes, high cholesterol, or those who are overweight, smoke or use drugs should stay on high alert regarding chest discomfort symptoms. This was all about the causes of chest discomfort in short that will help you learn the different reasons other than heart attack for your condition.

DISCLAIMER

The information offered on this site is not to be used as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis or treatment. The reader is advised to consult with a medical consultant before taking any home remedies, supplements or following any treatment advised by anyone on this site. A medical consultant will be able to provide the reader with advice that is safe and effective for an individual's specific needs and diagnose a particular health problem based on their personal medical history.