My heart hurts so bad
Causes and What It Feels Like
Possible Causes
Chest pain can come from heart, lung, digestive or other issues. GERD, or heartburn, is the most common cause.What are the most common causes of chest pain?
Although most people think of chest pain as a sign of a heart issue/heart attack, many things can cause it. Chest pain can be a symptom of:
Heart and vascular problems (pain on the left side of your chest)
Heart attack
Heart muscle dies when it can’t get enough oxygen because of a blockage in the coronary artery supplying its blood.
Coronary artery disease
Cholesterol buildup can narrow and block the blood vessels that carry blood to your heart. It’s typically worse with exercise because you can’t get enough blood to the heart muscle and clogged coronary arteries.
Coronary artery dissection
A coronary artery wall can rip, create a bulge and block your artery. This causes pressure or pain in your chest, and it could lead to a heart attack.
Pericarditis
An infection or other cause can start inflammation in the lining around your heart, causing a sharp pain in your chest. The pain can spread to your left shoulder and arm. The pain can be worse when you’re lying down and worse when taking deep breaths.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
The muscle walls of your pumping ventricles (or lower heart chambers) become thick and stiff. With this issue, you can’t get enough blood into — or out of — your heart’s chambers, and your heart has a harder time getting oxygen-rich blood. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy usually happens because of a problem in the genes you got from your parents.
Aortic dissection
A tear can happen in the wall of your aorta, making the layers of the wall come apart from each other. This very strong pain happens without warning and feels like something is ripping and is often felt in your chest, back and between the shoulder blades.
Aortic aneurysm
Blood that pushes against a weak part of your aorta’s wall can make it bulge out.
Without treatment, this weak spot can break open and cause severe pain in your chest or abdomen. If an aortic aneurysm ruptures, this is an emergency that requires immediate treatment.
Mitral valve prolapse
The valve that lets blood flow between your left atrium and left ventricle may not close completely every time your heart beats. This allows blood to flow back to the chamber it just left.
Digestive issues (middle of your chest)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Acid from your stomach comes up into your esophagus, making you feel burning or tightness (heartburn) under your breastbone. This chest pain may be worse when lying down because gravity can’t help keep stomach acid down like it does when you’re standing up. It often gets worse after eating certain meals or spicy foods — and it’s usually worse at night after dinner.
Ulcer
Having an infection or taking NSAIDs can make it easier for stomach acid to injure your stomach lining.
This can feel like burning or aching right under your breastbone. It can get worse when you eat acidic foods or drink alcohol.
Muscle spasms in your esophagus
For an unknown reason, muscles that normally push food through your esophagus stop doing this. Instead, you have a strong squeezing feeling under your breastbone with or without trouble swallowing. This can happen when you exercise.
Esophagitis
An allergic reaction to food can cause inflammation in your esophagus’ walls. Like you would with GERD, you may have a burning pain under your breastbone.
Digestive issues (right side chest pain)
Gallstones
Made of mostly cholesterol, gallstones can block ducts where a fluid that helps digestion (bile) needs to travel to get to your small intestine. Swelling in your gallbladder makes it hurt under your ribs on your right side. This is an extreme pain that can last for many hours.
Digestive issues (left side chest pain)
Hiatal hernia
Usually for an unknown reason, part of your stomach can go through an opening in your diaphragm muscle that’s normally only for your esophagus.
This reduces blood flow to your stomach. People with a hiatal hernia often have difficulty swallowing.
Gastritis
Stomach lining inflammation from many causes can make your lower left chest hurt. You also might feel sick to your stomach and throw up.
Pancreatitis
Inflammation of your pancreas can give you bad pain in your upper abdomen. It also can make you feel nauseous and throw up.
Lung issues (left side chest pain or right side chest pain)
Pulmonary embolism
A blood clot from somewhere else in your body can get stuck in a pulmonary artery inside your lung. You’ll probably have shortness of breath, too. People with pulmonary embolism often describe sharp pain that worsens when breathing in.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Problems with your air sacs and/or airway lining make it difficult for you to breathe. Your chest can feel tight and you may have shortness of breath.
Pneumonia
If your defenses aren’t strong enough, you can get an infection in your lungs.
This infection can make either side of your chest hurt, but you’ll also have fever, chills and a cough with mucus.
