Chest Pain Left Side Vs Right Side
The term chest pain can describe pain anywhere in the chest, but one common question with chest pain is if there is a difference between pain in the left side of the chest and the right side of the chest. This is because people typically associate only left side chest pain with a heart attack, as most people known that is where the heart is located.
However, left side chest pain doesnt always indicate a heart issue. Nor should right side chest pain be ignored. Heart attacks cause pain all over the bodyfrom the right side of the chest, to the left side of the chest and other places on the body, like the jaw.
Chest pain on the right side of the chest rarely signifies a heart issue–but that doesnt mean that right side chest pain isnt serious. There are several reasons behind chest pains on right side, some serious and others not as serious such as:
- pneumonia
Symptoms Of Pain On The Left Side
Depending on the exact cause of your pain, you may have various degrees of pain. Sometimes, it can also be difficult to determine exactly where the pain is coming from.
For example, pain associated with your heart can be a dull constant pain that radiates to your left shoulder and neck. But sometimes, the extreme discomfort may feel like there is a heavy weight pressing on your chest. However, if you have kidney or flank pain, you may feel this on the left or right side of your back, but the pain can also travel down to your abdomen and groin.
Inflammation of your breastbone or tissue around the heart can cause sharp pains in your left chest that feels worse when you breathe in. The inflammation can also cause dull aches in your chest that cause general discomfort.
Very often, digestive problems like constipation, excess gas, or inflammation in the intestines can cause sharp pains that seem to move around your abdominal area. However, sharp stabbing pains in the left side of the abdomen could indicate a serious problem with your spleen or pancreas.
It is also important to tell the difference between cardiac-related pain and non-cardiac pain. Stress and panic attacks can bring on painful symptoms as if your heart is about to stop beating. However, the racing heartbeat that usually comes with a panic attack can also put extra strain on your heart and cause severe aching in your left chest.
What Does Covid Chest Pain Feel Like
COVID-19
What does COVID chest pain feel like? Chest pain is an alarming symptom that can be indicative of a number of health conditions, including COVID-19. The feeling of chest pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp stab and even a crushing or burning sensation. With COVID, chest pain typically can be felt as a tightness in the chest that might stem from inflammation in the lungs.
Persistent COVID chest pain or pressure is listed by the CDC as an emergency symptom requiring urgent medical care.
If you are experiencing chest pain or pressure that lasts longer than a couple of minutes or is accompanied by other emergency symptoms such as confusion or trouble breathing, call 911 or head into the emergency room regardless of whether or not your chest pain could be COVID-related.
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How Is Noncardiac Chest Pain Treated
Effective treatment depends on identifying the cause of your noncardiac chest pain. Some options include:
Acid reflux treatments
If your noncardiac chest pain is, like most peoples, from GERD, treatment is usually simple and effective. Proton-pump inhibitors are the most commonly used medicine to treat GERD. PPIs reduce the amount of stomach acid that your glands secrete, which also allows ulcers and acidic corrosion to heal. Treatment usually begins with a high dosage to control your symptoms, then continues with a low dosage for two to four months. PPIs are about 90% effective in treating GERD and its side effects. If they are ineffective, it probably means that your NCCP is caused by something else.
Pain blockers
The next most common and effective treatment for noncardiac chest pain is a medicine that blocks the pain signals. These are usually from a class of drugs known as tricyclic antidepressants , used in much lower dosages than they are used to treat depression. If side effects prevent you from tolerating TCAs, other categories of antidepressants might work. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have shown some promise in treating NCCP, although they are less well-established than TCAs.
Emotional and behavioral therapies
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/04/2022.
References
How To Treat Mental Health
The best thing you can do is go to your doctor to talk about your options. Chest pain is only a symptom of the mental health issues youre facing, and the mental health issues need to be treated directly.
Your doc may suggest anxiety medication to stop the physical symptoms, or cognitive behavioural therapy to manage your anxiety attacks.
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How Do I Know If My Chest Pain Is Serious
You may not be able to tell the difference between a heart attack and noncardiac chest pain. For this reason, you should always take chest pain seriously. If it is sudden or new and lasts longer than five minutes, go to the emergency room. If it goes away after a few minutes, it may not be an emergency, but you should still see your healthcare provider as soon as possible to determine the cause. Noncardiac chest pain, whatever the cause, can always occur again, and can end up affecting your quality of life.
Bone Or Muscle Problems
If your chest is painful and tender to touch, it may be caused by a strained muscle in your chest wall. This can be surprisingly painful, but with rest the pain should ease and the muscle will heal in time.
