Sharp Pain in Chest

Jonathan was a regular guy. He had a fairly healthy lifestyle. He made sure that he avoided foods high in cholesterol and jogged everyday. Yes, he had stress at work, but he thought he could deal with it. Then suddenly, out of the blue one day, he experienced a sharp pain in his chest. He didn't know what to do or how to react. The sharp pain in chest when inhaling seemed to get aggravated. He got worried, by now, he was panicking. He tried to swallow, but the sharp pain in chest when swallowing was terrible. Suddenly after a minute (although it seemed like an hour) the pain just stopped, and a slight ache lingered for some time. Jonathan rushed to the doctor and got himself checked. Investigation established that the phenomenon that Jonathan experienced was nothing to worry about, and was known as Precordial Catch Syndrome.

Precordial Catch Syndrome, more commonly known as a sharp pain in chest when breathing in, is a very common phenomenon. It is a sharp pain on the left side of the chest, just below the nipple. It occurs all of a sudden and lasts for a time range of 30 seconds to a minute. During this pain, however, the individual experiences a terrible shooting pain in the chest which causes one to hesitate from breathing in, or breathing out or moving, altogether. It has a tendency to scare the "sufferer" and give him quite a fright.

So, what exactly is this sharp pain in the chest? Well, if this pain does not stop after about 2- 3 minutes and continues up to your jaw or a tingling feeling in your left arm, then it is something that you don't need to fret about. However, if the above symptoms occur, I suggest, pick up the phone and call 911. Take a cab and get yourself to a hospital, just to be on the safe side ( I had to warn you about other possibilities as well). So, coming back to the Precordial Catch Syndrome that we are discussing, PCS is a rather trivial problem that could occur as frequently as several times in a day. Doctors do not believe that it is a problem worth researching much on. It is believed that PCS often occurs due to a pinched nerve, which causes sharp pain in chest when taking deep breath.

PCS has no particular treatment. This is because, there is no requirement for treatment for this sharp pain in chest. However, the pain can at times "shake" a person up a bit. In that case, reassurance is the best medicine to put their mind at ease. A doctor can determine PCS simply by talking to the patient and a simple physical examination. It is a minor inconvenience (yes you feel like you will die, but it is relatively minor), that occurs commonly. Nonetheless, it is suggested that you go to a doctor if it occurs very regularly to know of the chest pain causes. A lot of graver health issues can be mistaken as PCS. So if you experience the following symptoms along with the sharp pain in chest, rush for medical care at the earliest.

• Chest pain that extends into the left side of the jaw or arm
• Chest pain that a person describes as a "heavy" feeling
• Pain that does not improve at least a little after 24 hours of regular doses of ibuprofen
• Fever
• Cough, especially a cough that produces phlegm
• Extreme anxiety along with the pain or a feeling of "impending doom"
• Blueness or paleness of the lips or fingernails
• An irregular, rapid or pounding heart rate
• Marked difficulty breathing or catching one's breath (different from mild pain with breathing)

If the above symptoms do not occur, then the best way to get rid of the sharp pain in chest is to breathe in deep. Yes, you may find that it is aggravating the pain. Nonetheless, breathing in, moving suddenly and screaming really work wonders at getting the pain to stop. So, stop worrying, breathe. If problems persist, see a doctor. This is where I sign off! Take care!