Anxiety chest pains symptoms

What It Feels Like, Causes, and Remedies

For some, anxiety can bring on physical symptoms like chest pain. However, it’s important to identify whether anxiety or something else is causing it.

Feeling worried, fearful, or nervous from time to time is quite normal for most people. These are typical reactions to atypical moments in everyday life.

Some people experience anxiety frequently. Symptoms can move beyond feelings of concern or worry to other physical reactions. Occasionally, these symptoms are mistakenly associated with other conditions.

As an example, chest pain is sometimes a symptom of anxiety. Often the result of a panic attack or heightened reaction, chest pain is a concern because of the possible connection to heart attacks and other heart conditions.

If you experience frequent anxiety, learning to understand your chest pain can help you find symptom relief and identify when you need additional medical help.

Anxiety symptoms are rarely the same from person to person. Some days, symptoms aren’t even the same for the same person. Anxiety presents itself in a variety of ways, and that makes detecting or understanding symptoms difficult.

Chest pain associated with anxiety feels different for each person. Some people may experience chest pain on a gradual basis. For others, the pain may be sudden and unexpected. Anxiety chest pain can be described as:

sharp, shooting pain
persistent chest aching
an unusual muscle twitch or spasm in your chest
burning, numbness, or a dull ache
stabbing pressure
chest tension or tightness

If you don’t have a history of chest pain with anxiety, you may be alarmed. Many people assume they’re having a heart attack and go to the hospital’s emergency department for treatment.

An estimated 25 to 50 percent of patients who come to the emergency department with low risk chest pain (chest pain not related to a heart attack) experience moderate to severe anxiety, according to 2018 research.

If you visit a hospital emergency room and the doctors don’t find a specific cause for your chest pain, consider consulting with your doctor about other possible causes, including anxiety.

Chest pain is a concerning symptom, and it’s usually best to seek emergency medical attention if you’re experiencing it. Even if the chest pain cause is anxiety, it’s better to know than to risk missing valuable time if you’re having a heart attack.

People describe chest pain in a number of ways when they’re having a heart attack. Some examples include:

chest pain that radiates to other parts of your body, such as down your arms or up to your jaw
chest pain that worsens with exertion
nausea along with chest pain
pressure in the chest, as if someone has put something heavy on your chest
rapid heart rate
shortness of breath
squeezing sensation in the chest

An estimated 30 percent of patients who are having a heart attack don’t have chest pain, according to 2020 research. Some people report symptoms like back pain and fatigue as part of their heart attack symptoms.

While doctors know there is a connection between anxiety and chest pain, you still shouldn’t ignore your symptoms and seek medical attention.

Call your local emergency services if you’re having chest pain. Don’t attempt to drive yourself to the hospital. Emergency personnel can evaluate you and determine whether you’re having a cardiac event or if there’s another reason for your chest pain.

When you’re anxious, your body can and often does produce physical reactions like sweating or shortness of breath.

When you become anxious, your brain and body set off an immediate stress response. This includes a physiological change. Your body may tighten up or grow tense.

A stress response can also include a psychological or emotional response. You may become aggressive or upset more easily. These responses are referred to as the fight-or-flight response. When you become stressed or anxious, your body prepares to fight back or run away.

If you experience this fight-or-flight stress reaction infrequently, your body should fully recover within 30 minutes. But if you experience it frequently, your body can’t recover as quickly. This can lead to increased muscle tension, and this tension may become painful in your chest.

Likewise, in an even more stressful moment, your heart rate may increase, and the force of your heartbeats can grow stronger. That combined with tight chest muscles can make you feel unusual pain.

If you feel anxious, there are some simple techniques you can try. These techniques may not work every time, but they’re a great starting point when you need help managing your anxiety.

Practice deep breathing

Focused, deep breaths can calm both your mind and your body. Find a quiet room or area, and inhale for a count of 10. Hold for a second, and then exhale for a count of 10. Repeat this several times as you feel your heart rate fall.

Take stock of the situation

Accept your feelings of anxiety, recognize them, and then work through putting them in perspective.

Are you worried about something you can’t control? Are you fearful of an outcome that’s unlikely? Are you dreading a situation you can’t control the outcome of? Talk your way through your feelings to find the source, and then work to put them into perspective.

Picture a beautiful scene

If you’re feeling anxious, try visualizing a place that instantly calms you. This can be especially helpful if you’re feeling anxious while in a situation you can’t avoid, like a stressful meeting. Practice deep breathing while you envision this location.

