Can a heartache last for hours. Why does a person’s heart hurt and how to distinguish heart pain from other pathologies? Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Where the heart hurts - many people ask who have something in their chest that hurts. It is difficult for a person who does not understand anything in this matter to understand, whether there is heart pain or osteochondrosis, for example.

What can we say about a simple person, sometimes it is difficult for a doctor to make a diagnosis without additional examinations.

Where is the heart located and how does it hurt:



Look at the image at the very beginning of the article, it was specifically searched for so that you can clearly see all the zones of pain in the heart.

I want you to look at it very carefully, if these are areas of your pain, get up and go to the doctor immediately. Your motor - the heart needs to be protected, it will break, it will be difficult to repair.

Everyone knows where the heart is located. Put your hand on the left under the chest and you may hear its beating. Normally, we should not hear it. Strikes should be clear, without interruptions.

There are many such cases, a doctor complains of chest pains, undergoes a cardiogram - it is normal. What then hurts in the chest? Sometimes you need not a cardiologist, but an orthopedist or a neurologist.

The first thing I want to warn you about is never miss the first bells. Then you will find out if your heart or spine hurts, first, an examination. By your inaction, you miss the time when you can help yourself.

Where the heart hurts photo:

Look, here is our heart, this zone is highlighted.


So it starts to hurt during attacks, pay attention to where the pain points are, never ignore the help of doctors. Know it could cost you your life.


Pay attention to the zones of pain in a formidable disease - myocardial infarction. For pain in these areas, call an ambulance immediately.


An equally formidable symptom of changes in the vessels is angina pectoris. Look and remember where the heart hurts with angina pectoris. Two pictures were selected for more accurate zones.


Another image of the location of zones in angina attacks.


Where the heart hurts, symptoms that require immediate examination:

  • You feel a slight, but tingling, sensation in your chest.
  • Heaviness in the chest.
  • Sharp, stabbing pain.
  • There is not enough air to breathe.
  • It burns and hurts in the chest.

Stitching sharp pain:

Do you know this kind of pain? It was as if a needle was stuck in the heart for a few seconds. Sometimes this goes on for quite some time.

What does this pain mean?

Most likely, this manifests itself in the lack of oxygen in the heart muscle itself, it suffers.

May I help:

Lifestyle change. Quit smoking, drinking, eating little. Only healthy food. But this is not enough. Movement is your motto. To relieve an attack, you need either validol or nitroglycerin. Some patients do not tolerate it well.

Heaviness in the chest:

Accurate transmission of words - as if something is lying on the chest. This is how cardio neurosis manifests itself. The reason for it is prolonged, exhausting stress.

May I help:

Learn not to react violently to any nonsense, such as someone said something or did something wrong. All our psychos are not in vain for the vessels, followed by the muscles.

Walk more, be able to mentally put a glass wall between yourself and an unwanted interlocutor. It helps for sure.

If you get stressed, don't sit or lie down. Go outside, walk until fatigue conquers you. You can't do nothing when stressed.

If you can’t get distracted at night, be sure to take any soothing herbal collection or pill (valerian, mint, motherwort). You can’t drag out stress for days - it’s dangerous. Solve problems on the spot. We must not forget about vitamins and minerals.

Where the heart hurts, we understand further:

Head spinning:



When you need to bend down or change the position of the body, everything suddenly floats somewhere. Starts to feel nauseous. Measure the pressure immediately, if it is normal, just lie down. If your head continues to spin, seek medical attention.

If the tonometer readings are elevated, take additional captopril or lisinopril.

If you have not been diagnosed with your disease, you need to undergo an examination immediately. This is how hypertension manifests itself () or vice versa, the pressure has dropped.

Chest aches and burning:

These symptoms are also accompanied by stabbing pains, burning, a feeling of pressure of the heart. The feeling of being squeezed.

It can give under the left shoulder blade, very often in the left hand, as well as the lower jaw.

Accompanying symptoms of shortness of breath, frequent pulse, there is fear. The patient is motionless in one place.

This symptom indicates a serious heart disease, its deviations. Ischemic heart disease - that's what it's called. The culprit is high low density (bad cholesterol).

It is necessary to treat the disease constantly and seriously. With an untreated disease, in a few years you will have the above-described bouquet of diseases.

Angina pectoris, cardioneurosis, hypertension, spasms will develop. The pressure will jump up and down.

Be sure to do a cardiogram, take tests for cholesterol and sugar. Treat with a serious approach. Well help folk methods of treatment. The main thing is a healthy diet and sports.

Be sure to nourish the heart muscle with potassium and magnesium. There are many of them in bananas, cottage cheese, dried apricots, apples, beets and carrots.

Shortness of breath, swelling:

This is how the heart shows itself. The first thing to do to the patient is to remove salt from the table and use it. Second, strict adherence to the treatment regimen. The heart is heavy, it breaks. Make life easier for him and for yourself.

Other causes of heart pain in humans:


Such pains are very common in other diseases:

  1. Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle caused by bacteria and viruses).
  2. Pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart).

The temperature may rise and are not related to physical activity. When taking nitroglycerin, the pain does not go away.