If you have pain, swelling and tenderness around your ribs, and the pain is made worse by lying down, breathing deeply, coughing or sneezing, you may have a condition called costochondritis.
This is caused by inflammation in the joints between the cartilage that joins the ribs to the breastbone . The symptoms often improve after a few weeks and may be relieved by painkillers.
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Left Side Chest Pain Can Be Caused By A Variety Of Conditions So It Is Important To Evaluate Your Symptoms To Determine If Your Pain Requires Medical Attention Learn Details Here
When a person starts feeling chest pain it’s likely that they will be concerned. Chest pain can be even more frightening because this side effect is often associated with a heart attack. In the event of a heart attack you will want to get medical attention as quickly as possible, but other symptoms that can cause chest pain may not require the same kind of emergency care. Knowing the signs of a heart attack and other likely causes of chest pain can help you narrow down if your situation is life threatening or not.
What Are The Most Common Causes Of Noncardiac Chest Pain
Noncardiac chest pain is most commonly related to a problem with your esophagus, the swallowing tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. There are several different esophageal disorders that can cause noncardiac chest pain, including:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease . Otherwise known as chronic acid reflux, this is the most common cause of noncardiac chest pain, accounting for 50% to 60% of cases.
- Esophageal muscle spasms. Abnormal contractions or squeezing of your esophagus.
- Achalasia. This is a rare disorder in which your lower esophageal sphincter doesnt relax and open to allow food into your stomach, causing food to back up into your esophagus.
- Esophageal hypersensitivity. This is a sensory disorder in which the muscles, nerves and receptors of your esophageal wall are overly sensitive. People with this condition experience normal tension, pressure changes, and acid contents as painful.
- Inflammation of the esophagus. This can result from an immune response to infection or food allergies or from peptic ulcer disease.
- Abnormal esophageal tissue. This creates constrictions, such as rings and webs.
When healthcare providers cant determine the cause but have ruled out other possible factors, they diagnose functional chest pain of presumed esophageal origin.”
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Anxiety Chest Pain Vs Heart Attack Chest Pain
Chest pain is a concerning symptom, and its usually best to seek emergency medical attention if youre experiencing it. Even if the chest pain cause is anxiety, its better to know than to risk missing valuable time if youre having a heart attack.
People describe chest pain in a number of ways when theyre having a heart attack. Some examples include:
- chest pain that radiates to other parts of your body, such as down your arms or up to your jaw
- chest pain that worsens with exertion
- nausea along with chest pain
- pressure in the chest, as if someone has put something heavy on your chest
- rapid heart rate
- shortness of breath
- squeezing sensation in the chest
An estimated 30 percent of patients who are having a heart attack dont have chest pain, according to 2020 research . Some people report symptoms like back pain and fatigue as part of their heart attack symptoms.
While doctors know there is a connection between anxiety and chest pain, you still shouldnt ignore your symptoms and seek medical attention.
What Causes Anxiety Chest Pain
When youre anxious, your body can and often does produce physical reactions like sweating or shortness of breath.
When you become anxious, your brain and body set off an immediate stress response. This includes a physiological change. Your body may tighten up or grow tense.
A stress response can also include a psychological or emotional response. You may become aggressive or upset more easily. These responses are referred to as the fight-or-flight response. When you become stressed or anxious, your body prepares to fight back or run away.
If you experience this fight-or-flight stress reaction infrequently, your body should fully recover within 30 minutes. But if you experience it frequently, your body cant recover as quickly. This can lead to increased muscle tension, and this tension may become painful in your chest.
Likewise, in an even more stressful moment, your heart rate may increase, and the force of your heartbeats can grow stronger. That combined with tight chest muscles can make you feel unusual pain.
If you feel anxious, there are some simple techniques you can try. These techniques may not work every time, but theyre a great starting point when you need help managing your anxiety.
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What Anxiety Chest Pain Feels Like
Anxiety symptoms are rarely the same from person to person. Some days, symptoms arent even the same for the same person. Anxiety presents itself in a variety of ways, and that makes detecting or understanding symptoms difficult.
Chest pain associated with anxiety feels different for each person. Some people may experience chest pain on a gradual basis. For others, the pain may be sudden and unexpected. Anxiety chest pain can be described as:
- sharp, shooting pain
- an unusual muscle twitch or spasm in your chest
- burning, numbness, or a dull ache
- stabbing pressure
- chest tension or tightness
If you dont have a history of chest pain with anxiety, you may be alarmed. Many people assume theyre having a heart attack and go to the hospitals emergency department for treatment.
An estimated 25 to 50 percent of patients who come to the emergency department with low risk chest pain experience moderate to severe anxiety, according to 2018 research.
