What to do with acute pain in the heart? Stitches in the region of the heart: causes, connection with pathology, how to eliminate tingling, possible treatment when it is dangerous Stitching cutting pain in the heart.

Many have experienced pain in the heart or its area. According to statistics, only half of patients with such a complaint have deviations associated with this organ. In other cases, the causes of discomfort were very diverse. Traumatic effects, pathologies of the respiratory system and the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) can lead to pain in the heart area.

It is extremely important to recognize the cause of this condition in a timely manner. After all, sometimes such a “wake-up call” signals dangerous diseases.

Anatomically, the organ is asymmetrically located in the chest cavity, in the center, partially on the left. This place is also called the middle mediastinum. It is located in an insulating pericardial sac (pericardium).

Consists of 4 chambers: left and right atrium, left and right ventricle. The venous trunks flow into it, through which blood enters the heart cavity, and then is pumped into the arteries.

There are certain signs of pain in the heart that distinguish it from sensations caused by non-cardiac diseases:

• predominantly occurs after physical activity;
• located behind the sternum;
• accompanied by rhythm disturbance;
• stopped by taking nitroglycerin;
• does not have a protracted character;
• radiates to the left side of the body;
• accompanied by pallor, shortness of breath and increased sweating.

Possible causes of pain in the heart area

There are a number of conditions that lead to the occurrence of such sensations. Pain in the region of the heart is often provoked by:

• vascular and heart diseases (, endocarditis, pericarditis, myocarditis, organ defects, etc.);
• respiratory lesions (pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.);
• neuropsychiatric diseases (neuralgia, etc.);
• pathologies of bones and joints (sciatica, arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis, etc.);
• consequences of injuries (bruise, fracture, vascular damage, tissue rupture, etc.);
• malignant and benign tumors (soft tissue sarcoma, osteosarcoma, etc.);
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (gastric ulcer).

How the human heart works

The condition is rarely the result of cardiac pathologies. The unpleasant sensations that have arisen on the left can signal violations in the organs of the epigastric region, namely:

• stomach;
• pancreas;
• spleen;
• intestines;
• diaphragms;
• lungs.

To understand the causes of pain, it is necessary to recognize other symptoms. Pain on the left also occurs with pathologies of the respiratory system or the spine.

It is impossible to diagnose a disease based on only one factor. Causes of pain in the heart can be as follows:

1. Angina. It is a syndrome expressed in the form of aching and squeezing pain in the chest, which radiates to the left arm, lower jaw or under the shoulder blade. The syndrome develops against the background of aortic stenosis, primary arterial hypertension, various types of cardiomyopathy.
2. Cardioneurosis. It is a violation that has arisen as a result of experienced psycho-emotional shock or stress.
3. Osteochondrosis. Pain may also radiate, but unlike angina, it does not change after taking nitroglycerin or cessation of physical activity.
4. Hormonal reorganization. It is typical for young people of puberty and women during menopause.

Such pain in the heart, the symptoms of which are provoked by various reasons, does not always indicate dangerous pathologies. It may indicate:

• various forms;
• inflammation of the myocardium (myocarditis);
• coronary insufficiency;
• defects and violations of valves;
• aortic dissection.

If the onset of sensations was preceded by physical activity, pain in the heart recurs periodically, accompanied by a characteristic burning sensation, then emergency care should be called immediately.

Such pains can talk about lesions of the heart and blood vessels. They are typical for:

• coronary spasms resulting from stress or overexertion;
• seizures;
• acute myocardial infarction;
• various forms of cardiomyopathy;
• inflammation of the outer shell of the heart muscle (pericarditis);
• psychogenic cardialgia.

Stitching pain in the region of the heart, the causes of which lie in other systems, may be the result of a disease of the spine or pinched nerves.

As a rule, the sensations are not too pronounced and allow you to perform the usual actions. Such constant pain in the region of the heart on the left, despite its muffledness, is the reason for contacting a specialist. It may occur due to:

• angina;
• false angina pectoris (also develops as a result of diseases of the spine, gastrointestinal tract, etc.);
• cardioneurosis;
• osteochondrosis, scoliosis and other diseases of the spine;
• cardiomyopathy (mainly).

Dull pain in the heart can be the result of a traumatic effect.

Pulling sensations are of a protracted nature, which have a significant impact on the quality of human life. Many patients compare them to the appearance of a heavy object in the sternum that can move when changing position. There are pulling pains in the heart with heart disease or non-cardiac pathologies. They can talk about:

• approaching myocardial infarction;
• an attack of angina pectoris;
• inflammation of the pericardium;
• rhythm disorders,
• psychogenic cardialgia;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• pathologies of the thoracic spine.

Pain in the left side in the region of the heart, which cannot be tolerated, is called acute. In diseases of the vascular system and heart, it has characteristic features:

• sensations expressed, squeezing;
• a strong burning sensation is possible;
• radiates to the left or both sides (arms, jaw, shoulder blades).

Acute chest pain can signal pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system.

