What To Do When You Feel Chest Pain?
You may experience chest pain at times, such as going up a hill too fast after resting, indigestion, or being under a lot of stress and anxiety. But just as it comes, it goes. So there is nothing to worry about. However, when the discomfort occurs relatively frequently, it is necessary to see a doctor for a check-up.
Although it is not always something serious, it does not mean that you have to miss the checkup. In this, the underlying causes can be detected in time and given the most appropriate treatment to achieve improvement.
Below we will tell you more about chest pain, its possible generalities and how to act if you experience it.
What could be behind chest pain?
If the pain you feel is strong and also spreads down your back, it is a bad sign. This may be indicating the rupture of the walls of a vein, and urgent surgery may be needed.
In relation to this possible cardiovascular emergency, the greatest care should be taken by those who also suffer from high blood pressure, since these people have a much higher risk of suffering these complications.
On the contrary, if the discomfort consists of some stitches in the chest area, it is most likely that it is a muscle pain. If this discomfort increases when changing positions or taking deep breaths, that is surely the cause.
Now, what can we do to solve this problem? A first measure would be to consume some anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants ; these medications will make this discomfort go away in a short time. You can consult your doctor about the most appropriate option.
Lastly, if the pain is generalized and you feel a little better when you lean forward, what happens is that the layer that covers the heart is a little swollen.
This condition is called pericarditis . When this happens, symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, and whole-body aches may appear. It is important to attend quickly with the doctor to carry out controls and receive the appropriate treatment.
As Mayo Clinic experts report, chest pain that is related to a heart problem is generally accompanied by one of the following symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Sickness
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Cold sweat
- Shortness of breath
- Pressure or tightness in the chest
- Pain that spreads to the back, neck, or arms
How to differentiate the pains?
In addition to the parameters mentioned previously, there are other characteristics of these pains that can contribute to determine their true nature. These are the following.
Stitches in the chest
In almost all cases, this is pain caused by a poor effort or a very strong exercise, which has caused inflammation of one or more muscles. When this happens, the pain is stronger when changing position or taking deep breaths; on the contrary, it is relieved by taking some muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory drugs, as we mentioned before.
Burning or “burning” in the chest
This type of problem is the most common and for which many people have to attend a medical consultation. In most cases, you feel too strong and it is a gastric problem, which causes heartburn and reflux.
These annoying symptoms usually appear just half an hour after consuming certain foods that can trigger this condition. For example, very acidic juices or very spicy or fatty foods.
How to act in case of chest pain?
- In case it is a possible consequence of emotional distress, deep breathing and rest can be tried.
- On the other hand, if it occurs as a result of physical effort, it is best to sit down and rest.
- If a cardiovascular problem is suspected, it is best to call the doctor and follow his instructions.
- It is not advisable to self-medicate and it is not advisable to resort to herbal remedies, as this could be counterproductive.
Dr. Jonathan Gotfried indicates that “treatment of chest or back pain is generally given only when the cause is known, but for people with very characteristic GERD symptoms, antacid medications can be tried.”
What prevention measures could be applied?
Did you know that with some daily activities you can reduce the chances of suffering discomfort such as chest pain? Here we list some of them; Do not hesitate to do them to improve your health in a comprehensive way:
- Maintain a healthy diet: this is a basic aspect to take care of the body; leave out saturated fats. ultra-processed, salt, and cutting back on carbohydrates made from refined flour is a great suggestion.
- Reduce stress: daily anxiety and worries have a negative impact on blood pressure and heart function; As we saw, this can lead to the much dreaded chest pains.
- Practice deep breathing: learning to breathe better significantly reduces the stress we live with; It also serves to reduce the workload and do recreational activities.
- Do regular exercise: exercising and stretching is essential to counteract muscle discomfort.
Final recommendation
Whatever the reason for your chest pains, it is very important to pay attention to them right away. You should not wait for symptoms to get worse or for something serious to happen to see a doctor; remember that prevention and early diagnosis are the best tools to find a way to live healthy.
