Chest pain is a symptom rather than a disease and before the pain can be treated, the underlying cause has to be identified by a doctor. There are various medical problems that can cause chest pains, and these are some of the most common ones
Gastrointestinal Causes
These are pains that come from the digestive tract and often feel like chest pain. This is because stomach acids sometimes refluxes, or goes back up the esophagus, the tube connecting the mouth tot he stomach. Acid reflux causes pain around the breastbone or in the upper stomach area. Another gastrointestinal cause is ulcer, which is the erosion of the stomach lining. The pains usually occur in the upper part of the stomach and are triggered by eating.
Angina due to Coronary Heart Disease
Angina is usually caused by oxygen starvation of the cardiac muscles. The coronary arteries are narrowed when ischemia is produced by a coronary heart disease. As a result, when the heart attempts to do a high level performance, such as in exercise, the narrowed arteries cannot deliver the required amount of blood to the working muscles. The pain experienced from this is called angina.
Pulmonary Causes
Pleuritis is the inflammation of lung tissues resulting from pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. Pneumonia and pleuritis cause chest pains and are often aggravated by coughing or deep breaths. Another possible pulmonary cause is a rare condition called pulmonary embolism. This rare but life-threatening disease is a blood clot that forms in a vein in the legs or pelvis. Should a part of the clot break free, it will travel through the bloodstream and enter the lungs, where the blood flow could be blocked. Pulmonary embolism typically occurs in bedridden patients, cancer patients, and women who smoke or use birth control pills.
Aortic dissection
Aortic dissection is a serious condition where the lining of the aorta gets torn. When this happen, it is accompanied by a sharp, severe pain in the chest. Patients who have experienced this often describe the pain as the worst they’ve ever experienced. Medical help and treatment must be sought immediately as aortic dissection is often fatal.