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Pain in the heart: causes and consequences

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
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Pain in the heart is not just a disruption to the work of this important organ. Heart pain can be caused by diseases of internal organs, for example, kidneys, liver, and also the bone system. What else can provoke pain in the heart and what to do about it?

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

How are internal organs associated with heart disease?

The cause of diseases of the cardiovascular system can be:

  • Diseases of the liver and kidneys.
  • Diseases of bones.
  • Diseases of the spine.
  • Failures in the work of the nervous system.
  • Destruction of muscle tissue.
  • Diseases of the lungs.
  • Ulcers and gastritis.
  • Stones in the gallbladder.

Of course, it is difficult to imagine that an absolutely healthy heart hurts. The pain in the heart can also be related to the disruption of his work, too. Namely:

  • Coronary artery disease.
  • Myocardial infarction.
  • Ischemic disease of the myocardium.

Thus the person can feel a strong heart pain which gives in the left forearm or diverge more low on an arm or a hand. This disease is aggravated with severe stress or increased physical exertion.

A person needs rest and nitroglycerin, and if he does not help, stronger means.

Heart disease not associated with coronary vessels

It can be such serious heart lesions as:

  • Myocarditis.
  • Pericarditis.
  • Cardiomyopathy.
  • Heart disease.
  • Prolapse (perforation) of the mitral valve.
  • Myocardiodystrophy.
  • Arterial hypertension.

How does each of them manifest itself?

Myocarditis and its signs

First of all, a person is tormented by a constant, dull, piercing pain in the heart. This symptomatic symptom is observed in 70-90% of patients with myocarditis. As a rule, physical activity does not affect the strengthening or weakening of this pain.

The heart rhythm and its parameters on the electrocardiogram also almost does not change. So that myocarditis can be traced and diagnosed by myself only by the nature of the pain.

Mitral valve prolapse and its symptoms

This violation of the heart can be recognized by a long, constant, tedious, pressing pain. They can be either piercing or slow pestering. Even such powerful tools as nitroglycerin, with this pain do not help. Therefore, immediately call for an ambulance, because the disease is very dangerous. Can be fatal.

Cardiomyopathy and its signs

With this heart disease, pain is the most important and indicative symptom. True, the nature of the pain is gradually changing. First, the pain appears not strong, then intensifies. And from physical exertion, the pain in the heart does not increase, but it can not go on for long, and even painkillers can not help.

When walking, even non-prolonged, pain in the region of the heart can increase. They can also arise suddenly, a person does not understand the reasons. Then you need an ambulance.

trusted-source[7], [8], [9], [10]

Pericarditis and its symptoms

Pericarditis can also be diagnosed by the same symptom - soreness in the heart. But there are other features. The pain does not torment a person for long, it is easy and quickly passes.

The pain disappears because the liquid accumulates in the pericardium and prevents the pericardium sheets (parts of the heart) from rubbing, inflamed and aching.

Pain can be observed under the ribs, in the left hand, under the shoulder blades, but extremely rarely. But in the right shoulder, thorax and in the right side of the ribs, the pain with the pericardium can give. It is sharp, cutting, or aching, but not long. This is an indicative symptom.

A person's breathing becomes difficult, especially when the pain intensifies. A person freezes in one position, it is difficult for him to move. Then the patient needs an ambulance, and immediate.

Heart disease (acquired)

When the structure of the heart is disturbed, the blood circulation slows down and the heart is not sufficiently supplied with useful substances. Myocardium is deformed from this, the metabolic processes are not so active in it.

The heart hurts and can not work well. Heart disease is dangerous because a person can suddenly die. Therefore, you must constantly keep your condition in check and at the first signs of deterioration of health immediately go to the doctor.

Myocardial dystrophy and its symptoms

This disease is rather difficult to correctly diagnose, because its symptoms can be varied. Among them - severe pain in the heart, deterioration of well-being, poor sleep.

Arterial hypertension

The tendency to high blood pressure and poor heart function is a rather bad neighborhood. Elevated blood pressure can be exacerbated by heart pain. Her character can be varied: from prolonged pressing pain to heaviness in the heart region.

The latter pestering a person due to overstretching of the aortic wall and myocardial receptors.

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Cardiopsychoneurosis

Her characteristic symptom, too, is heart pain. It is different, and its types are different. Here they are.

trusted-source[24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31], [32]

Cardialgia (simple)

This pain is very heavy, long, piercing. She most often tortures a person in the upper chest. The pain can be prolonged or very short - from a couple of minutes to 4-5 hours. This pain occurs in almost 100% of patients.

Another type of cardialgia is angiotic

The kind of pain with this cardialgia, like cannon shots - she finds with bouts. These seizures can pass, and then again roll like waves - for 2-3 days. It can occur in different parts of the body and grabs in its paws more than a quarter of patients with pathologies of the heart.

In addition to pain, patients may have problems with breathing (dyspnea), frequent pulse, nervousness. This pain can pass without medication, itself, or after taking simple painkillers.

Another type of cardialgia is angiotic

This type of heart disease can be identified by the attacks of pain in the chest area (left). Cardialgia for angiotic type is a malfunction in the work of the vegetative system. The pain with this disease can be very long, do not pass for a long time.