Use a relaxation app

Smartphone apps for anxiety can walk you through stress reduction techniques and exercises. There are also meditation apps that may help you quiet your mind when you’re feeling anxious. Many of these apps are free, so you can try out several to find one that works for you.

Be proactive about your physical health

Are you taking good care of your body? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating well? Taking good care of your body is also taking good care of your mind. While this won’t help treat anxiety chest pain, it may help you reduce your risk for anxiety and subsequent chest pain in the future.

If your anxiety and chest pain are severe or chronic, you may need to consult with a therapist. They can talk you through situations that cause anxiety and share coping techniques.

These techniques may not come naturally to you if you’re often anxious. This is where a healthcare professional can help.

A therapist or doctor may be able to teach you coping techniques that help you feel in control and secure. When you begin to regain a sense of calm, your symptoms, including chest pain, will subside.

If coaching techniques or mental exercises aren’t successful, you may need to consider a prescription. Anti-anxiety medications have side effects and risks. But using them as a stopgap while you learn how to cope with symptoms can be helpful.

Chest pain shouldn’t be ignored. If you’re experiencing it, seek medical attention to rule out a heart condition. If your chest pain is found to be related to anxiety, then you can work with a therapist or doctor to learn coping techniques or determine the best treatment for you.

Identifying anxiety as the cause of your chest pain is an important step in treating your condition. As you learn to manage the side effects of anxiety, you’ll also learn to manage unintended complications like chest pain.

While you can’t know for sure if or when you’ll experience anxiety chest pain again, preparing yourself with coping techniques and practices will help you feel more prepared and in control.

Read this article in Spanish.

What It Feels Like, Causes, and Remedies

For some, anxiety can bring on physical symptoms like chest pain. However, it’s important to identify whether anxiety or something else is causing it.

Feeling worried, fearful, or nervous from time to time is quite normal for most people. These are typical reactions to atypical moments in everyday life.

If you experience frequent anxiety, learning to understand your chest pain can help you find symptom relief and identify when you need additional medical help.

sharp, shooting pain
persistent chest aching
an unusual muscle twitch or spasm in your chest
burning, numbness, or a dull ache
stabbing pressure
chest tension or tightness

If you don’t have a history of chest pain with anxiety, you may be alarmed. Many people assume they’re having a heart attack and go to the hospital’s emergency department for treatment.

If you visit a hospital emergency room and the doctors don’t find a specific cause for your chest pain, consider consulting with your doctor about other possible causes, including anxiety.

People describe chest pain in a number of ways when they’re having a heart attack. Some examples include:

chest pain that radiates to other parts of your body, such as down your arms or up to your jaw
chest pain that worsens with exertion
nausea along with chest pain
pressure in the chest, as if someone has put something heavy on your chest
rapid heart rate
shortness of breath
squeezing sensation in the chest

While doctors know there is a connection between anxiety and chest pain, you still shouldn’t ignore your symptoms and seek medical attention.

When you’re anxious, your body can and often does produce physical reactions like sweating or shortness of breath.

When you become anxious, your brain and body set off an immediate stress response. This includes a physiological change. Your body may tighten up or grow tense.

Likewise, in an even more stressful moment, your heart rate may increase, and the force of your heartbeats can grow stronger. That combined with tight chest muscles can make you feel unusual pain.

If you feel anxious, there are some simple techniques you can try. These techniques may not work every time, but they’re a great starting point when you need help managing your anxiety.

Practice deep breathing

Take stock of the situation

Accept your feelings of anxiety, recognize them, and then work through putting them in perspective.

Picture a beautiful scene

Use a relaxation app

Be proactive about your physical health

If your anxiety and chest pain are severe or chronic, you may need to consult with a therapist. They can talk you through situations that cause anxiety and share coping techniques.

These techniques may not come naturally to you if you’re often anxious. This is where a healthcare professional can help.

A therapist or doctor may be able to teach you coping techniques that help you feel in control and secure. When you begin to regain a sense of calm, your symptoms, including chest pain, will subside.

While you can’t know for sure if or when you’ll experience anxiety chest pain again, preparing yourself with coping techniques and practices will help you feel more prepared and in control.

Read this article in Spanish.

causes of heaviness in the chest

Chest pain can be caused by various reasons: diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory or endocrine system, diseases of the stomach, spine, intercostal neuralgia, panic attack, autonomic dysfunction. Some of them are unpleasant, but not dangerous, others are a threat to life. But if it hurts in the heart area and it's hard to breathe, you need medical help.