Such sensations may occur after physical activity or rapid movement. They appear suddenly, and the attack itself passes quickly enough. They are usually caused by:

1. . Pain in the heart with myocardial infarction is localized behind the sternum. The skin turns pale, breathing quickens, sweating increases, and fear of death arises.
2. coronary spasm. The narrowing of the lumen of the vessels is recorded mainly in the morning or in the evening after psycho-emotional experiences.
3. Aortic dissection.

Other causes of sharp sensations include neuralgia or the consequences of injuries to the chest.

Mostly occurs due to disorders of the respiratory system. In particular:

• with pneumonia;
• with pneumothorax;
• tuberculosis;
• pleurisy, etc.

These conditions are accompanied by the occurrence of other symptoms of diseases of the respiratory system. In addition, sensations can occur for a number of other reasons, including those of the heart.

The discomfort that occurs during inhalation is one of the signs of intercostal neuralgia. They appear in a calm state, often at night. Intercostal neuralgia can be the result of hypothermia. In addition, pain when inhaling is felt when:

• osteochondrosis;
• after an injury;
• with a number of pathologies of the respiratory system.

However, it is possible to accurately diagnose the cause only on the basis of the examination. In some patients, heart disease may manifest in this way.

In this case, sensations spread from the chest to the arm. Most often, radiating pain is found when:

1. or myocarditis. Sensations spread to the left hand, mainly to the ring finger and little finger.
2. Osteochondrosis. "Gives" to the index and thumb.
3. Neuralgia.
4. Psychogenic cardialgia.

If such a condition arose for the first time, then you should not take cardio drugs on your own. If used without indications, they can be harmful to health.

There are many reasons for such manifestations. Pain may be related to the digestive system, respiratory system, or musculoskeletal system. Most often it occurs due to diseases of the heart and blood vessels that supply it. May be:

• pressing;
• burning;
• acute;
• pulling, etc.

It is important to pay attention to the duration of sensations, their intensity and response to medication.

What does constant pain in the heart mean?

With a high probability, manifestations are associated with cardiac and vascular pathologies. They occur when:

1. Angina pectoris (mainly with a stable form). At the same time, the feeling constantly haunts the patient. It is localized to the left in the sternum and increases after exercise or activity.
2. Inflammatory diseases affecting the tissues of the heart muscle, in particular with pericarditis and myocarditis. These conditions are less dangerous than coronary artery disease, but can cause complications.
3. coronary disease. It is characterized by bouts of discomfort in the chest, but in rare cases the pain becomes permanent. This may signal complications.
4. dishormonal cardiomyopathy.

What to do with heart pain?

If you find any of these sensations, you should contact a specialist. Only he can diagnose and correctly prescribe treatment. Burning, tingling or squeezing of the chest is not always associated with pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

If the attack is acute, accompanied by sweating, fear of death, pallor, then you must immediately call an ambulance. Worth waiting for:

1. Stop any activity, sit or lie down on the bed, raising the headboard.
2. Loosen your tie, unbutton your clothes, open the window. Provide air access.
3. Put a nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue, do not chew or drink.

Useful video

Useful information about the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, see this video:

Conclusion

1. To assess the situation, it is important to understand what pains are in the heart, and which ones occur in its area. Diagnosis of many pathologies is based on the detection of unpleasant sensations of this kind.
2. Do not panic and self-medicate.
3. Uncontrolled intake of drugs, most likely, will not have the desired effect and may adversely affect health.

Pain in the heart can have a different character. Often patients complain of stabbing pains. As a rule, it is they who give people special anxiety. At the same time, experts believe that stabbing pain in the region of the heart is not always a sign of coronary diseases. On the contrary, such a symptom is uncharacteristic of most life-threatening cardiac pathologies. It is most often observed in lesions of the spine and nervous system.

As a rule, when complaining of a sharp stabbing pain in the heart, people mean sensations in the left side of the chest. Many are sure that the main organ is on the left. In fact, the heart is located in the middle of the chest, and cardiac pains are usually felt behind the sternum, although they can also be given to the left side. It often happens that people take sharp, dagger pains, which are not at all dangerous, for. At the same time, they may miss the really heart symptoms or not take them seriously.

Distinguishing cardiac pain from non-cardiac pain

The following signs may indicate a non-cardiological origin:

1. They are permanent in nature, while an angina attack lasts no more than 10-15 minutes.
2. Usually shooting or piercing. As for the heart, they are pressing, burning, squeezing.
3. Acute stabbing pains occur with sudden movements, deep inspiration, coughing. Cardiac are usually associated with psycho-emotional and physical stress.
4. Painful sensations of non-coronary origin, as a rule, do not radiate to the left arm, neck, shoulder blade, jaw, as can be the case with heart disease.

Why does it occur?

The reasons for its appearance are varied.