If you visit a hospital emergency room and the doctors dont find a specific cause for your chest pain, consider consulting with your doctor about other possible causes, including anxiety.
Diagnosing Chest Pain On The Left Side Above A Female Breast
To diagnose the cause of your chest pain on the left side your doctor will discuss your symptoms and may run blood tests. They also may take X-rays or order an electrocardiogram and exercise stress test. They will want to rule out a heart attack or other heart problems.
The doctor may also evaluate you for microvascular anginathis can occur when your hearts arteries are not supplying enough oxygen-rich blood due to spasm or cellular dysfunction. Once heart problems have been ruled out, they will look for other signs of trauma to your chest and breast and may run further tests to determine if it is related to another illness.
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How To Tell The Difference Between Anxiety Chest Pain And Cardiac Chest Pain
There’s no guaranteed method of knowing whether or not chest pain is caused by anxiety or by a heart problem. But generally the two differ in their overall experience:
Anxiety Chest Pain
- Is usually more localized to a specific area.
- Closer to the middle of the chest, although not necessarily.
Cardiac Chest Pain
- Tends to radiate all around the shoulder and possibly the jaw.
- Tends to be a duller pain, like the heart is being crushed.
- Lasts longer than 10 minutes or more.
There are a lot of similarities between the two. Both may have lightheadedness or dizziness and feel like the heart is being squeezed. Both can make it harder to breathe . It’s not easy to tell the difference, but the differences are there. Furthermore, once you identify what anxiety chest pain feels like for you, in the moment, you may feel more reassured about what your symptoms are indicating .
Relief For Chest Pain Caused By A Panic Attack
During a panic attack, the following strategies can help you to manage the symptoms:
- Focus on controlling your breathing breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose for three seconds, hold for two seconds and breathe out for three seconds. You may want to close your eyes to help you focus. By concentrating on your body and your breathing, you can break the panic cycle, calm your hyperventilation and reduce your chest pain
- Remind yourself that this moment will pass panic attacks can be incredibly frightening to experience. There are occasions where some may experience anxiety chest pain all day, but when you are having a panic attack, try to repeat a positive phrase such as: I know this is a panic attack and I know it will pass. This can serve as a reminder that the moment will disappear just as it appeared. Recognising the transience of a panic attack can help to lessen the worry caused by the symptoms, helping the panic attack to subside
- Refocus when you feel a panic attack start to pass, begin to focus on your surroundings rather than on the experience. Think carefully about what you can see, hear, taste, smell and touch. You may also want to hone in on a particular object, and think carefully about its shape, colour and size
There are also preventative measures you can take to avoid panic attacks, which include the following:
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Is It A Heart Attack Or Anxiety
It makes sense to respond to pain especially when you dont know its source with anxiety or worry. But if that pain is caused by anxiety in the first place, your natural response can spiral into an anxiety attack.
One reason you might respond to chest pain with anxiety is if you think, What if Im having a heart attack?
Knowing the difference between anxiety symptoms and heart attack symptoms can help you feel more at ease when having chest pain. And chances are, naming this pain could help you reduce it quickly.
When youre in the midst of a high-anxiety moment, your body is more likely to be experiencing:
- more oxygen to the heart
- heart palpitations
What Should I Do When Chest Pain Strikes
If you feel badly enough to wonder if youre having a heart attack, you should go to the emergency room.
Thats because there are no single defining characteristics that will tell you if youre having a heart attack, says, Gary Weeks, M.D., chief of cardiology at the Heart Institute at UW Medical Center – Northwest.
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Critical Causes Of Left Side Chest Pain When Breathing
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Suddenly left side chest pain may also be different reasons for the body. But, be careful about left side chest pain that may cause a heart attack because the heart is on the left side.
Symptom of left side chest pain is a serious problem if that pain is continuing and long time hardness breathing in the chest. Immediately go to the hospital and consult with a good doctor.
If that pain is mild and relieves itself in a short duration, that pain may be due to the gas in the stomach. Gastric symptoms are also such a pain in the chest.
Learning To Reduce Your Feelings Of Danger
One of the problems with anxiety and any physical pain is that anxiety also has a tendency to make the mind overreact to the pain. Your body has little aches and pains every day, regardless of your overall health or anxiety levels. Those with anxiety tend to zero in on these feelings, so that they feel more painful than they are.
Also, those that suffer from panic disorder may find that any pain triggers a cascade of anxiety that makes symptoms genuinely worse, while also causing a feeling of doom that makes it hard not to worry about their health. Rib pain from anxiety is not dangerous, but it’s clear why many people who experience it are concerned.
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