What Causes Chest Pain?
The heart is the organ that does the most work in the human body. It hits about 115,000 times a day, or 80 times a minute. Thus, it strikes 42 million times a year – even when a person is resting. In some situations, heart dysfunction causes chest pain. In this article, we will look at what causes chest pain.
The heart is responsible for pumping pure blood – rich in oxygen and various nutrients – into various tissues in the body. No matter how complete a cardiovascular system a person may have, many different things can happen that affect how the heart works, and these can tell you about a problem.
Those things include chest pain, which may be very common in other people, but many don’t know what the pain is really about.
If you’ve been wondering what causes chest pain, keep reading, because now we’ll tell you all about what can cause chest pain.
What exactly is chest pain?
As many know, this can be an uncomfortable feeling of pain, or the feeling can be like small blows to the heart and chest.
The pain often comes without warning and can cause the following symptoms, among others:
- difficulty breathing
- chest discomfort
- pain
- stress
- anxiety
What causes chest pain?
Chest pain can be related to many different things, but the most common causes are:
1. Muscle tension
The feeling of pain is usually the result of muscle tension, and this can develop very easily at times when you are inhaling a lot of air.
To reduce muscle tension, it’s best to do the following:
- stay calm
- breathe gently
- let the pain go away on its own
2. Anxiety and stress
Anxiety or stress can be a direct result of pain, and this is because both of these phenomena expose the body to excessive stress.
In addition, it is common for chest pain not to come at the moment of tension itself, but instead to come more easily when the person is resting.
3. Hyperactivity
The same happens when the heart rate is high and the person is breathing more intensely, and chest pain can result.
4. Pericarditis
Pericarditis is a disease caused by inflammation in the area of the pericardium. This is the layer that covers the heart and is responsible for the following:
- storing its fluid, which moisturizes and reduces the abrasion experienced by the heart
- it prevents the heart from going out of place
- it distributes heart pressure
- it insulates the heart, and thus it fights possible inflammation
Although there are no major risks, this inflammation can be reduced with anti-inflammatory drugs.
5. Arrhythmias
These mean a change in heart rate in either a faster or slower direction, which can cause severe chest pain.
This issue may be the result of the following:
- smoking
- anxiety
- stress
- excessive amount of caffeine
- too strenuous exercise
- obesity
6. Myocardial infarction
The heart muscle is the muscle tissue in the heart that is responsible for pumping blood through the circulatory system by contraction.
A break or infarction in this tissue can cause severe chest pain, as part of the heart stops getting the blood it needs to function.
What determines whether a person has heart problems?
While we may all sometimes have this unpleasant feeling, some factors may increase the chance that a person will have heart problems:
These include:
- high blood pressure
- obesity
- smoking
- high cholesterol
- a sedentary lifestyle
- high age
What should I do if I have heart problems?
The first thing to remember when heart problems occur is to stay calm.
It is best to do the following:
- Relax
- calm your breath
- rub the area
- drink water
- wait for the knowledge to disappear
If this problem recurs frequently, you should see a doctor. An expert will be able to check the health of your heart with a heart film and can give you a prescription if needed.
Have you yourself ever worried about a chest hurt? Wondering if there could be some heart problem behind the chest pain ? Keep these basic tips in mind and contact your doctor if necessary.
