Left Arm Pain in Women

Left arm pain in women is more commonly seen in middle-aged women around the age of forty. However, sometimes, it may be seen before the middle age as well. Pain in the arm or for that matter, any musculoskeletal pain can be very uncomfortable to deal with and can turn out to be detrimental to a woman's health, if the cause is a serious one. The pain has to be well observed, which will help the physician to diagnose the condition better. In some cases, the pain may come and go or the pain may arise and it can be debilitating. If the pain is debilitating causing the women to writhe in pain, it is best that emergency services be called, as it can be a serious condition. Let's find out the causes of left arm pain in women.

Left Arm Pain in Women

Pain in the arm can range from a mild discomfort to unbearable agony. Arm pain can be anywhere from the fingertips to the shoulder. It can appear only in one arm, known as unilateral arm pain, or it can also be caused in both the arms, known as bilateral pain. There are various degrees of this pain. Sometimes the pain can be dull and at other times it will result in a sharp, shooting pain. Sometimes, the pain in the arm can be constant, however there are also cases where the pain is intermittent.

Causes of Left Arm Pain in Women

The causes of left arm pain in women are as follows:

• Actual injury on the left arm can cause upper left arm pain in women. Damage caused to a tissue in the arm can give rise to upper left arm pain in women.
• Arthritis is the other cause of left arm pain.
• Heart attacks often gives rise pain in left arm, so does general heart pain. Hence, before jumping to any conclusions, find out what kind of pain it is.
• Coronary disease is another reason, which can cause left arm pain.
• Irregular blood circulation can also give rise to left arm pain. There are chances, that there is insufficient supply of blood to the area, which is inducing the pain.
• There is a possibility, if you are on prescription drugs, they are the culprits causing the pain.
• Dead arm can also be a source of left arm pain as well as tingling in the arm. Dead arm can be caused by poor circulation as well as lack of movement or if the arm was lying in an awkward position. For example, there are people, who sleep on their arms, which causes pain and tingling sensation.
• Muscle cramps or spasms can also give rise to left arm pain.
• Many people would have not considered that psychosomatic problems can also induce left arm pain. It does not mean that the pain is absent. It is due to the complex link between the mind and body. In case of stress or panic attacks, a person can suffer from chest pain, which can eventually spread to the left arm.
• Damage to the nerve or to the disc can also give rise to left arm pain in women.
• If you are left-handed, there are chances, that there is an irritated nerve in your arm, probably due to overuse, which is causing you agony.
• The next cause can be gas problem caused by food intake.
• A frozen shoulder can aggravate left arm pain that is already present.
• Sometimes a back problem too can lay stress on the shoulders causing your arm and shoulder to pain.

We have just seen the causes of left arm pain in women. Of all the causes, it is important to note that heart attack is an alarming cause of left arm pain in women. Often it is seen that pain from the chest can spread to the arms, neck, jaw or even the back. This pain can be felt for as long as twelve hours as well. It is always good to consult your healthcare professional regarding this left arm pain in women. The healthcare professional may ask you to undertake some tests like EKG, to rule out heart attack as a cause of left arm pain in women. Just for when you are not happy with the diagnosis of your healthcare professional, you can consult a cardiologist, so that all the doubts are laid to rest. Whatever be the cause of left arm pain in women, it is always good to have yourself looked at by your healthcare professional, to rule out anything serious.