Causes

Chest pain and difficulty breathing may occur:

with myocardial ischemia - it can occur in a person who has not previously complained of diseases of the cardiovascular system after physical exertion, stress, if no help is given, a heart attack may develop;
in case of a heart attack - similar symptoms often appear in people suffering from heart disease, an urgent need to take the medicine recommended by the doctor;
with asthma - the main symptom that bothers the patient is suffocation, it seems that the chest is squeezing, an urgent need to take medicine to relieve asthma attacks;
with pulmonary embolism - the patient feels short of breath due to blockage of the trunk or branches of the pulmonary artery, the mucous membranes and skin become pale with a bluish tinge, an ambulance should be urgently called or the person taken to the hospital.

Myocardial ischemia

With a chronic lack of oxygen, the muscle tissue of the heart - the myocardium - is destroyed. Some people feel chest pain and complain that it is difficult to breathe. Others do not feel any unpleasant symptoms for a long time or feel rare pricks in the chest. But the disease is progressing. After physical exertion or stress, a sharp deterioration in the condition may occur: myocardial infarction, death.

Ischemic diseases are a common cause of sudden death. It is necessary to regularly visit a cardiologist for people who:

are overweight;
lead a sedentary lifestyle;
suffer from arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus;
smoke, abuse alcohol.

If myocardial damage is diagnosed, medical or surgical treatment is prescribed: bypass surgery, coronary angioplasty. The patient should be observed by a cardiologist, follow a diet and a physical activity regimen recommended by the doctor, give up bad habits (you can use Nicorette tablets, sprays).

Heart attack

People suffering from myocardial ischemia may develop a heart attack, when the pain and heaviness in the chest becomes very strong, it is difficult to breathe. The condition is rapidly deteriorating. Up to 45% of people who have not received effective medical care die within 15 minutes.

The pathological process develops in four stages:

acute – acute pain appears, strong heartbeat, chills, pallor;
necrosis - the muscle tissue of the heart dies;
subacute - the most dangerous stage, it is difficult for the patient to breathe, his temperature rises, he experiences severe fear, coordination of movements is disturbed;
scarring - the manifestations of dangerous symptoms are reduced, a scar is formed.

A heart attack may develop unexpectedly, but more often it is preceded by heaviness in the chest, shortness of breath, aching or stabbing pain. Even if the chest pricks no more than 1-2 times a month, you need to see a cardiologist, do an ECG.

Cardiac asthma

Cardiac asthma - asthma attacks that occur against the background of pathologies in the left side of the heart. It develops in patients suffering from heart defects, cardiosclerosis, ischemic disease, glomerulonephritis. With these diseases, blood circulation in the pulmonary circulation is disturbed. Pulmonary edema develops. X-rays of patients show that the volume of the heart is enlarged, and the tissues of the lungs contain fluid.

Seizures may begin for no apparent reason. The patient, waking up during day or night rest, feels pressure in the chest, he is seized with fear. But breathing problems can also arise due to stress, when playing sports, physical work, trying to catch up with outgoing vehicles.

How to relieve an attack?

A person should not be left alone during an attack of cardiac asthma. You need to calm him down, prevent panic, which will put an additional burden on the cardiovascular system. When there is pressure in the chest, it is difficult to breathe, you do not need to put a person to bed, on the contrary, air passes better into the lungs in a standing position. It is enough to support the patient, give him something to lean on, open a window, provide fresh air.

An attack may last a few minutes or 2-3 hours. With a prolonged lack of oxygen, the veins in the neck and arms swell, the skin acquires a gray tint, and pressure drops. The attack is stopped by taking Nitroglycerin or similar antianginal agents. The hospital uses oxygen concentrates, stationary devices for supplying oxygen to the lungs, respiratory analeptics.

Pulmonary embolism

Thromboembolism is the blockage of blood vessels by a thrombus, which causes life-threatening disorders in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The condition may worsen gradually or rapidly, when the symptoms of suffocation appear within 10-15 minutes after the onset of heaviness in the chest. Pulmonary embolism is the cause of 0.1% of deaths.

Patients with a tendency to form blood clots are advised to use venotonics and be sure to see a doctor:

in violation of blood flow - with varicose veins or compression of blood vessels by tumors, in patients suffering from phlebothrombosis, when the valves of the veins are destroyed;
in case of blood clotting disorders - after injuries, operations, when drugs are prescribed to increase clotting, installation of intravascular catheters.