  1. Osteochondrosis of our thoracic spine. The nature of such pain is relieved by ibuprofen, diclofenac, indomethacin.
  2. Intercostal neuralgia and myalgia give symptoms of pain in the heart. When you press the muscles between the ribs, you will feel severe pain. With a deep breath, it becomes stronger or a change in body position. Anesthesia is needed.
  3. Diseases of the esophagus, stomach ulcers also bring pain to the heart.
  4. Gastritis or cholecystitis. Such pain is exacerbated before or after the intake and composition of food.
  5. Heart defects and neuroses also give pain in the heart.

A mandatory examination is necessary for any uncomfortable conditions in the heart area, in order to know exactly what is wrong with you.

Where a person’s heart hurts, how to help him:

Below I will write a list of serious habits that you need to give up and introduce into your life those that are necessary for a healthy heart.

Very dangerous:

Eating up: very dangerous for the heart, even if there is not a single gram of excess weight. The load on the abdominal cavity increases, the heart begins to work with a double load.

Heart attacks at the table are becoming more common.

It is dangerous to have red meat in the diet:

It is a source of bad cholesterol. Such meat - pork, lamb, beef contain saturated fats - a huge amount of cholesterol. Healthy people can afford a little on the table and no more than twice a week. We will not talk about patients, everything is written above.

Sitting in front of the TV for a long time

And the computer is also dangerous. Sometimes a person does not move for several hours. What kind of health are we talking about?

In a sitting person, blood sugar rises, metabolism is disturbed. And not only this - blood circulation - the basis of human life - is faltering.

When you sit, the outflow of blood is disturbed in the limbs. Its thickening and blood clots in such cases will not keep you waiting.

Keep your teeth clean:

It is dangerous not to clean them. Why? There are a lot of bacteria in the mouth. They lead to bleeding gums, bacteria easily enter the bloodstream, then into the heart.

It has been proven that blood clots form in this case, the blood thickens. A detached blood clot leads to a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or immediate death.

Where the heart hurts, we establish the causes of pain:



It is dangerous not to have vegetables and fruits in the diet:

They contain vitamins, trace elements, pectins, fiber. Without this composition, the heart will never be healthy.

Pay attention to snoring:

Its presence always indicates heart disease. Sleep apnea is not uncommon.

It is dangerous to immediately and do a lot of sports:

It often happens that a person decides to go in for sports right off the bat. I want to immediately, immediately lose weight, tighten up, look good.

Tirelessly, forgetting about your weight, an untrained heart begins to run, do exercises, go to the bathhouse and sauna. But what about the heart? It's in shock. What's wrong with the owner, is he out of his mind?

It must be remembered that such a load is a huge stress for the heart. Sometimes they work until they have a heart attack. The heart failed.

Where the heart hurts, the result:

A healthy lifestyle is essential for all of us. You need to start and continue the load little by little, gradually. The older the person, the more careful you need to be with loads. The quieter you go, the further you'll get.

I hope I didn’t scare you too much, life is even more serious. Now you know where the heart hurts, where it is and how it hurts.

Let me remind you once again, for any pain in the heart or its area, immediately consult a doctor. You do not need any folk remedies, herbs and infusions. When you know your diagnosis, then it will all work.

I wish you all good health!

Pain in the chest can occur for various reasons, they do not always speak of diseases of the heart muscle. Sometimes only a doctor can determine the exact cause of discomfort in the heart and lungs after a complete examination. It is worth knowing if the heart hurts, what symptoms may indicate the development of the disease, what you should pay attention to, what the nature of the pain may be in diseases of other organs.

One of the main difficulties in diagnosing many diseases is that often it starts to hurt in the wrong place where the source of pain is located. In diseases of many organs, pain can radiate to the region of the heart, while there may not be any pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Moreover, in some cases, pain in the chest is not a dangerous condition that speaks of any disease. Painful sensations can occur due to the psychological state of a person or be a temporary phenomenon, for example, due to physical exertion.

Pain in the sternum can be completely different in nature. There are both acute sensations, literally fettering and not allowing to take a deep breath, and “dull” pain that does not interfere with daily activity, but causes discomfort and anxiety.

To understand what really could provoke pain and immediately consult a suitable doctor and choose a treatment, you should pay attention to the nature of the pain and the accompanying symptoms.

Important! Before starting treatment, you should always undergo an examination, in this case, with self-diagnosis, there is a high probability of error.

How to know what hurts the heart

First of all, it is worth considering the main symptoms of pain associated specifically with the heart muscle and the cardiovascular system. Contrary to misconceptions, pain in the sternum with heart disease is not the most common cause of these sensations. You should consider the most common diseases of the circulatory system, leading to this symptomatology.

angina pectoris

With an attack of this disease, pain occurs precisely in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heart muscle: on the left side, behind the sternum. Angina pectoris is a common disease, pain during an attack usually has the following character:

  • painful sensations are always "dull", accompanied by a feeling of squeezing, compression;
  • pain can spread under the shoulder blades, in the jaw, in the left arm;
  • a feeling of discomfort occurs after emotional stress, physical activity, after heavy meals, at night.

It is also worth noting that the pain does not depend on the position of the human body, the attack usually lasts up to twenty minutes. In addition to discomfort in the heart area, there may be a feeling of panic, dizziness, and it becomes difficult to breathe. Immediately after the withdrawal of the attack, the rest of the symptoms disappear.