1. One of the most common causes is intercostal neuralgia, which is often mistaken for a heart attack. The disease is characterized by severe pain, stabbing or piercing, which lasts from several minutes to several days.
2. Another common cause is neurotic conditions. In addition, a person may complain of a lump in the throat, shortness of breath, nausea, palpitations, irritability, and stomach pain. The patient usually emotionally talks about his state of health and considers himself seriously ill. As a rule, this is possible with severe stress, as well as impressionable people who worry about every occasion and react sharply to any troubles.
3. Stitching pain in the region of the heart may appear with diseases of the spine. Sometimes with osteochondrosis there are symptoms of heart disease, namely irradiation to the arm, shoulder blade.

Diagnosis in the event of pain in the chest

In some cases, it is a sign of heart disease:

• Heart attack. A symptom of a heart attack can be pain of this nature. She, in addition, gives to the back, left arm, throat, jaw. The patient develops nausea and heartburn, cold sweat appears, loss of consciousness is possible.
• Angina. In this case, this symptom may appear due to spasms of the coronary vessels and as a result of insufficient blood flow to the pericardium.
• It may have such a symptom and, which is characterized by thickening of the walls of the left or right ventricle.
• Pericarditis is an inflammatory disease of the outer lining of the heart. The causative agents can be bacteria, viruses, fungi. Pericarditis is traumatic and allergic, can develop against the background of malignant tumors and after taking corticosteroid drugs.

Stitching pains in children

Particular attention should be paid to the complaints of children. They have periodic stabbing pain in the heart for other reasons, unlike adults. In this case, the child must be carefully examined. The following pathologies can be detected:

• congenital heart defects;
• pericarditis;
• rheumatic heart disease after angina;
• myocardial dystrophy;
• disorders of the coronary circulation;
• neurosis.

What to do?

Most often, stabbing pain in the heart, even severe, is in no way associated with a dangerous heart disease and is not life threatening. To find out the cause, in any case, you will have to consult a doctor who will prescribe an examination and treatment. With this symptom, a differential diagnosis is required.

An ambulance needs to be called if there is a suspicion of a heart attack or an angina attack. Once again, it should be said that in these cases such pain rarely occurs. An acute heart attack is characterized by pressing pains in the chest, radiating to the back, left arm, neck, and jaw. In addition, with a heart attack, shortness of breath, heartburn, nausea, and discomfort in the stomach are observed. With angina pectoris, the pain is usually burning or bursting, while not sharp, but dull.

Pain in the heart is a symptom of multiple problems, but not always of the heart. So pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory organs, gastrointestinal tract, neurological disorders can manifest themselves. Therefore, each of us needs to know how to distinguish pain in the heart area associated specifically with his disease in order to prevent serious complications, for example, myocardial infarction.

Unpleasant sensations in the chest area received a collective name in medicine - cardialgia.

What pathologies can pain speak of?

Pain in the heart area can indicate many pathologies. Hearts include:

• ischemia (angina pectoris, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, postinfarction cardiosclerosis);
• inflammation of the myocardium, with a violation of the main functions of the muscle: excitability, conduction and contractility;
• myocardiopathy;
• myocardial dystrophy;
• heart injury;
• neoplasms.

Pathologies manifested by heart pain:

• esophagitis;
• gastroesophageal reflux pathology;
• stomach ulcer;
• malignant neoplasms;
• chemical burns of the mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach;
• Mallory-Weiss syndrome, accompanied by gastric bleeding;
• ulcer perforation;
• pneumonia;
• pleurisy;
• tuberculosis;
• pneumoconiosis;
• aneurysm or dissection, congenital narrowing of the aorta;
• pulmonary thrombosis, etc.

Only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis after a detailed diagnosis.

The nature of pain

Pain in the region of the heart can have a different character and intensity. Therefore, you should know what pains in the heart are in order to prevent its complications. Let's take a look at their types.

• Compressive

Constant compressive pains in the heart inform about the lack of oxygen in the myocardium - the heart muscle. Such a symptom is characteristic of almost all forms of ischemia (ischemia is a decrease in myocardial blood supply with weakening, cessation of arterial blood flow).

Angina pectoris is characterized by compressive discomfort behind the sternum, radiating under the shoulder blade and into the left arm. Discomfort occurs almost always after physical exertion, at rest or after taking nitroglycerin preparations.

Compressive sensations occur in people with various rhythm disturbances (bradycardia, tachycardia, arrhythmia). Often discomfort is accompanied by fear, shortness of breath. With such pathologies, compressive pain appears in the heart.