Pleurisy or pleuritis
An infection and/or inflammation of the membrane around your lungs causes sharp chest pain that gets worse when you cough or breathe deeply. You may also have pain in your shoulder.
Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
Air can get between the layers of a tissue that covers your lungs, causing part of all of your lung to collapse. Without warning, you may feel a sharp pain in your chest and possibly your neck and shoulder.
Pulmonary hypertension
Several disorders can cause high blood pressure in your pulmonary arteries, which take blood to your lungs to trade carbon dioxide for oxygen. You get chest pain because it’s harder for your heart to push blood through blood vessels that are narrow from hypertension.
Asthma
Allergens or irritants can make your airways narrow temporarily, making it hard to breathe.
You may feel a tightness in your chest and also cough or wheeze.
Musculoskeletal issues (left side chest pain or right side chest pain)
Broken rib
Accidents can make the ribs protecting your chest break. This hurts a lot, especially when you take deep breaths. It hurts for several weeks.
Sprained chest muscle
Injuries can create tears in your muscles that cause pain, especially when you move. You may also have swelling and bruising.
Musculoskeletal issues (middle of your chest)
Costochondritis
Inflammation can happen in cartilage that links most of your ribs to your breastbone. This can cause a sharp pain in your chest that gets worse during coughing or deep breathing.
Other issues (left side chest pain or right side chest pain)
Shingles
The chickenpox virus you had as a child can become active again later in life, usually in people older than 50. As shingles, this virus causes a painful rash that shows up on the skin on your upper body.
It usually develops in a certain part of your chest, and typically only on one side.
Lung cancer
Chest pain from lung cancer hurts more when you cough, laugh or take a deep breath.
Other issues (middle of your chest)
Panic attack
A short-term, unexpected feeling of anxiety and fear can bring chest pain with it. A panic attack can feel like a heart attack and may include other symptoms similar to one.
What is the main cause of chest pain?
GERD, not a heart attack, is the most common cause of chest pain. Still, you should get medical attention to get the treatment you need.
When to Call the Doctor
How do I know if my chest pain is serious?
Call 911 or have someone take you to the closest emergency room right away if you have chest pain that lasts longer than five minutes and doesn’t go away when you rest or take medication.
Cardiac chest pain can be life-threatening.
Chest pain can be a sign of a heart attack.
Other signs of a heart attack include:
- Sweating.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Shortness of breath.
- Light-headedness or fainting.
- A rapid or irregular heartbeat.
- Pain in your back, jaw, neck, upper abdomen, arm or shoulder.
What should I do if I have chest pain?
Don’t ignore any type of chest pain or avoid getting treatment.
If your chest pain is new, comes on suddenly, or lasts longer than five minutes after you rest or take medication, call 911 or have someone take you to the closest emergency room.
If your chest pain goes away or comes and goes, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible to find out what’s causing the pain, even if it’s not severe.
Is chest pain normal?
No. Chest pain isn’t normal. If you have chest pain, contact your healthcare provider or 911 right away.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Although most people think of a heart attack when they think of chest pain, there are many other conditions that cause chest pain.
Know the signs of a heart attack and seek medical attention soon after you start having pain. Make a mental note of what you were doing when your chest pain happened so you can tell your healthcare provider. Being able to describe the kind of pain you’re having and where can help your provider give you a diagnosis.
My Chest And My Heart Hurts: How To Grow Emotionally From Chest Pain And Hurt Feelings
By Robert Porter|Updated October 5, 2022
We all feel heart pain sometimes, for emotional pain reasons or others. If your chest pain symptoms are from heartache, you might feel overwhelmed. But even severe chest pain from heartache will go away over time. Heartache chest pain can be supported through therapy, which involves talking about your feelings with a licensed mental health provider. Read on for more advice about chest pains here.
Life brings lots of ups and downs, and with that our hearts can hurt emotionally. Some situations are out of our control, which can make them difficult to deal with.
Some of these situations leave us with heart-related pain, but not in the life-threatening way like medical conditions like, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or even a broken rib would cause chest pain, but it can still be extremely uncomfortable. It could be from the loss of a relationship, the death of a loved one, or situations that didn't go exactly like we thought they would. It's completely normal to experience this heavy emotional pain, but you don't have to carry it alone. An online therapist and certified professional can help.
Allow Your Heart To Heal
A Professional Psychologist Can Help - Sign Up
Does Your Heart Or Chest Hurt?