Pain of the same nature occurs with inflammatory diseases of the heart muscle. However, it should be borne in mind that inflammation in the body is almost always accompanied by an increase in temperature, therefore, with an inflammatory process in the heart, the patient usually has a high temperature. Also, with inflammation, the joints swell, a cough occurs.

With a heart attack, pain is much more intense, they are sharp, a person feels a burning sensation and heaviness in the heart. With myocardial infarction, it is impossible to lie down, the patient always tries to take a sitting position, breathing becomes more frequent and stray.

With a heart attack, pain increases with sudden, careless movements, in contrast to angina pectoris. These sensations cannot be removed with the usual medicines, in this condition it is advisable to immediately call an ambulance.

aortic aneurysm

With an aortic aneurysm, the pain increases with physical exertion, it is usually localized in the upper part of the sternum. With a dissecting aneurysm, pain becomes bursting in nature, this disease is extremely painful. You need urgent help from a specialist.

In general, in most heart diseases, pain sensations increase rather quickly; in different conditions, they are mainly present, as it were, behind the sternum, always on the left side. Discomfort with heart disease often "gives" to other organs, usually on the left side of the body.

Most often, the pain gives to the left hand. It is also worth considering that with heart disease, the pulse often goes astray, pressure rises or falls for no apparent reason: stress or physical exertion. At the same time, emotional or physical stress can increase pain.

In case of acute, sharp pains, impaired breathing and heartbeat, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. In the event of an attack, it is advisable to immediately call an ambulance, doctors should see if hospitalization is required, say what medicine should be taken to eliminate the attack.

Important! A single attack does not mean that the disease will no longer bother. After relieving pain in the heart, you need to visit a cardiologist as soon as possible and undergo a full examination.

Other causes of pain in the region of the heart

Discomfort, discomfort in the sternum is not always a consequence of heart problems. Especially if symptoms appear in young people who have never encountered diseases of the circulatory system. In this case, you should pay attention to signs of other possible diseases that are not related to heart function.

Osteochondrosis

The cause of discomfort in the chest may be symptoms of osteochondrosis. With this disease, compression of nerve endings in different parts of the spine, blood vessels occurs, in severe cases, pressure is exerted on the lungs. As a result, there is pain in the sternum.

With osteochondrosis, pain is given to the back, under the shoulder blade, usually they are dull in nature and are accompanied by a feeling of numbness. Also, with this disease, there is usually a headache, dizziness, especially when changing position. Osteochondrosis causes many autonomic symptoms, especially as the disease progresses.

Important! With osteochondrosis, sensations similar to those experienced during a panic attack may occur.

In many diseases of the digestive system, pain can be given to the left half of the body and the sternum, especially often this occurs in diseases of the stomach, liver, pancreas. The pains are usually dull, with a slight sensation of pressure.

Usually, pain in the region of the heart is complemented by other symptoms. There is heaviness, pain in the abdomen, especially in the right hypochondrium with pancreatitis, peritonitis, liver diseases. Acute conditions are accompanied by digestive disorders, nausea, vomiting, stool disorders. During inflammation, the temperature rises.

With these diseases, you must urgently consult a doctor. However, in some cases, the feeling of pain in the heart can be triggered by severe heartburn or overeating, in which case the person's condition is not so dangerous. Although with frequent heartburn, it is advisable to consult a gastroenterologist, since it can be a symptom of gastritis.

Psychosomatics

Another cause of pain in the heart is psychological problems. In this case, the person really experiences discomfort, however, during the examination, no problems in the functioning of the organs are observed.

The feeling of pain in the chest is often observed with strong emotional stress, stress, panic attacks. With this condition, there are difficulty breathing, a strong, sometimes causeless feeling of fear, increased sweating, a feeling of derealization.

If discomfort in the sternum occurs for psychological reasons, they disappear with an improvement in the emotional state of a person. Psychosomatic symptoms are more common in women than in men.

It is worth noting that if stress is permanent, a disease called heart neurosis develops. To get rid of it, they recommend psychotherapy, rest from worries, sometimes taking antidepressants and sedatives. Indeed, sometimes the heart hurts "from the nerves." Sometimes constant stress can provoke the development of real diseases of the heart muscle, but this is not the main factor, it usually takes years to develop the disease.

The child has a heartache: what are the symptoms?

If a child develops any kind of cardiac pathology, the first signs can be seen from the outside. A child with heart problems begins to get tired faster, it is more difficult for him to give lessons or any other activity that requires serious emotional and physical effort.

Signs of heart disease in a child are a bad sign; in childhood, the body and the cardiovascular system are fully formed. It is at this age that the likelihood of developing severe pathology is high, with signs of the disease, you should definitely contact a cardiologist.

What to do

First of all, you should not immediately panic if the pain is not acute, there is no threat to life, you should make an appointment with a therapist or cardiologist if there is confidence that the problem is in the heart. At the appointment, the nature of the pain and accompanying symptoms should be described, then the doctor should send for examination.

Be sure to do an ECG, take a general blood test. If osteochondrosis is suspected, an x-ray of the cervical region is required. If there is a possibility that the pain is caused by digestive problems, you need an examination by a gastroenterologist, ultrasound of the liver, pancreas, and other organs.

In each individual case, the list of necessary studies will be different, it all depends on the symptoms present and information about already diagnosed diseases.