• Sharp

Sharp pains come on suddenly. They are characterized by the following pathologies:

1. Angina. Prolonged angina attacks, accompanied by a feeling of constriction, indicate thrombosis, embolism, and a sharp stenosis of the coronary vessels. In such cases, nitroglycerin preparations do not help. If a person has taken two tablets with an interval of 10 minutes, but the discomfort does not go away, you should definitely call an ambulance. Only professional medical techniques will help prevent myocardial death - necrosis.
2. Myocardial infarction. This pathology is a necrosis of the muscle wall. It is characterized by very pronounced, lingering sharp sensations that radiate to the stomach and are very similar to an attack of intestinal colic. It is not possible to relieve discomfort with nitropreparations. It is accompanied by lack of air, severe sweating, trembling hands, bouts of nausea and vomiting, loss of consciousness, arrhythmia. Often, people suffering from a heart attack experience convulsions, involuntary urination.
3. Pathologies of the digestive tract. The cause of acute, sharp discomfort in the chest is the perforation of a stomach ulcer. From a sharp attack, a person becomes ill, “flies” appear before his eyes, his head begins to spin, up to loss of consciousness.
4. Thrombosis of the pulmonary artery. Pathology is a blockage of the arterial bed of the lung by a thrombus. Tachycardia, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, fever, wet rales, cough can join the sharp pain. Thrombosis is a medical emergency that requires emergency medical attention.
5. Aortic aneurysm (the aorta is the largest artery). Pathology is characterized by unpleasant sensations in the upper part of the sternum. The discomfort lasts for 2-3 days, usually occurs after exercise, is not observed in other parts of the body, and does not disappear after nitroglycerin drugs.
6. Aortic aneurysm dissection. Rupture of the aorta leads to the flow of blood between the layers of the walls of the vessel. When the wall breaks through, rapid massive blood loss occurs. In simple words, a huge hematoma is formed in the vessel. Often, the pathology develops in older men. The condition when blood accumulates between the layers of the aorta is characterized by a sudden sharp tearing discomfort behind the sternum or around the heart. Usually gives under the shoulder blade.

At the same time, pressure jumps are observed - at first it rises significantly, then drops rapidly. Characteristic signs - asymmetry of the pulse on the hands, blue skin. A person sweats a lot, at the same time, he faints, his breathing is disturbed, his voice is hoarse, shortness of breath is observed. Hematoma leads to a lack of oxygen in the myocardium and coma.

• pressing

Sudden pain and pressure in the chest develops with angina pectoris. The pain is paroxysmal, it can be relieved by taking nitroglycerin drugs. The difference between angina and a heart attack is that angina does not occur at rest and at night. Pressing sensations are almost always accompanied by jumps in blood pressure.

Pressing pains in the region of the heart can be the cause, symptoms (cardiac neurosis). In addition, a person will feel dizziness, arrhythmia, which are observed most often after a strong stressful situation, excitement.

Another reason for feeling pressure and discomfort in the chest is myocarditis. Symptoms: severe squeezing in the chest, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, swelling of the lower extremities.

Myocardiopathy, myocardial dystrophy, neoplasms of the diseased heart also give pressing sensations. But in this case, discomfort does not arise from physical activity. Develops independently even at rest.

• stabbing

Many people perceive stabbing sensations as life-threatening pathologies. But such tingling indicates a neurosis. This condition is not life threatening. It is associated with an intense pace of life, a large load on the psyche. Any cardiologist, having heard from a person that chest pain is sudden, short-lived and looks like an injection, will say that this is not a cause for concern. Such symptoms do not indicate serious pathologies.

The causes of such pain in the heart can be irritability, a nervous breakdown. Most often subject to such crises are emotional, strongly experiencing any, even the smallest troubles, people.

With constant anxiety, fear, emotional overstrain, adrenaline is reflexively released, which activates vital systems. In the process of evolution, the body has adapted to fight, for example, to attack or run away in the face of imminent danger. In the event that adrenaline is not spent on muscle mass, it “tries to find” its implementation in other organs, provoking stabbing sensations in the chest area.

• Strong

Unbearable severe pain in the heart may indicate a heart attack, pulmonary thrombosis, aortic aneurysm dissection. At the same time, the person is excited, rushing about. In addition to severe pain in the region of the heart, people experience a strong fear of death.

• burning

Such pains in the heart have the following causes: pericarditis, neurocirculatory dystonia, heartburn with gastroesophageal reflux (reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus).

• Chest pain on inspiration

Shooting pains when inhaling from the side of the heart can be a sign of temporary infringement of the spinal nerves. Aching sensations at the exit - a symptom of protrusion (a pathological process in the spine, in which the intervertebral disc bulges into the spinal canal), intervertebral hernias. Constant discomfort and frequent pain on inspiration in the region of the heart are formed against the background of a violation of muscle tone and are expressed in muscle strain, as well as spondylosis (a pathology of the spinal column, which consists in the growth of vertebral tissue in the form of spikes, protrusions), osteochondrosis.

How to understand that pain is associated with heart disease

There are a number of specific symptoms that will tell you how to determine that pain in the heart is associated precisely with its pathology. If at least a few of them are present, this is a reason to contact the cardiology center:

• painful sensation lasts at least 30 minutes;
• discomfort occurs during a night's sleep, at rest;
• pain in the heart and disappear after taking nitroglycerin preparations;
• pain in the region of the heart is periodically accompanied by suffocation, dizziness, fainting;
• pressure in the chest area appears after physical or psychological overstrain, pain in the heart radiates to the region of the left arm, shoulder blade;
• there is an increase in the frequency of contractions, rhythm disturbance without obvious reasons;
• the skin, while the heart hurts, turns pale, acquires a bluish tint, especially in the region of the nasolabial triangle;
• a person feels weak, sweats a lot.

