Dull pain in center of sternum. How to treat pain between the breasts? Aching, pressing pain behind the sternum

The sternum is an elongated oblong bone located in a person in the very center of the chest. It is movably connected by its upper part to the right and left clavicles, on the sides - to the first seven pairs of ribs.

Together with the ribs, the sternum forms the chest, inside which there are vital human organs - the heart, lungs, the main part of the esophagus, and the main blood vessels.

With pain in the sternum, we mean unpleasant sensations in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe bone itself or its joints - the junctions with the collarbone and ribs.

But the patients themselves, with this simple name, summarize, perhaps, all types of pain in the chest area and deep in the center.

Causes of chest pain

In most cases, discomfort behind the sternum is one of the signs of abnormalities in the functioning of the organs located in the chest. However, with some types of pathologies, radiating pain occurs in the sternum.

Basically they are related to failures:

• of cardio-vascular system;
• respiratory system;
• immune;
• digestive;
• musculoskeletal system.

The nature and localization of pain in the sternum

When visiting a clinic or calling an ambulance, you need to tell as accurately as possible about pain sensations and show exactly where they are present.

Left chest pain

The lung is located on the left side of the chest, the heart is located between the 2nd and 5th ribs, the aorta is located along the entire length on the left side of the chest closer to its middle.

Therefore, if there is a complaint of pain on the left side of the chest, the doctor will identify and carry out diagnostic measures for diseases such as:

• pericarditis;
• angina;
• myocardial infarction;
• pleurisy and left-sided pneumonia;
• stomach ulcer;
• aortic aneurysms;
• diaphragmatic hernia;
• ulcer of the esophagus-stomach areas, etc.

Right chest pain

In this part of the body, pain sensations arise in pathologies such as:

• right-sided pneumonia;
• bronchitis;
• pleurisy;
• pathologies of the liver and gallbladder;
• injuries and inflammation of the diaphragm;
• pancreatitis.

Also, pain can appear with various injuries directly to the sternum or ribs, vegetative-vascular dystonia, intercostal neuralgia.

Pain above the sternum

Acute chest pain

Such sensations, as a rule, are a sign of cardiac pathology - myocardial infarction, acute heart failure. If accompanied by shortness of breath or cough - a symptom of pneumonia, bronchitis.

With a sharp and sudden pain associated with a rapid deterioration in well-being, the cause may be:

• aortic rupture;
• pinched or perforated ulcer of the upper part of the stomach;
• intercostal neuralgia;
• diaphragmatic hernia.

A sharp pain during a sigh may indicate a bruise or fracture of the ribs, sternum.
With the above disturbing sensations, it is necessary to seek medical help as soon as possible, if the state of health deteriorates sharply, emergency hospitalization is mandatory, since many of the symptoms listed are signs of conditions that threaten human life.

Aching, pressing pain behind the sternum

With aching pain, a sluggish pathological process is characteristic - an infectious inflammation, a chronic disease.

Most often, pressing pain is a sign of heart disease, with concomitant changes in blood pressure, weakness and shortness of breath.

Other diseases

Pain inside the chest, as a rule, is a sign of pathologies of the digestive system, heart and blood vessels, lungs and bronchi, trauma.

Pathological conditions of the heart and blood vessels

Pain under the sternum, caused by cardiovascular diseases, occur much more often than others. They can be of a different nature: sharp, aching, pressing.

Often concentrated in the upper left side or center of the chest, can spread to the entire chest area.

• myocardial infarction

Occurs when the heart artery is completely blocked, as a result of which the incoming blood flow stops, and due to lack of nutrition, the heart muscle dies.

In this case, there are very sharp and severe pains that last for some time. Additionally, there is increased sweating, an attack of nausea and vomiting, severe weakness.

• angina pectoris

It develops with partial blockage of the heart artery. With this disease, the nutrition of the heart muscle does not stop completely, but decreases, as a result of which oxygen starvation affects the muscle.

The causes of angina pectoris are stress, excitement, overwork, excessive physical activity and "shoot" in, in the shoulder, arm or jaw. The pain is sharp, but tolerable, lasts about 15-25 minutes and recedes.

• Myocarditis

Occurs when the heart muscle is infected. Pain is accompanied by fatigue, fever. With severe pain, this condition is similar to a heart attack.

• Pericarditis

Pericarditis is a disease of the pericardium (the outer shell of the heart), in which its thickening is observed, after which fluid accumulates in the pericardial cavity, and then adhesions (scars) appear on the pericardium itself or its cavity. The heart is compressed and its function is disturbed. The pain is similar to a sign of angina pectoris.

• Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries

It occurs when cholesterol plaques accumulate, as a result of which the lumen of the coronary artery narrows and its wall may rupture or completely blockage of the lumen.
A person feels a sharp, severe pain, as if something had burst inside the sternum, which radiates to the back, neck or stomach.

Lung pathologies

With pulmonary diseases, there is a sharp severe pain in the chest area, and aching.

• Lung abscess or pneumonia

The lungs covered by the infection make themselves felt both aching and sharp one- or two-sided pain in the depths of the sternum. This condition is often accompanied by fever, a wet cough, and weakness.

• Pleurisy

This is an infectious lesion or irritation of the surface of the lungs or pleura - the inner lining of the chest cavity. There is a sharp pain in the sternum when coughing and sneezing, inhaling and exhaling.

• Pneumothorax

As a rule, this disease develops with a chest injury and is associated with the ingress of air from the lungs into the cavity. The symptom is a sharp pain in the sternum during a deep breath.

There is internal bleeding, blood pressure drops, a feeling of weakness, loss of consciousness and pain shock.

Diseases of the digestive system

• GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a consequence of the ingress of food from the stomach back into the esophagus, thereby irritating its walls with gastric juice.

Accompanied by burning pain, often of a strong spasmodic nature, with a bitter taste in the mouth.

• Contraction disorders, esophageal rupture, hypersensitivity

All of the above causes pain in the middle of the chest. After a rupture of the esophagus, acute pain occurs that cannot be tolerated, a rapid deterioration in well-being and vomiting.

• stomach ulcer

With an ulcer, the pain is concentrated at the top and center of the abdomen, sometimes it is given to the chest. Most often, it is aching in nature, acute occurs during an exacerbation of the disease. May subside after eating without irritants (spices).

• Diaphragmatic hernia, gastric obstruction

It happens when the hole in the diaphragm that serves as a passage for the esophagus and blood vessels weakens. After eating, the upper part of the stomach can enter the chest cavity, and the contracting diaphragm pinches it.

There is severe pain in the sternum and upper abdomen. Emergency hospitalization required.

• pancreatitis

When the pain spreads to the left lower or central part of the chest, and also worsens when the body is vertical and decreases when bending forward.

What to do if the sternum hurts?

Any pain can report a variety of pathologies, often posing a threat to human life.
In this regard, if you experience any disturbing sensations, you should contact a medical institution for examination. In case of severe pain, an ambulance is required.
As a rule, with discomfort in the chest, they initially turn to a therapist who can give a referral to a gastroenterologist, cardiologist and other specialists.
Having made a preliminary diagnosis, treatment begins, which depends on the disease or pathology, due to which the symptoms listed above appeared.

What could be causing the pain?

Heart attack! This first panicky thought comes as soon as there is a sharp pain in the chest. Perhaps so. Or maybe the problem is completely different. Often chest pains can be the result of diseases of the respiratory, digestive, abdominal, nervous and, of course, cardiovascular systems. There is only one answer to the rhetorical question about the correct diagnosis and treatment: urgently consult a doctor. And yet it would be useful to know how the symptoms manifest in each individual case.

A number of lung diseases can manifest themselves as a sudden pain syndrome. Often there is a sharp pain in the chest in the middle, which is easy to mistake for a sign of angina pectoris, and sometimes - for myocardial infarction. It is aggravated by breathing or coughing. Other accompanying symptoms may also indicate the pulmonary origin of pain: cough and sputum discharge, a feeling of pleural friction, shortness of breath, wheezing, fever. All this, along with pain, can raise the suspicion of serious lung problems: lobar pneumonia, abscess, pleurisy, tuberculosis, or tumor. However, often a sharp pain in the chest can be associated with ordinary bronchitis or mild pneumonia.

Thoracalgia how symptom diseases bodies abdominal cavities

Problems with the gastrointestinal tract and abdominal organs often make themselves felt in exactly the same way as pain in the chest in the middle. So, acute painful sensations in the chest can manifest as peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum, inflamed liver, pancreatitis, as well as malignant tumors in the pancreas. Chest pain in such cases is accompanied by a burning sensation, with ulcers and chronic cholecystitis, it can move to the left side of the sternum. Ultrasound will help to find out the true nature of the origin of the pain syndrome.