Treatment depends on the cause of the discomfort. In some cases, therapy is not needed at all if the pain is provoked by a single stressful situation. However, there are several drugs that will help relieve anxiety during emotional stress or while waiting for an ambulance with possibly serious heart disease.

First of all, sedative preparations of natural origin are acceptable: based on motherwort, valerian, and other medicinal herbs. Also, if there are no contraindications, you can try to stop the pain in heart disease with nitroglycerin.

With osteochondrosis, you can take painkillers. The most effective for this disease are Diclofenac, Nimesulide, Ibuprofen. After a while, the pain should subside.

In order for pain to no longer occur, it is imperative to establish their exact cause and begin treatment. It is worth remembering that for most diseases that cause this symptom, self-medication is unacceptable, otherwise they can worsen their course.

Chest pain is a symptom of many diseases, and not necessarily heart disease. Thus, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory and digestive organs, neurological disorders, and injuries can manifest themselves. However, you need to know how to determine what hurts the heart, because it is in this case that immediate help may be needed. It is especially important not to miss a dangerous condition, such as a myocardial infarction.

Only a doctor will make a diagnosis, but some specific signs will help to understand that the heart hurts.

The nature of pain in cardiac diseases

An attack of angina pectoris

The pain occurs behind the sternum, it is compressive, squeezing, sometimes cutting, but never sharp, but always dull. It arises just where the heart is. A person cannot pinpoint exactly where it hurts, and puts his hands to the entire chest. The pain radiates to the area between the shoulder blades, to the left arm, jaw, neck. It usually appears with emotional overstrain, physical exertion, when going out into the cold from a warm room, while eating, at night. When the heart hurts, the discomfort lasts from a few seconds to twenty minutes. Usually the patient freezes in place, he has shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, a feeling of fear of death. Significant relief or complete relief of the attack occurs immediately after taking nitroglycerin. Pain in the heart does not depend on the position of the body, inhalation or exhalation.

myocardial infarction

Sudden sharp pain behind the sternum of a pressing or burning character, radiating to the left side of the chest and back. The patient has a feeling that a very heavy burden lies on the heart. A person experiences a feeling of fear of death. With a heart attack, breathing quickens, while the patient cannot lie down, he tries to sit down. Unlike angina pectoris, heart attack pain is very sharp and can be aggravated by movement. They are not removed by the usual medicines for the core.

Inflammatory heart disease

Pain in the heart occurs with inflammatory processes such as myocarditis and pericarditis.

With myocarditis, the sensations are almost the same as with angina pectoris. The main symptoms are aching or stabbing pains radiating to the left shoulder and neck, a feeling of pressure behind the sternum, usually a little to the left. They are almost continuous and prolonged, and can be aggravated by physical exertion. After taking nitroglycerin, do not release. Patients suffer from asthma attacks and shortness of breath during physical work and at night, swelling and pain in the joints are possible.

Signs of pericarditis - moderate dull monotonous pain and fever. Painful sensations can be localized in the left side of the chest, usually above the heart, as well as in the upper left side of the abdomen, the left shoulder blade. They are aggravated by coughing, by changing the position of the body, by deep breathing, while lying down.

Aortic diseases

Aortic aneurysm is expressed by pain in the upper chest, which lasts for several days and is associated with physical effort. It does not radiate to other parts of the body and does not go away after nitroglycerin.

A dissecting aortic aneurysm is characterized by severe arching pain behind the sternum, which may be followed by loss of consciousness. Urgent help required.

Pulmonary embolism

An early sign of this severe illness is severe chest pain that worsens with inspiration. It resembles the pain of angina pectoris, but does not radiate to other parts of the body. Doesn't go away with painkillers. The patient experiences severe shortness of breath and palpitations. There is cyanosis of the skin and a rapid decrease in pressure. The condition requires immediate hospitalization.

Pain of non-cardiac origin

Intercostal neuralgia

Intercostal neuralgia is often mistaken for pain in the heart. It really resembles angina pectoris, but there are significant differences. Neuralgia is characterized by a sharp shooting pain, which is aggravated by movement, turning the torso, coughing, laughing, inhaling and exhaling. The pain can let go quickly, but can last for hours and days, intensifying with every sudden movement. Neuralgia is localized pointwise to the left or right between the ribs, pain can radiate directly to the heart, lower back, back or spine. Usually the patient can pinpoint the exact location of the pain.

Osteochondrosis

With thoracic osteochondrosis, a person experiences pain in the heart, which radiates to the back, upper abdomen, shoulder blade and intensifies during movement and breathing. There may be a feeling of numbness in the interscapular region and the left arm. Many mistake their condition for angina, especially if the pain occurs at night and there is a feeling of fear. It is possible to distinguish pain in the heart from osteochondrosis by the fact that in the latter case, nitroglycerin will not help.

Diseases of the digestive system

Pain in the chest usually occurs due to muscle spasms of the walls of the stomach. Symptoms such as nausea, heartburn, vomiting will help to find out their true origin. These pains are longer than heart pains, and have a number of features. They depend on food intake: for example, they appear on an empty stomach and disappear after eating. Nitroglycerin does not help in such conditions, but antispasmodics are effective.