Often, pain in the region of the heart is accompanied by aches, numbness of the muscles of the forearms. Then they rise to the muscles of the shoulder, give behind the sternum; sweat is intense; breathing becomes difficult; legs and arms "do not obey" a person.

What to do with heart pain

What to do if you experience pain in the heart area:

1. Take Corvalol. If the discomfort does not subside, then most likely the person has serious problems. In this case, you should call an ambulance.
2. Hold your breath for a while. But if at the same time the pain in the region of the heart still does not subside, this indicates serious problems, if it decreases, it indicates neuralgia or muscle problems.

Any kind of discomfort in the chest area should not be ignored. We should not forget that many pathologies proceed secretly, can be perceived by people as a result of fatigue after physical exertion. To prevent the development of serious diseases that threaten life, you should visit a cardiologist.

Pain in the heart is an alarming symptom that indicates serious deviations in the work of the “main motor” and warns of the development of a serious illness. Any other pain can be disguised as heart pain.

Therefore, the first thing to do when it appears is to calm down and breathe evenly. Secondly, be sure to seek medical help, especially if the pain sensation arose for the first time, and you have not been diagnosed with heart disease before.

cardiac causes

Direct pain in the heart occurs for a number of reasons:

• In the presence of cardiovascular diseases;
• Against the backdrop of stress;
• In the presence of concomitant diseases;
• Against the background of hormonal changes, especially during menstruation or menopause in women;
• Against the background of high blood pressure.

Depending on the true root cause, choose the tactics of first aid and further treatment. With hormonal changes, this symptom is practically safe, with neurosis it carries a moderate danger, and in the presence of a heart disease it can indicate the development of dangerous complications that can lead to death.

Pain in the heart with heart disease is of a different nature: it can be sharp, stabbing, aching. It is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis only by the nature of the pain and its localization. Usually it is associated with a violation of the blood supply to a certain area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heart muscle.

If, against the background of pain in the heart, there is a feeling of numbness in the left hand, it is necessary to call an ambulance as soon as possible. Such a clinical picture of character for a heart attack.

If you are alone at this moment, notify any of your relatives, acquaintances and neighbors. Don't lock the front door: it will take several minutes before the ambulance arrives, with a heart attack during this time, many patients lose consciousness.

The most common causes of heart pain:

• Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle);
• Heart disease;
• Cardiosclerosis (scars form on the heart);
• Spasm of the coronary arteries;
• Ischemia, heart attack;
• Thrombosis of the cardiac artery;
• Chronic heart failure.

With ischemia (impaired blood supply to the heart muscle), as well as acute infarction, acute intense pain is observed. They last several hours, are not stopped by taking medications. Accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure, pallor, weakness.

Angina pain occurs on the background of stress or after heavy physical exertion. Pressing, arching pain occurs in depth behind the sternum, the pain often radiates to the arm, side or jaw. The attack lasts a few seconds, less often - a few minutes. May be accompanied by hand numbness.

Myocardial infarction is the most dangerous condition. It occurs when the blood supply to a section of the heart muscle stops and tissue necrosis begins. The larger the necrotic area, the more dangerous the patient's condition.

Characteristic signs of the disease: severe pain and burning in the region of the heart, which last longer than 15 minutes, shortness of breath, pallor and weakness. In this case, the sooner the patient receives medical care, the more likely he is to survive.

The most favorable prognosis is for those who were helped within the first 20 minutes after the onset of the attack. If you delay calling an ambulance, 40-60 minutes after the onset of an attack, serious irreversible changes may begin or the patient will die altogether.

In other heart diseases, the pain is of a short-term nature. There are additional symptoms - pallor, shortness of breath, increased or decreased pressure, sweating, heart rhythm disturbance.

If a person has a history of heart disease, when an attack of pain in the heart, you need to drink the remedy recommended by the doctor. If there were no heart diseases before, but you are sure that it is the heart that hurts, corvalol, validol or nitroglycerin will help relieve the pain symptom.

With severe pain, an ambulance is needed. When the pain is mild and short-lived, you should consult a doctor who will help establish the most accurate cause.

non-cardiac reasons

The heart is located in the chest, pain in its area is projected to the left side of the sternum. But the true heart and other pains that are localized nearby are easy to confuse.

"False" heart pain is caused by:

Neurosis, stress. Against the background of strong emotional experiences, a sharp vasospasm occurs, including near the heart. Due to circulatory disorders, pain occurs, as well as heart rhythm disturbances, sweating, shortness of breath.

The nature of the pain is sharp stabbing, or aching and dull. Stopping an attack of "nervous" heart pain is simple: just drink Corvalol or valerian infusion.

Classic heart drugs such as nitroglycerin do not help in this case.

lung disease(inflammation, tumors, metastases). Pain occurs regularly. Her “companions” are shortness of breath, shortness of breath, cough, a feeling of “gurgling” in the chest (a symptom indicates fluid accumulation, pulmonary edema).