Symptoms

Taking good care of your health can help prevent life-threatening conditions. A doctor should be consulted at the first alarming symptoms, which may be mild: short-term sharp pain, periodic injections in the chest, on the left or in the middle, a feeling that occurs after stress or physical exertion that squeezed the chest. You should also consult a doctor if you need to be examined if it is difficult for you to breathe deeply.

If the condition worsens, these symptoms are accompanied by tinnitus, visual disturbances (double vision), discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes (pallor, gray or blue tint), fever, weakness, vomiting. Possible severe cough, sputum with blood. With these symptoms, you need to call an ambulance.

First aid

If a person has a stabbing in the region of the heart, squeezing the chest, you need to give him first aid. Such symptoms may indicate the development of deadly diseases in people who have not previously complained of pain in the heart.

You need to call an ambulance if:

a person has difficulty breathing, he cannot take a deep breath;
the temperature rises sharply above 38 degrees;
there is a sharp pain in the left or in the middle of the chest, which cannot be tolerated;
there is a strong cough, sputum, blood;
skin, mucous membranes turn pale, acquire a gray or blue tint;
sweating increases;
coordination of movements is disturbed, the patient complains of tinnitus, double vision, severe headache;
the person loses consciousness, speech becomes slurred or inadequate.

What to do before the ambulance arrives?

When there is pressure in the chest, there is a strong pain in the heart, breathing is disturbed, many feel great fear, turning into panic. Muscle tone increases, which makes breathing even more difficult. Do not leave the person himself, speak to him in a calm, confident voice, do not show your concern, keep him from sudden movements.

Provide free access to fresh air. If the room is stuffy, open the window. If the attack happened on the street on a hot sunny day - take him to the shade or to a cool room.

If breathing is difficult, chest tight, heart hurts - do not lay the person on his back or stomach. It is better to offer him a semi-sitting position, and for those suffering from cardiac asthma - vertical.

To relieve acute heart pain, you can put a Nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue. If diseases of the cardiovascular system were diagnosed earlier, you need to take the medicines prescribed by the doctor to relieve acute attacks.

Diagnostics

A cardiologist cannot determine why the heart hurts based on the patient's complaints, examination, pressure measurement, pulse rate. Diseases have similar symptoms. Patients do not always accurately describe the nature and location of pain. In heart disease, it can be felt on the left or in the middle, in the back, in the left forearm or in the stomach.

ECG and ultrasound of the heart are done to make a diagnosis. After evaluating his condition, the functioning of the valves, noting malfunctions that provoke pain, the cardiologist can prescribe coronography, stress tests performed in a hospital.

Some diseases affect hematopoiesis and metabolism. They are identified and assessed by the degree of damage to the body on the basis of blood tests (general analysis, biochemical, determination of the level of platelets, sugar, cholesterol, lipoproteins) and urine.

Do not refuse the examination. Early detection of diseases of the cardiovascular system, when the symptoms are mild and do not bother the patient much, helps to prevent the progression of the disease, the development of complications and save lives. Follow the doctor's prescriptions, do not self-medicate, do not use traditional medicine without consulting a cardiologist.

Chest pain - causes, symptoms and diagnosis, indications for seeking medical attention

Almost everyone perceives chest pain as a potential heart problem. However, there can be many reasons for discomfort. In any case, it is impossible to determine on your own what caused the discomfort. Only a qualified doctor can determine the cause.

Wrong diagnosis, lack of treatment, uncontrolled attempts to anesthetize the place of discomfort often lead to the development of severe pathologies.

To make sure that the pain is not a sign of a serious illness or to choose a treatment for an identified pathology, it is better to visit a doctor. Causes of pain can be caused by diseases of the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and neurological problems. If you do not know which doctor to make an appointment with first of all, come to the Kutuzov Medical and Diagnostic Center. We have all the experts who will help you make an accurate diagnosis. Start by making an appointment with a therapist and follow his instructions.

Such different chest pains

Thoracalgia is a term for chest pain (from the words "torax" - chest and "algia" - pain).

It can hurt, both on one side of the chest, and in the middle, in the upper or lower part. The nature of the pain is:

Sharp and burning.
Dull and aching.
Stab.
Compressive.

Among the main causes of a disturbing symptom in the chest are diseases, injuries and pathologies:

Heart and vessels.
Lungs.
Musculoskeletal system - muscles, ribs and spine.
Nervous system
Gastrointestinal tract.