Symptoms of an acute form of pancreatitis are very severe pains that can be mistaken for heart pain. The condition is similar to a heart attack, while in both cases nausea and vomiting are possible. It is almost impossible to remove them at home.

With spasm of the gallbladder and bile ducts, it seems that the heart hurts. The liver and gallbladder, although they are on the right, but severe pain is given to the left side of the chest. In this case, antispasmodics help.

Severe pain is similar to angina pectoris with a hernia of the esophagus (diaphragm opening). It appears at night when a person is in a horizontal position. It is necessary to take a vertical position, the condition improves.

central nervous system

With disorders of the central nervous system, there are frequent and prolonged pains in the chest area, namely in the apex of the heart, that is, in the chest from the bottom left. Patients describe the symptoms in different ways, but, as a rule, these are constant aching pains, which are sometimes acute and short-lived. Pain in neurosis is always accompanied by sleep disturbances, irritability, anxiety and other manifestations of autonomic disorders. In this case, sedatives and sleeping pills help. A similar picture can be observed with menopause.

In some cases, cardioneurosis is difficult to distinguish from coronary artery disease, since there may be no changes on the ECG in both cases.

Finally

In any case, you need to go to the hospital. Even an experienced doctor without instrumental examination will not be able to accurately determine the origin of pain. In addition, any disease can have atypical symptoms.

Before a more detailed disclosure of this topic, it is necessary to clarify that heartache is by no means a joke. If this condition is suspected, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since without a detailed history taking and banal studies (ECG, heart auscultation, etc.), an accurate diagnosis is impossible. How to recognize a heartache from another? This will be discussed in the article.

Signs of heart pain

It should be understood that the position familiar to many: “If the pain radiates to the left hand, it means heart problems” is incorrect. The so-called “recoil” (with pathologies of the heart, it may not be to the left side of the body in general, let alone specifically about the left hand. If something hurts on the left side, then this is not necessarily the heart.

Consider the signs of several heart diseases, a clear sign of which is chest pain.

angina pectoris

How do heart pains manifest themselves in the form of an attack of angina pectoris:

  • The pain in this pathology is compressive, pressing, sometimes burning. It is worth noting: breathing or changing the position of the patient's body will practically not affect the intensity of pain.
  • Angina pectoris will manifest itself with physical and emotional stress of a person. Although it can also occur at rest, even during sleep, it is less common.
  • The duration is from 2 to 15 minutes.
  • It is localized in the retrosternal region, sometimes it “radiates” into the hands (more often to the left), but not always, irradiation may well be in the back, neck, and also the lower jaw.

Pericarditis

Pericarditis has the following symptoms of heart pain:

  • With pericarditis, the pain is acute and dull of varying intensity.
  • It does not increase immediately, but gradually, at the peak of the process it can decrease and even disappear, but after that it intensifies again. Often, changes are associated with the position of the body and breathing of the patient.
  • Duration of several days.
  • Localization will be in the retrosternal region, sometimes radiating to the neck, back, and also to the shoulders and to the epigastric region.

Aortic dissection

Aortic dissection manifests itself with the following symptoms of heart pain:

  • The pain is very intense and often comes in waves.
  • The onset is instantaneous, often against the background of arterial hypertension, sometimes with physical and emotional stress. There are also neurological symptoms.
  • Duration with a very wide spread, can be from several minutes to several days.
  • Localization in the retrosternal region with "recoil" along the spinal column and along the branches of the aorta (to the stomach, back, neck and ears).

TELA

How to identify heart pain in pulmonary embolism (PE):

  • The pain is acute and intense, there is a high probability of developing shock, it happens against the background of very pronounced shortness of breath.
  • It appears suddenly, and against the background of a long bed rest, after surgery on the organs of the abdomen, pelvis, lower extremities. In people suffering from thrombophlebitis, also during physical exertion.
  • Duration is from 15 minutes up to several hours.
  • On inspiration, colitis in the region of the heart.
  • It is localized in the center of the sternum or mainly in the left and right half of the chest, here it all depends on the side of the lesion directly.

Remember that, despite advances in medicine, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death (according to WHO). Therefore, carefully monitor your health and do not neglect contacting specialists. Remember that procrastination and self-treatment can be fatal.

How to distinguish heart pain from others?

For some reason, people who are completely far from medicine believe that if a pulling or sharp pain occurs in the chest, then something is wrong with the heart. This is not entirely true, since chest pains can occur not only due to impaired heart function, but also for many other reasons.

You should not panic if there is pain in the chest area, but you should not relax either, since any pain is a signal that the work of some internal organ is disrupted. Naturally, the most dangerous are heart pains, so it is necessary to distinguish pain associated with the heart from other types of pain.

Causes of chest pain

Often, pain in the chest area occurs due to osteochondrosis, in which the nerve roots are pinched, and this leads to a sharp back pain that radiates to the thoracic region. It may seem to a person suffering from osteochondrosis that the heart is sick, since the pain sensations are of a similar nature. The main thing is to establish the cause and know how to recognize heart pain.

It is rather difficult to distinguish heart pain from pain in osteochondrosis, but it is possible, since in the second case pain can appear with a sudden turn of the head, with sudden movements, as well as with prolonged sitting in a not very comfortable position or with a strong cough. In addition, the pain associated with a disease of the spine can last not only for days, but also for months, and pain in violation of the heart is often paroxysmal in nature and stops after taking special drugs.