May be accompanied by fever (pneumonia).

Diseases of the stomach(gastritis, ulcer) quite often give to the heart. They are associated with food intake and violation of the diet.

If pain in the sternum occurs on an empty stomach or immediately after eating, after eating too spicy and fatty foods, accompanied by heartburn, nausea, vomiting - instead of a cardiologist, you should visit a gastroenterologist.

Intercostal neuralgia. Pain occurs after physical overexertion, hypothermia, prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position.

The pain is aggravated by taking a deep breath and moving.

But after taking a more comfortable position, it subsides. When palpation of the sternum or spine, you can determine the most painful place.

Myositis- Inflammation of a muscle in the back, chest, or shoulder. It occurs due to a general infectious process, with hypothermia, a strong load.

The pain appears in the depth of the muscle tissue and may be mistakenly identified as cardiac.

Distinguishing true heart pain from non-heart pain is easy: try changing your body position and taking a deep breath. If the pain has passed or weakened, there is no reason for alarm, the sensations are caused by diseases of other organs. If the pain did not go away, its intensity intensified - its cause is an unhealthy heart.

You need to urgently seek medical help.

The nature of the pain

Depending on the nature of the pain, the most likely cause of its occurrence can be assumed. But a more thorough examination is required to make an accurate diagnosis.

Heart pain is:

Sharp, sharp. They say about such people: "the heart seized." Such pain occurs with many cardiac and non-cardiac diseases. It is important to lie down or sit down as soon as possible, get rid of clothing that restricts movement, and provide the patient with fresh air.

Breathe slowly and evenly. It is worth taking Corvalol, and if a person has a heart disease - nitroglycerin.

stabbing. Especially colitis in the sternum during inspiration - normal or deep. Such sensations are characteristic of both a heart attack and intercostal neuralgia.

If a sharp stabbing pain is accompanied by numbness, call an ambulance immediately. Take Corvalol and try not to move.

pressing. They are often accompanied by difficulty breathing. It is necessary to open the window, free the patient from the pressing clothes. You need to breathe calmly.

Be sure to take Corvalol, Validol or Nitroglycerin. If at rest the pain does not go away after 15 minutes, you need to call an ambulance.

Aching. Pain of low intensity, often occurs against the background of neurosis, stomach, muscle pain. Taking Corvalol helps: with neurosis, it calms the nerves, with the stomach it removes irritation and helps reduce the intensity of stomach pain.

If the heart "whines" often, it is necessary to observe, after which these sensations arise: against the background of stress, anxiety, after eating or on an empty stomach.

This will help to avoid unnecessary examinations: the doctor will prescribe only the most necessary.

If pain occurs in the heart, it is important to quickly help the patient to take a comfortable position - sit down or lie down.

Heart hurts. Which doctor should I contact?

Heart pain is an alarming symptom that should not be ignored. In case of acute pain that does not go away after taking the usual sedatives, accompanied by respiratory failure, loss of consciousness, numbness of the limbs, emergency medical care is needed.

In other cases, you will be helped:

1. Therapist- prescribe additional tests, a cardiogram, help you decide which specialist you need to consult.
2. Cardiologist- deals directly with heart disease. Conduct a set of studies that will help confirm or exclude a cardiac diagnosis.
3. Neurologist– deals with neurosis, neuralgia, heart pains of nervous etiology.

To clarify the diagnosis, you will need to pass a general blood test, undergo an electrocardiogram, ultrasound of the heart - this is a minimum program. Further examination will be prescribed by the doctor, based on the results of basic tests.

What to take at home?

With heart pain, first aid comes down to taking sedatives and drugs that will help restore blood circulation. Corvalol can be taken for any pain. It removes panic and anxiety, which increase pain, provoke deterioration.

Valerian infusion will help with stress pain. For the same purpose, you can take validol.

"Hearts", who have a history of heart disease, with an attack of pain, you need to take:

1. Nitroglycerin + validol- to improve blood circulation, relieve vasospasm, reduce the manifestations of fear and panic.
2. Nitroglycerin + aspirin- to remove spasm, normalize blood circulation, make blood less viscous. This combination helps with a suspected stroke, it will help the patient "hold out" until the ambulance arrives and minimize necrosis of the heart muscle.

Also in this case, you can drink No-shpa: with neuralgia, it completely relieves pain, with heart disease it improves the condition of muscle tissue, relieves muscle and vascular spasm.

The table shows the most popular drugs that are used for heart pain, and their dosage.

Treatment with folk methods

Folk remedies are used mainly for prevention and maintenance treatment. At the time of a painful attack, you can drink a cup of mint and lemon balm tea (not hot) - this will help calm the nerves and normalize the heart rate.

Pour 20 g of berries and 15 g of lemon balm herb with a glass of boiling water, insist in a water bath. Drink 20 ml before each meal for 2 days. The tool will help to avoid a second attack, calm the nervous system, improve heart function.