Each person has different strengths and weaknesses in life, and sometimes we all think, "my heart hurts". This includes emotional strengths and weaknesses. It's perfectly normal for everyone to experience emotional pain or think "my heart hurts" from time to time. So, why are some people able to bounce back so quickly while others aren't when they think this way? Some people with chest pain feel they have developed higher levels of resiliency, even when they have been in extreme pain before, allowing them to process the situation of "my heart hurts" faster than others before it gets worse.
They can continue moving forward and past the situation that caused them severe pain.
Heart Pain
However, other people stay stuck in this "my heart hurts" pain for longer. If they try to ignore or not address their pain, they carry the risk of becoming depressed and start experiencing other symptoms that affect their wellbeing. One sign is that they might struggle to do the things that they need to do daily. If someone stays stuck in their sadness and thinking "my heart hurts" for long enough, it can ultimately lead to issues.
How To Grow From Heart PainWhile no one likes to experience painful situations in life, there are ways that we can learn from experiences where we feel "my heart hurts". There's a time to feel your pain and process through the situation that you experienced. But then there comes a time when you need to continue in the process. The following tips will help you do that.
Pain As A Process: See What You Can Learn From The Situation And PainWe all find ourselves in situations that lead us to think "my heart hurts" at some point in our life or another.
If you find yourself in this place, it can help to spend some time processing the situation to see what you can learn about yourself or others going forward. For example, if a significant other ended a relationship with you, it can help you grow to look at the situation and see what happened, what you could have done differently, or warning signs that you should have watched for. This can help you to see areas that you need to grow where "my heart hurts". It can help you spot areas that you can improve in, or pump blood to, metaphorically speaking.
Sometimes, when you feel "my heart hurts", the pain is too much to handle on your own. If you have a strong support circle of family and friends, make sure that you talk to them. Let them know how you are feeling and what you need from them. It could just be a sign that you need someone to spend time with to help distract you from sitting in your pain too much. Sometimes friends and family can help provide you with a break from emotional turmoil, especially when you think "my heart hurts".
Other times they are exactly what you need to be able to process through the situation with someone that can give you an outside perspective, even if you're thinking, "my heart hurts".
Many times in life, we don't believe that we can make it past a situation where we feel "my heart hurts". If you have lived through something that you weren't sure you could handle, such as a panic attack, and felt, "my heart hurts", take time to feel the new strength that you were able to tap into. It will help to build your confidence even if you can't tell it's doing that at the moment. Knowing that you were able to overcome a situation where you felt sharp chest pain and survived, you build your resiliency that you can tap into in other situations that come along in the future. In those tough situations, learn how to take a deep breath, and allow enough oxygen rich blood to flow through, calm you, and let you move forward.
Allow Your Heart To Heal A Professional Psychologist Can Help - Sign Up
When we go through difficult situations in life and feel "my heart hurts", it opens a door for us to help others that are going through the same situation or ones that are similar. At a certain point in your recovery process, it can help you take a big step forward if you take your focus off yourself and use your time and energy to help someone else. If they are going through a situation similar to what you have been through, you will be able to empathize with them more than other people will-you've both felt, "my heart hurts". You can use your experience to encourage them to continue moving forward as well. You may even find a new purpose by doing this, which will only have come about because you went through that painful situation where you felt , "my heart hurts".
Seek Professional Help When You Think "My Heart Hurts"
It's easy to get stuck in emotional pain when you think "my heart hurts".
Sometimes it just feels too hard to see how to recover and move past it. If you find that you are trapped in your pain, reach out to a doctor or mental health professional for help. A licensed therapist can help you experience the emotional healing and growth that you need in your life. Many people are hesitant to reach out for health because of the stigma that surrounds mental health challenges. They don't want others to believe that they are weak or can't handle a situation on their own. This is where BetterHelp can help. It's an online resource developed to connect qualified professionals with those in need of mental health care.
You Can Grow From Pain
Online counseling also makes it easier for people that are suffering from heavy emotional pain to get help. If your heart muscle feels like it's in pain, professional help is there. This breastbone chest pain doesn't have to stand in your way of getting the help you need to grow through life's rough times. Sometimes you just don't feel like getting up and leaving the house, and you don't have to when you can contact a compassionate therapist from your home's comfort.