You can confuse heart pain with pain caused by any diseases of the stomach. In this case, you need to pay attention to the situations in which pain occurs, what character it is, what additional signs accompany it. So, for example, if chest pain is associated with a stomach disease, then it can be aching or dull, much less often a person can feel a dagger or sharp pain. In addition, with diseases of the stomach, pain may appear immediately after eating or on an empty stomach. Pain in any gastrointestinal disease is often accompanied by some additional symptoms, such as vomiting, heaviness in the abdomen, belching, gas formation, heartburn or nausea.

With real heart pain, none of these signs occur, but a person can feel severe weakness, he begins to panic, there is a fear of death. Very often, people confuse heart pain with pain in neuralgia, and this is not surprising, since in both cases there are similar additional symptoms that accompany the pain syndrome. But even here one can find significant differences, since pains in neuralgia often torment a person at night, they do not subside even if the patient is at rest.

Pain can be significantly aggravated by bending over, taking a deep breath, as well as by walking or a sudden change in body position. In addition, strong pain occurs when you press on the gap between the ribs. It should also be noted that with neuralgia, pain can be longer than heart pain, in addition, they are aggravated by stress or strong excitement and are not relieved by taking nitroglycerin. If pain sensations arose during violations of the heart, then such pains last, as a rule, several minutes, and they can be eliminated with the help of nitroglycerin or Validol.

It is also important to understand severe pain syndromes. How to recognize heart pain in this case? After all, discomfort in the chest can also appear for other reasons, for example, with VVD, neurosis, severe depression, and they are accompanied by arrhythmia and sudden pressure surges. All these additional signs confuse a person even more and create in him the illusion of disturbances in the work of the heart. The most interesting thing is that a person can really feel the frantic heartbeats, but this is nothing more than a game of the imagination. The fact is that people suffering from VVD and other above-mentioned problems have a tendency to hysteria, and their imagination, with any problems with the body, simply paints the picture. The peculiarities of pain in VVD and neuroses are that they pass very quickly as soon as the patient calms down, in addition, such pain can last for several days, and they usually occur against the background of nervous shocks and stress.

How to distinguish neuralgia from heart pain?

It is not always possible for doctors to diagnose diseases, for example, it is very difficult to understand how neuralgia differs from pain in the heart. A person himself will not be able to determine what is the cause of chest pain.

In order to know how to distinguish neuralgia from heart pain, you should understand the signs of the first.

Neuralgia is characterized by bouts of burning, numbness of body parts, pain can occur under the ribs, shoulder blades. The reasons can be different, for example, problems with the nervous system, as well as a decrease in immunity. Long pains, which most often appear in the evening and do not subside until the morning, are all signs of neuralgia. With a deep exhalation or inhalation, the pain intensifies. If, nevertheless, pains in the heart, then they are short-lived, in contrast to the symptoms of neuralgia. With pathology in the heart, there is no pain when inhaling. Measure the pressure, if the pain is associated with cardiovascular pathology, then the pulse is disturbed, and the pressure becomes higher. Neuralgia is characterized by pain-attacks that can last about 20 minutes, congenital pathologies can affect discomfort. This disease can occur due to cervical osteochondrosis. Also, the usual uncomfortable posture can trigger discomfort.

The pain in the heart does not last so long, it sometimes happens due to physical and psychological stress. In this situation, the pain is pressing, in contrast to neuralgia (stabbing). With attacks of neuralgia, it is better to take sedatives or cardiological drugs. Everyone can have heart pathologies, age does not matter, unlike neuralgia, since most elderly people suffer from this disease.

In any case, if a person feels unwell, then you should immediately contact a specialist. After all, any attack is already a kind of call to check your health.

Treatment

Despite the far advanced medicine, the emergence of new diagnostic methods, methods and methods for the complete cure of heart diseases has not been invented. True, with a timely diagnosis and timely treatment of heart diseases, it is possible to improve the condition at times, slow down the development of diseases, increase life expectancy and improve its quality.

risk factor

The main point of successful treatment of heart pain is the elimination of risk factors. That is, for the treatment to be successful, it is necessary to follow several basic rules:

  1. Change lifestyle.
  2. Reduce blood pressure.
  3. Establish healthy sleep.
  4. Healthy food.
  5. Normalize blood sugar.
  6. Bring your cholesterol levels back to normal.
  7. Quit smoking.
  8. Set up physical activity.

By following all these rules and adding medical treatment for heart pain, in 80% of cases you can count on a positive result in the treatment of heart pain. In addition, a patient who has followed all the rules can get rid of pain in the heart without taking medication or reduce their use. The less often you have to call an ambulance, the less often you have to undergo treatment in the inpatient cardiology department, the better for the patient, the more chances you have to live a full life and enjoy every day you live.

Deterioration of the condition implies mandatory hospitalization and treatment of heart pain. Properly selected therapy minimizes complications and deaths.

The first signs of the need for hospitalization include:

  1. First time chest pain.
  2. Appeared
  3. Sharp deterioration.
  4. Increasing angina.
  5. Edema, shortness of breath, changes in ECG parameters.
  6. A state close to myocardial infarction.