The pain can be pressing, as if on the chest you lowered the press.

In addition to this symptom, you can experience unreasonable fear, a sense of panic, the heart beats too often and too quickly and yet there may be shortness of breath.

More than a third of patients may suffer from symptoms of angiotic cardialgia, which is exacerbated by complex diseases of the nervous system, and the brain region, the hypothalamus, is disrupted.

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Sympathetic cardialgia

Sympathetic cardialgia

In this case, the pain is very burning, like nettles. She tortures the person in the chest area and gives to the area between the ribs.

The pain is so strong that it even hurts to touch the skin. The usual painkillers and nitroglycerin do not help, as well as validol. But warming can help, for example, with the help of mustard plasters on the chest area on the left, where the heart is located.

The cause of this type of disease, scientists call excessive stimulation and irritation of the plexus of the heart. And it occurs in about 20% of patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

trusted-source[41]

Angina pectoris (pseudostenocardia)

With this kind of angina, the pain presses, the chest breaks, the heart muscle contracts. But this kind of disease is also called false, because the cause is not physical heart defects, but more nervous tension.

Stress can provoke false angina in more than 20% of patients. The metabolism in the myocardium is disrupted, and the heart begins to work with interruptions. If a person is still in a hurry, runs too fast or even long and quickly goes, pseudostenocardia can start to bother him.

trusted-source[42], [43], [44], [45], [46], [47], [48], [49], [50]

When the causes of pain in the heart - neuralgia

The average does not hurt by itself, failures in his work can provoke a friend of the disease. They are associated with neuralgia. For example, heart pain can occur due to pain in the chest, spine, brachial muscles and joints.

This pain is accompanied by syndromes of several groups.

Syndrome of muscle, vertebral or costal pain

The pain is constant, its character does not change, and pain arises and continues in one area of the body

The pain continues and intensifies, if a person changes the position of the body or overstrains physically, stress can also be a cause of increased pain

The pain is not too strong, but prolonged, with injuries that are not related to the heart, can increase

The pain is amplified by pressing the fingers, the pain in the muscles that are not related to the region of the heart

The pain disappears when applying mustard plasters, pepper plaster or other warming agents. Massage can also help to get rid of unpleasant symptoms.

Novocaine can also weaken the grip of angina pectoris.

Pain syndrome of intercostal neuralgia

The pain begins sharply, the heart area is very painful. Even if the pain lasts a long time, it may not go away with time, but increase.

Pain in the heart can become worse with movements of the body and especially bother more in the spine.

Pain in the heart can be aggravated by pain in the neck and chest - the whole area, this is a very extensive site.

Between the ribs when pressed can be very severe pain (it occurs very abruptly)

Osteochondrosis and related heart pain

When osteochondrosis pain is not only in the spine, but also in the areas adjacent to it. And in the heart too. The vertebrae and muscles ache. The more the spine deforms (and in case of osteochondrosis this is exactly what happens), the more likely you may be concerned with heartache.

The cause of pain is called squeezing the root of the nerves, when the spinal disc is displaced. To this, radiculitis can also be mixed in the cervico-thoracic part of the body.

What can be a pain in the heart with osteochondrosis?

Pain in the heart can be of different nature. It depends on how much the nerve roots are squeezed. From this, the pain can be sharp, pressing, pinching, cutting, prolonged and vice versa - weak, but tedious and not passing.

Pain can become stronger as soon as a person turns once again with the whole body or turns his head or even just sneeze or cough.

Pain can give in the arm, neck, forearm, even the fingers of the hand. From this movement become difficult, even the movements of the hands.

Pain in this situation begins in the chest area, and then passes to the spine and into the chest area. The thoracic radiculitis in this case can considerably be aggravated.

A person in this situation is better not to be traumatized. Injuries only increase pain in different parts of the body. It can be accompanied by muscle spasms, especially when moving.

Localization of pain in osteochondrosis

Pain in the chest can be troubling, especially after a heart attack. It can also disturb a person due to cardiac muscle dystrophy, recent trauma. Pain can increase even when you touch your fingers to the skin in the area of pain.

Especially the chest hurts, and also under the ribs, in the shoulder and even the hand. The pain is aggravated if the person overworked, worked physically, moved too much.

Pain in the chest can be worse in the so-called Tietz syndrome. The cause may be inflammation of the cartilage in the rib area. Pain can progress in the lower or upper chest. Especially when you press your fingers.

Pain syndrome can occur due to compression of the nerve of the extremities or in the area between the ribs. Pain in the heart can occur with pain in the shoulder and neck area. These unpleasant symptoms can be combined with blushing of the face, a person can shake from a chill.

Cardialgia associated with psychogenic factors

This kind of cardialgia is manifested by pain in the region of the heart, and this pain has its own character, special and different from other types of pain. Most of all, the pain in the upper left side of the chest disturbs, especially pain in the left nipple. Pain can move around the body and be different in intensity.

The pain associated with the manifestations of cardialgia can be sharp or weak, prolonged or not, as well as pressing or cutting, or pulsating. It is characteristic that nitroglycerin can not help with such pain. But the usual cheap inexpensive Validol and soothing are very good.

In this case, you need to take these drugs and call an ambulance.

trusted-source[51], [52], [53], [54]

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