Commonly Asked Questions On This Topic Found Below
What does it mean if my heart hurts?
Should I worry if my heart is hurting?
How do I stop my heart hurting?
How do I know if my chest pain is serious?
Are chest pains normal?
What are 5 causes of chest pain?
Where do you feel heart pain?
Does heart pain come and go?
Commonly Asked Questions On This Topic Found Below:
What does it mean if my heart hurts?
You may already be familiar with some of the most common causes of heart and chest pain. When your chest hurts, this can be a sign of a problem in your heart muscle or lungs, like coronary artery disease, mitral valve prolapse, high blood pressure, angina, COPD, cardiac arrest (heart attack), and more.
Heart disease is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the world; in fact, heart problems are the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide. But did you know that emotional distress from a painful situation can also cause physical symptoms, such as unexplained chest pain, stomach aches, and whole-body aches?
While scientists are still trying to figure out the link between emotional pain and physical pain, preliminary studies show that when a person is going through a particularly stressful or harrowing situation, the areas of the brain that regulate our emotional reactions can overstimulate the vagus nerve – the longest of 12 cranial nerves and the responsible for heart rate and cardiovascular activity, among other things.
When the vagus nerve is overstimulated, it can cause chest pain and rapid heartbeat.
That being said, chest pain can be a sign of a serious medical emergency. Call 911 or seek emergency medical attention if you experience new or worsening chest or heart pain along any of the following symptoms:
- Sharp pain, discomfort, numbing, prickling, or a burning sensation in the arms, neck, back, or jaw
- Cold sweats or dizziness
- Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
- Pressure, squeezing, or stabbing chest pain that gets worse
- Extreme fatigue
- Sudden nausea or vomiting
Should I worry if my heart is hurting?
Although there are many possible causes of chest pain – many of which are non-life threatening – cardiologists and family physicians recommend never to ignore pain that occurs in or around the chest area. Along with chest pain, worrisome symptoms that could suggest a heart attack or severe cardiovascular event include:
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweat or heat flushing
- Fatigue
- Aches, heaviness, or a tingling sensation in one or both arms
- The chest pain may get worse or come suddenly
How do I stop my heart hurting?
If your heart physically hurts, you should see a doctor to rule out serious any cardiovascular issues.
If you’re hurting emotionally, talking to a licensed therapist online might help. Click here to learn more about online therapy get matched with a qualified mental health provider today.
Are chest pains normal?
While sometimes chest pain is just chest pain, it can also be a signal for serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as heart attacks, pulmonary embolism (when a clot restricts blood flow in one of the lung arteries), myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), and more.
What are 5 causes of chest pain?
Five of the most common causes of chest pain that are not heart attacks include:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): also known as acid reflux, it happens when the acids in the stomach travel back up into the throat, causing a burning sensation, sour taste in the mouth, and chest pain. Symptoms may get worse when you’re laying down.
- Peptic ulcer: open sores in the upper part of the small intestine or the lining of the stomach.
Chest pain can be a symptom of peptic ulcers. - Asthma: for people with asthma and other breathing issues, a coughing spell from blocked airways is the most common cause of pain and pressure the chest area. Trying deep breathing exercises can help during coughing spells.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): it happens when the airways become obstructed or damaged, including the tiny air sacs that transfer oxygen into the bloodstream and get rid of carbon dioxide. People with COPD pain may feel it around the heart, chest, and back.
Can you physically hurt from sadness?
Sadness is a feeling of emotional pain due to loss. Sadness may flood your body with hormones like cortisol. Ultimately, it leads to a heavy-itchy feeling in the area around your heart, or chest. Being overcome with the pressure of sadness may increase the risk of pain.
This pain is also sometimes referred to as broken heart syndrome.
How can I stop from hurting emotionally?
To stop the heavy chest and heart pain, you need to develop what is called emotional resilience. One example of a helpful way to stop your emotional heart pain is by exercising. There are many other ways to deal with emotional pain. Emotional pain can be stopped by finding a new hobby. You may start by painting, singing, drawing, or any other thing you love. Try your best not to ruminate over things that could affect your emotional health.
When you are in physical pain, such as heart or chest pain, it is normally due to the heavy pressure of emotional pain you feel. Sometimes, the pain may be due to withdrawal symptoms after a relationship. However, there are effective ways to stop your emotional pain. The first step to take may be to understand how you feel. Doing this will help your emotional health, and the speed of emotional pain will slow down.