In other cases of manifestations of heart pain, treatment can be done at home. The main thing is to know how to identify heart pain, to distinguish it from other pain. Taking pills gives only the relief of an attack in order to continue to do daily work. The drug regimen is made by a doctor. Self-medication will only aggravate the situation. After all, it does not always indicate problems with him. Symptoms can be caused by other diseases and pathologies. It can be problems with the spine, diseases of the back and stomach. In these cases, the standard treatment regimen and the list of drugs for heart pain are completely useless. It is necessary to establish the root cause of the pathology. It may be necessary to consult other specialists.

Therapy

In order for the treatment to have a positive result, it is necessary to establish all the causes of heart pain. Remember that the miracle pill does not exist. An individual scheme for the selection of drugs is needed, which is impossible to draw up without a comprehensive examination and the results of the analyzes obtained. In order not to drink handfuls of pills, modern pharmaceuticals offer a lot of products that combine several properties as much as possible. But even this is not enough.

The doctor prescribes medicines for pain in the heart of several groups of effects:

  1. Reflex.
  2. Peripheral.
  3. Antiplatelet agents.
  4. Blockers.
  5. Beta blockers.
  6. fibrates and statins.
  7. Microelements.

Reflex medications include medicines for pain in the heart, the action of which is aimed at relieving severe discomfort. They are usually taken for heart pain caused by vascular dystonia.

The peripheral group of drugs is designed for the effect of vascular muscle tissue. They are prescribed for severe pain, when urgent help is required for pain syndrome, when there is a risk of myocardial infarction. Peripheral drugs should be taken for angina pectoris, for chest pain, for the treatment of cardiac ischemia, for heart failure. They are taken during the treatment of pain in the heart and as a prophylactic.

Medicines from the group of antiplatelet agents are designed to prevent and prevent the development of blood clots. Medications-blockers eliminate the penetration of calcium into the cells of the heart. They are designed to normalize blood pressure and pulse. Blocker drugs are prescribed to treat heart pain caused by hypertension, tachycardia, and cardiac ischemia.

Fibrates and statins are drugs that lower cholesterol levels in the blood. They are taken as an additional remedy in the treatment of heart pain caused by an increase in cholesterol levels.

Medicines

There is a huge list of medicines. It is very difficult to figure it out on your own. It is better if a specialist does it. There are always times when you need to help yourself or another person urgently. Therefore, first of all, you need to know the names of drugs, understand their action in order to alleviate an attack before medical assistance is provided by specialists. The main thing is to know how to relieve heart pain quickly.

First aid drugs for pain in the heart include:

  • Validol.
  • "Nitroglycerine".
  • "Aspirin".
  • "Amlodipine".
  • "Askorutin" and others.

If something often hurts on the left side, then the presence of such funds in the home first aid kit should be mandatory.

For pain in the heart, the following medicines are prescribed:

  1. Glycosides: Digoxin and Korglikon. Their action is aimed at eliminating tachycardia.
  2. Inhibitors: Ramipril, Quinapril and Trandolapril. Contribute to the restoration of blood vessels, aimed at dilating the arteries.
  3. Diuretic drugs: "Furasemide" and "Britomir", which help reduce edema and stress on the heart.
  4. Air conditioners. These include drugs "Izoket", "Minoxidil", "Nitroglycerin". Their main task is to normalize vascular tone.
  5. Beta blockers. These are drugs "Carvedipol", "Metopropol", "Celipropol". They are taken to eliminate arrhythmias and enrich blood vessels with oxygen.
  6. Anticoagulants: "Warfarin", "Arikstra", "Sinkumar", to prevent and eliminate blood clots.
  7. Statins: "Lipostat", "Anvistat", "Zokor". They are taken to lower cholesterol and prevent plaque formation.
  8. Antithrombotic drugs: "Cardiomagnyl", "Aspirin Cardio", "Kurantil" - act in the same way as anticoagulants.

If medicines for heart pain do not give a positive effect, cardiologists recommend resorting to surgical intervention. But it is carried out only after heart pain has been recognized.

My heart hurts… Who among us has not uttered these words at least once? At the same time, our heart did not always really hurt - the cause of the pain could be intercostal neuralgia during hypothermia, the pain could be the result of a hypertensive crisis, when the vessels are compressed, or a consequence of a disease of the spine, nervous system, and even a consequence of a psychogenic disease. Pain in the heart and at the same time headache may be the result of vegetovascular dystonia. Even with peptic ulcer and lung disease, pain in the heart area can be felt. But, alas, sometimes pain in the left side of the chest or back is a true symptom of a disease of the cardiovascular system. Be sure to visit a doctor, and if the pain is sharp, burning, call an ambulance!

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Pain in the heart area does not always correspond to the severity and severity of the disease.

At myocardial ischemia a person experiences a pressing sensation that extends to the left hand - this happens after physical exertion, after stress, or as a result of overeating.

Acute myocardial infarction gives similar, but more intense and prolonged, up to half an hour or more, sensations.

Myocarditis accompanied by both pressing, aching, and stabbing pain in the region of the heart, and they do not always occur immediately after physical exertion - it can take several days.

Pericarditis- one of the most common causes of pain, but the pain syndrome accompanies only the initial stage of the disease, when the layers of the pericardium are rubbed. Pain can occur in the hypochondrium, a person feels that his heart and left arm hurt, a feature of such pain is the dependence on breathing or body position (the patient sits, leaning forward, shallow breathing).

cardiomyopathy also almost always accompanied by pain, and of a different nature and different localization.