Also, during an attack, you can rub a drop or two of fir oil into the skin of the left nipple. A light massage of the tips of both little fingers also helps (performed simultaneously on two hands).

With frequently recurring attacks, you can use walnut tincture. 30 fruits (unripe) pour liters of vodka, insist 2 weeks. Drink no more than 20 drops three times a day before meals. The course is 3-4 weeks.

An infusion of blue cornflower is prepared as follows: a tablespoon of dried flowers in a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour. Drink a third of a glass three times a day, before meals.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of heart pain, it is necessary to monitor the health of the cardiovascular and support the immune system.

For this you need:

1. Lead a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits.
2. Do not exclude physical activity, even in the presence of heart disease. The doctor will help determine the safe level of exercise. Even with serious illnesses, the patient is recommended simple gymnastics to improve blood circulation and short walks in the fresh air.
3. Eat right, exclude foods rich in cholesterol, large amounts of sweet, starchy and spicy.
4. Eat foods containing potassium and magnesium (bananas, apricots, nuts, legumes, dairy products).
5. Normalize the daily routine, sleep 7-8 hours a day.
6. Avoid stress, physical and emotional overstrain.

Forecast

A one-time pain in the heart that arose against a background of stress may no longer be repeated if a person reconsiders his lifestyle: he will rest more, eat right and be less nervous.

Constantly recurring attacks, as well as acute stabbing pain, indicate the need for a more thorough examination. This will allow you to take action at an early stage and prevent a significant deterioration in health.

Ignoring this symptom and attempting self-treatment can result in a serious illness and heart attack, after which not all patients survive. The risk increases with age. But if pain in the heart occurs at a young age, this is a reason to contact the doctors.

Quick Answers

How to relieve heart pain after drinking alcohol?

Answer: It is important to determine the nature of the pain: it was provoked by an acute attack (pain begins abruptly, accompanied by respiratory failure) or caused by intoxication. In the first case, emergency medical care is needed. In the second, you need to take activated carbon or any other sorbent. After that, you need to drink a glass of water with a little lemon juice. Valocordin or hawthorn tincture helps (16 drops per 100 ml of water).

What to give a drink from the heart to a child or teenager?

Answer: If there is no cardiac pathology, pain often occurs against the background of nerves or pain in the stomach. You can give an infusion of motherwort, valerian, in extreme cases - Corvalol (10-12 drops). If nervous heart pains occur frequently, you need to increase physical activity, avoid overeating. And seek advice from a pediatrician.

Is it necessary to take aspirin for heart pain?

Answer: It is taken at the risk of a heart attack and with high blood pressure to reduce blood viscosity. If the pain is associated with emotional overstrain or stomach disease, aspirin is not recommended and even contraindicated.

How to stop a heart attack at home?

Answer: You can alleviate the patient's condition before the arrival of doctors - give a sedative, nitroglycerin or other heart remedy that will help prevent irreversible consequences. It is impossible and dangerous to completely cope with an acute attack without the help of doctors.

How to make sure that the heart does not hurt from nerves and experiences?

Answer: You need to lead an active lifestyle, do a minimal set of exercises, spend more time outdoors, sleep 7-8 hours a day. You should give up strong tea and coffee, alcohol. You can take mild sedatives.

What to take if the heart hurts during pregnancy?

Answer: You can’t choose a drug on your own: many heart remedies can provoke a miscarriage or premature birth, at best, cause hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) of the fetus. At the first appearance of discomfort in the sternum, a pregnant woman should consult a doctor. Before consulting a specialist, you can take mild sedatives - but only those that are allowed for pregnant women or recommended by your gynecologist.

My heart hurts and my left arm goes numb. What to do in this case, what to take?

Answer: If the pain is stabbing, such symptoms signal the presence of serious disorders and even an incipient heart attack. It is necessary to take a position of the body in which pain is minimal. Be sure to breathe deeply, even if it is accompanied by increased pain. It is necessary to give the patient a tablet of nitroglycerin and call an ambulance. If a person in this state is alone, you need to call relatives or seek help from neighbors or passers-by.

If the pain is aching, not acute, it most often has neurological causes. You need to take Corvalol or another sedative, take a more comfortable position.

Pain in the heart area can have different causes. They can be quite harmless, but sometimes stabbing pain in the region of the heart is a sign of a very serious pathology.

When such complaints appear, a detailed examination of the heart is mandatory, and, if necessary, other organs.

Stitching pain in the heart can have a variety of causes. It often occurs due to cardiac pathology, but other situations are possible.

coronary spasm

Spasm of the coronary arteries leads to impaired blood circulation in the heart, as a result of which the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen, hypoxia develops. Without adequate nutrition, the heart cannot function properly. This condition occurs against the background of altered vessels.

The most common spastic conditions are caused by:

• stress;
• nervous tension.

A very serious provocation of coronary spasms is smoking. Sometimes these states occur spontaneously during sleep. Their frequency increases sharply in old age.