Let's dwell on them in more detail.

Heart problems

Pain in the chest in the middle or in its left side occurs in various diseases of the heart:

coronary artery disease, angina pectoris - impaired blood flow in the heart arteries. Often an attack of sharp pain lasts up to 15 minutes. Occurs during physical exertion, stress, excitement, disappears after rest.
Myocardial infarction - cell death and scarring of the heart muscle. It is characterized by severe pain in the chest on the left and in the middle, which does not go away after 15-20 minutes. Additional symptoms include weakness, fear of death.
Pericarditis or myocarditis is an inflammatory process in the muscle or lining of the heart. They are characterized by acute or aching pain in the chest when inhaling in the middle of the chest, which are aggravated by eating or lying down.
Mitral valve prolapse - in addition to chest pain, it causes shortness of breath, dizziness, up to fainting.
Pulmonary hypertension - increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries, the attack is similar to a heart attack.

A characteristic feature of heart pain is that it often occurs against the background of emotional or physical stress, accompanied by a feeling of panic, fear of death.

Diseases of the lungs

This is a common cause of chest discomfort. Main causes and characteristic symptoms:

Inflammation or abscess of the lung - the process proceeds with severe pain in the chest (right or both parts of the chest), fever, cough.
Pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura) - there is pain with a deep breath, usually accompanied by fever, cough.
Thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery with a blood clot - there is a sharp pain in the chest, tachycardia, difficulty breathing.
Pneumothorax - accumulation of air in the pleural cavity when the lungs are damaged due to injuries of the ribs, spine. There is pain when inhaling, shortness of breath, dry cough, blood pressure may decrease.
Bronchial asthma - acute spasms resolve with chest pain and wheezing, wet cough, bouts of shortness of breath

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Major diseases that cause pain in the esophagus or may spread from the abdomen to the chest area:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) - irritation of the esophageal mucosa due to reflux of gastric contents.
Dyskinesia or perforation of the esophagus - increased pressure in the esophagus due to the slow movement of food or rupture due to injury.
Gastric ulcers.

Gastrointestinal diseases are characterized by pain that occurs before, after or during meals, and may be accompanied by heartburn and other symptoms.

Injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system

Thoracalgia appears due to injuries, diseases of the spine, aggravated after physical exertion. Main causes and symptoms:

Osteochondrosis, herniation and protrusion of the intervertebral discs in the thoracic spine, scoliosis - cause chest pain, which is aggravated by movement or prolonged immobility.
Rib fractures.
Muscle spasms, sprains, intercostal neuralgia - cause pain in the chest on the right or left, depending on the place where the pathology has arisen.
Tietze's syndrome or inflammation of the costocartilaginous joints.
Pain of a neurological nature - from "goosebumps" in the chest to severe pain occurs due to mental disorders, with panic attacks.

Pain in the right or left side of the chest may also have other causes: neoplasms in the lungs or breast, shingles and other diseases.

The doctor's task is to make a diagnosis in time and correctly. This will help: heart examinations, ultrasound, radiography and other diagnostic procedures.

Medical emergency needed if:

Acute chest pain does not go away after 15 minutes and after rest.
There is dizziness, shortness of breath, increased sweating, palpitations.

In other cases, it is also advisable not to postpone the consultation with the doctor for a long time. Who to contact - a cardiologist, a neurologist, a gastroenterologist - depends on the symptoms. But this is not always possible to determine independently. In this case, start with a consultation with a therapist who will help you understand the issue and, if necessary, refer you to a specialist.

In other cases, it is also advisable not to postpone the consultation with a doctor for a long time. Who to contact - a cardiologist, a neurologist, a gastroenterologist - depends on the symptoms. But this is not always possible to determine independently. In this case, start with a consultation with a therapist who will help you understand the issue and, if necessary, refer you to a specialist. Be healthy!

Diagnosis of any disease requires modern equipment and vast medical experience. Especially when it comes to chest pain.

Our clinic offers its patients a full range of medical examinations on high-precision equipment. Our doctors select the most informative and safe diagnostic methods.

Turning to us, you can be sure that the cause of the pain will be established as quickly and accurately as possible. High-tech diagnostic devices allow you to monitor the work of all organs and systems without causing you unnecessary discomfort.

We value the time of our patients, so all consultations and procedures are by appointment. By booking an appointment, you can be sure that the doctor will be waiting for you.

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