Mitral valve prolapse characterized by long aching, nagging or pressing pain, which cannot be relieved by nitroglycerin.

Myocardial dystrophy also characterized by a variety of pain in the region of the heart.

Should I self-diagnose?

Among women over the age of 30, almost every second complains that she has pain in the heart area. Considering women's emotionality, it can be understood that, in general, complaints intensify after a woman is nervous. If the sensation of pain is concentrated behind the sternum, coronary heart disease can be suspected, with pain in the left shoulder and in the left shoulder blade, angina pectoris is often diagnosed. But often pain associated with neurological diseases is also mistaken for pain in the heart. How to distinguish them? Not at all difficult: in neurology, a lot depends on the movement of the chest, they increase with a high breath or with a change in posture. Take a deep breath and listen to yourself. If the pain is not constant, but disappears with a change in position, this is neuralgic pain. But our advice - do not try to diagnose yourself yourself, consult a doctor so that you do not have to regret the lost time later!

Why does the heart hurt?

To the question “why the heart hurts”, cardiologists most often give two answers: angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. The root cause of these diseases is insufficient blood circulation in the heart muscle, causing coronary heart disease (CHD), which manifests itself precisely in the form of angina pectoris and heart attack. The heart needs a supply of blood rich in oxygen and nutrients. If the coronary, that is, the heart, vessels narrow or a spasm sets in, part of the heart muscle protests - pain. Such pain is the main symptom of angina pectoris. If the narrowing or spasm does not go away for a long time or is very strong - the cells in this part of the heart muscle die, this process is called a myocardial infarction.
With angina pectoris, pain begins in the retrosternal region, pain in the heart radiates to the arm, neck, lower jaw, sometimes even to the right shoulder. It also happens that sensitivity in the hands disappears. But the pain continues for several minutes.
If the pain intensifies, lasts longer, becomes unbearable, suffocation appears, the person turns pale, sweats - these are all signs of a heart attack, and in this case, the first thing to do is call an ambulance cardiological care!

Types of pain

When a doctor hears from a patient a complaint about stabbing pains in the heart, “as if with a needle”, he first of all assumes heart neurosis - a kind of vegetovascular dystonia, impaired nervous activity and nervous tone. The usual advice in such cases is patience, self-control and valerian. The body gives a signal that the nervous system is out of order. Stress can cause not only emotional, but also physical changes, adrenaline is released, which is not spent on the physical work of the muscles, and therefore finds “application” in another area. Here, the way out will be either the ability to relax, or physical stress, work, sports - whatever.

Aching pain in the heart can talk about myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscle, often appearing after a sore throat and accompanied by sensations of “interruptions” in the work of the heart, weakness, and sometimes fever.

Pressing pain in the heart- a sign of angina pectoris, which we have already talked about. If the diagnosis is known and it is really angina pectoris, you can relieve the attack by taking nitroglycerin under the tongue (corvalol and validol will not help!), opening the window and giving access to fresh air. If the pain does not decrease, take another nitroglycerin tablet and call an ambulance. Do not tolerate pain - the process can begin to develop and a sharp pain in the heart will appear, a sign of myocardial infarction. Such pain is not relieved by nitroglycerin, and lasts for half an hour, and several hours. It is important to help the patient as soon as possible in order to increase his chances of recovery.

Constant pain in the heart, whether it is stabbing, cutting, aching or pressing, is the surest sign that you need to see a doctor, and the sooner the better. Do not tolerate, do not self-medicate, do not hope that it will pass by itself - help yourself, your body, give it a chance to live happily ever after.

What to do with pain in the heart?

So, if you already know your diagnosis, and you are caught in pain in your heart, what do you need to do to relieve an attack?

We have already spoken about the fact that angina pectoris you need to give access to fresh air and support the heart with a tablet of nitroglycerin.

At neuroses the right remedy is valerian, fresh air, physical activity and peace of mind.

A sharp pain that speaks of the possibility heart attack, can be weakened by planting (not laying down!) The patient, it would be nice to lower his legs in hot water with mustard. Under the tongue - a tablet of validol, you can take up to 40 drops of valocordin or corvalol, if it does not help - put a tablet of nitroglycerin under the tongue. And call an ambulance!

Help with heart pain sustak, sorbitol, nitranol, nitrosorbitol, but they do not act so quickly - after 10-15 minutes, so during an attack they are, in principle, useless. Help with pain and rubbing type bee venom, Bom Bengue or efcamona.

If your heart pain is due to high blood pressure, take a fast-acting blood pressure medicine such as corinfar.

If the pain did not bother you before, that is, you do not know if you have a heart disease and what kind, and suddenly you feel that your heart hurts - what should you do? The first thing is not to be scared, try not to harm yourself with unnecessary emotions. Accept 40 drops of valocordin if not, help corvalol or validol. Give yourself peace. Accept 1 tablet of aspirin and 1 tablet of analgin by drinking both tablets with half a glass of water. If the pain does not subside within 15 minutes, call an ambulance.

Nitroglycerine- a serious medicine for pain in the heart, it should be taken only by those who know for sure that it is this remedy that he needs.