Attack of myocardial ischemia during exercise

Physical activity (active sports, brisk walking, running, gardening) increases the heart's need for oxygen. If the coronary vessels changed by the pathological process cannot provide increased blood supply, a heart attack occurs. Sharp stabbing pain in the region of the heart is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• feeling short of breath;
• cold sweat;
• cold extremities;
• dizziness;
• nausea;
• acceleration of the heart rate.

Attacks with impaired coronary circulation develop against the background. If it occurs against the background of physical activity, the patient suffers from angina pectoris.

Myocardial infarction is the most severe complication of coronary heart disease. A thrombus forms in the coronary vessel, which, together with atherosclerotic plaque, clogs the artery. With a heart attack, the stage of hypoxia ends with necrotic destruction of the muscle tissue of the heart.

Depending on the size of the affected artery, there are:

• extensive (transmural) infarction;
• macrofocal;
• small focal.

A scar (connective tissue) develops at the site of the resulting necrosis of the heart muscle. The more extensive the scar, the more pronounced the dysfunction of the heart after a heart attack.

Signs of myocardial infarction are:

• acute stabbing or squeezing pain behind the sternum of very strong intensity that does not go away after taking nitroglycerin;
• irradiation of pain under the shoulder blade, in the left arm, neck, shoulder;
• panic feeling of fear;
• blanching of the face;
• lowering blood pressure;
• development .

It must be remembered that recently (especially often in the elderly) there are atypical forms of heart attack. In such cases, along with heart pain, the patient may have:

• respiratory failure by type of asthma;
• focal neurological symptoms (weakness and numbness in half of the body, facial asymmetry);
• pain in the abdomen and intestines;
• severe cardiac arrhythmias.

The final diagnosis of myocardial infarction can only be made after an electrocardiographic study. To clarify the diagnosis, echocardiography, dopplerography of the heart vessels can also be done.

Cause of heart disease

Pericarditis

Inflammation of the outer lining of the heart can develop due to exposure to bacteria or viruses. There is also aseptic pericarditis due to cardiac and systemic diseases. With a problem with the pericardium, there is also a stabbing pain in the heart, but it increases gradually. The pain syndrome depends on the position of the body (increased in the prone position). The pain is accompanied by:

• shortness of breath;
• fever with chills;
• aggravated by deep swallowing.

The appearance of the patient is striking: a puffy, pale face with swollen jugular veins. With the formation of fluid, there is a threat of compression of the heart. Inflammation of the pericardium can develop at any age, but more often this disease develops in elderly patients. You can diagnose the problem with the help of electrocardiography, echocardiography.

An increase in the size of the heart muscle (mainly the left ventricle), which is accompanied by metabolic disorders, is also manifested by pain. Stitching pain in the region of the heart with this pathology is often accompanied by general weakness, shortness of breath, and heart rhythm disturbance.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is often hereditary and can present at any age. A reliable method for diagnosing the disease is echocardiography.

Cardioneurosis (psychogenic cardialgia)

Cardioneurosis is caused by a dysfunction of the autonomic nerve fibers that innervate the heart muscle. This disease is provoked by emotional causes, stress loads.

Acute stabbing pain in the heart with cardioneurosis does not depend on the position of the body, physical activity. Patients have anxiety, tearfulness, irritability. Examination of pathological changes in the heart does not reveal.

What does stabbing pain indicate if it occurs when inhaling?

When inhaling, stabbing pain in the region of the heart can occur against the background of an inflammatory process of the outer serous membrane (pericarditis). Another reason for this condition is compression (infringement) of the spinal nerves by pathological processes in the thoracic spine.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine

With osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, degenerative processes develop in the intervertebral discs and joints. Due to this, sensitive fibers of the spinal nerves can be damaged and acute pain appears in the chest area. At the same time, pain sensitivity in the zone of innervation of the affected nerve changes (decreases or increases), the pain increases with movements (turning the body, raising the arm up). Certain points in the spine are very painful when pressed. Non-narcotic anti-inflammatory drugs relieve pain.

What to do with stabbing pain in the heart?

You should immediately call an ambulance, as the limits of help at home are very limited. For self-stopping of an attack, it is recommended:

1. Take Nitroglycerin (a drug that dilates the coronary vessels). The positive effect of this drug indicates a spasm of the heart vessels. For the same purpose, you can take Corvalment, Corvalol.
2. If the pain is accompanied by a general severe condition, is very intense, it is recommended to chew an Aspirin tablet before the ambulance arrives. The blood-thinning effect of this drug will help reduce the necrotic focus in case of a possible myocardial infarction.

A sharp stabbing pain in the region of the heart requires an urgent consultation of a specialist and examination.

Useful video

From the following video, you can find out more information on what to do with heart pain:

Conclusion

1. Sharp stabbing pain in the region of the heart is common in patients. This symptom can be caused by heart disease, osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, and disorders of the nervous system.
2. To clarify the nature of the process, a clinical examination, additional diagnostics (electrocardiography, echocardiography) are necessary.
3. The most important thing in such situations is not to miss conditions that threaten a fatal outcome (myocardial infarction, pericarditis with the development of cardiac tamponade).