After you understand your emotions, you need to accept them. Try not to judge yourself while you do any of these things. Try forgetting about the pressure and pain of the past by focusing more on the present; you may also try reading a new book. Doing that usually helps you heal from emotional pain. Sign up for BetterHelp with your email address and other details for more help dealing with chest pain from emotions.
Why is the heart hurting?
Emotional pain or chest pain from heartache usually arises due to emotional stress and ultimately causes your chest to feel pain. You get some painful sensations that affect stomach activity and sometimes lead to breathing issues. Common causes of emotional pain are loss, or on some occasions, physical pain. Headache often arises also due to emotional pain.
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Lyrics of the song Free style - My heart translation, lyrics, video, clip
My heart hurts when I remember you0098 Dear, I hope that you remember me,
What have you done tell me my dear,
You and I are not together, but you are still beloved,
You are my angel, I live by you,
I don't understand what happened to me,
Your photo is always with me,
With which you burn me with your gaze,
I know you and I could avoid separation,
And I would kiss your hair and hands again,
But still you decided that we'd better scatter,0098 And good friends forever only remain,
Dear, I ask you to have pity on my heart,
I can't face it,
Only memories remain alone with me,
You are my life, I dream of you.
You are my life lonely bird,
How can you say everything could happen like this,
I am without you now in my heart,
I need you, I know that for sure,
Only pieces of our love remain,
You are forever dear in my heart.
Hi friend how are you,
I hope you remember us at least sometimes,
Everything is fine with us now, studies and business,
But only my friend suddenly had trouble,
He walks forever laden with sadness in his eyes,
And only reminders of you in his words,
I'm sitting here and thinking whether it is necessary to love,
After all, anyway, one day you will have to forget everything,
Tell a friend, did we really want this,
To be apart and only looked longingly,0098 Remembering the past days, in love confessions,
Rare but full of love your dates,
Maybe you forgot it a long time ago,
But believe me, the love for you in his heart has not cooled down,
He will longingly remember your smile,
You know what he loves, and he will be waiting for you,
Darling tell me what to do with myself,
My heart is breaking because you are not with me,
Soul and heart I'm with you remember dear,
I need you, why are you breaking
Taking half of my heart, where can I go,
From past memories where to find me a place,
You will remain the same for me, the same beloved,
Dear and dear, I love you dear,
You are my life, a lonely bird,
How can you say everything could happen like this,
I am without you now in my heart,
I need you, I know that for sure,
Only pieces of our love remain,
You are forever dear in my heart.
My heart aches remembering you
Dear, I hope you remember me,
What have you done tell me my dear,
We're not together yet you loved,
You are my angel, I live thee,
I don't understand what happened to me,
Your photo is always by my side,
Which you have Immolation his view ,
I know we're able to avoid separation
And again to kiss your hands and hair,
Yet you decided that we had better take a run,
And good friends forever just to stay
Native ask pity you my heart,
I will not be able to be measured with this
Only memories remain with me alone,
You are my life, I dream of you.
You are my life lonely bird,
How did say it could happen
Without you I'm now in my heart,
I need you, I know that this is exactly
From our love were only pieces
You're forever in my heart home.
Hello friend how are you doing,
I hope at least occasionally about us you remember
We now everything is normal, and the case study,
But only with my friend happened suddenly misfortune
He goes forever laden sadness in his eyes,
And just a reminder to you in his words,
I sit here and I think you need to love,
All the same, once you have all of us forget
Tell a friend unless we wanted to,
To have been apart and just stared longingly,
Remembering the old days, in recognition of love,
Rare, but loving your Goodbye
Maybe you have long forgotten it,
But believe love for you in his heart is not cooled,
Your smile he will remember with English,
You know that he loves you and he will wait
Favorite tell me what to do with him,
My heart is broken because you're not with me,
Heart and soul, I am with you, remember dear, 9009eight I need you, why did you break
Taking half of the heart where I go,
From past memories where to find me a place
You are to me with such a stay, the same favorite,
Cute and Rodney , I love you darling ,
You are my life lonely bird ,
How did say it could happen
Without you I'm now in my heart,
I need you, I know that this is exactly
From our love were only pieces
You're forever in my heart home.