Chest pain in neurology and diseases of the spine

Neurological problems often cause pain in the chest in the middle. Most often this is due to diseases of the spine and muscles of the shoulder girdle - osteochondrosis and various types of muscle inflammation. Acute, obstructing movement and breathing, muscle pain in the chest is often mistaken for other diseases: a heart attack, a pulmonary disease, at best, for intercostal neuralgia. In general, a sick spine, that is, damage to the nerve roots, tends to radiate pain in completely different parts and organs, from the heart to the foot. These symptoms sometimes disappear with local treatment: acupuncture, the use of plasters and warming ointments, or competent massage. Finally, chest pain can simply be caused by nerves. To begin with, absolutely all human organs are connected with the autonomic nervous system, the trunk of which has branches from the spinal cord. That is why almost any organ, sending an impulse to a common nerve trunk, can give pain signals like heart signals. In the same way, the nervous system reacts to constant stress, overwork, ecology and other adverse factors, giving in to chest pain.

Chest pain as a sign of a heart attack

I must say that a heart attack is a fairly broad concept, however, like the very concept of chest pain. It is important to determine its localization: pain in the chest on the right, on the left, or pain in the chest in the middle. The accuracy of the diagnosis depends on this. With physical exertion, mental stress, there is pain in the chest in the middle, called angina pectoris. Starting suddenly, the pain can cause a real panic in the patient, so it should not be tolerated. Most often, a tablet of nitroglycerin is enough for the pain to pass without a trace. Spasms of the coronary arteries due to ischemia of the heart is one of the common causes of chest pain. And the most formidable disease is myocardial infarction. It also cannot be ruled out with the appearance of acute pain in the chest. In this case, the pain does not go away from the drugs, it only intensifies, sometimes provoking a painful shock.

Which specialists to contact for chest pain

First of all, to the doctors of the ambulance. Further, the problem may be in the competence of any of these specialists:

• therapist;
• cardiologist;
• neurologist;
• pulmonologist;
• oncologist;
• vascular surgeon.

It is important to understand that this symptomatology does not apply to cases where self-medication is acceptable. The best you can do is take painkillers and wait for the doctor. And, of course, do not forget about prevention, about an active, healthy lifestyle.

Pain in the chest can be manifested by diseases of the heart, respiratory organs, gastrointestinal tract, spine, mediastinum, central nervous system. All internal organs of a person are innervated by the autonomic nervous system, the trunks of which extend from the spinal cord. When approaching the chest, the nerve trunk gives off branches to individual organs. That is why sometimes pains in the stomach can be felt as pains in the heart - they are simply transmitted to the common trunk, and from it to another organ. Moreover, the spinal nerve roots contain sensory nerves that innervate the musculoskeletal system. The fibers of these nerves are intertwined with the fibers of the nerves of the autonomic nervous system, and therefore a perfectly healthy heart can respond with pain in various diseases of the spine.

Finally, chest pains may depend on the state of the central nervous system: with constant stress and high neuropsychic stress, a malfunction occurs in its work - neurosis, which can also manifest itself as pain in the chest.

Some chest pains are unpleasant, but not life-threatening, but there are chest pains that need to be removed immediately - a person's life depends on it. In order to understand how dangerous chest pain is, you need to see a doctor.

Chest pain caused by obstruction of the coronary (heart) arteries

The coronary arteries carry blood to the heart muscle (myocardium), which works non-stop throughout life. The myocardium cannot even do without a new portion of oxygen and nutrients delivered with the blood for even a few seconds; its cells immediately begin to suffer from this. If the blood supply is interrupted for several minutes, then myocardial cells begin to die. The larger the coronary artery suddenly becomes obstructed, the larger the area of ​​the myocardium is affected.

Spasms (compression) of the coronary arteries usually occur against the background of coronary heart disease (CHD), the cause of which is partial blockage of blood vessels by atherosclerotic plaques and narrowing of their lumen. Therefore, even a slight spasm can block the access of blood to the myocardium.

A person feels such changes in the form of a sharp penetrating pain behind the sternum, which can radiate to the left shoulder blade and to the left hand, up to the little finger. The pain can be so severe that the patient tries not to breathe - respiratory movements increase the pain. With severe attacks, the patient turns pale, or, conversely, blushes, his blood pressure, as a rule, rises.

Such chest pains can be short-lived and occur only with physical or mental exertion (angina pectoris), or they can occur on their own, even during sleep (rest angina). It is difficult to get used to angina attacks, so they are often accompanied by panic and fear of death, which further increases the spasm of the coronary vessels. Therefore, it is so important to clearly know what to do during an attack and have everything you need at hand. The attack ends as suddenly as it began, after which the patient feels a complete loss of strength.

The peculiarity of these pains is that in no case should a person endure them - they must be removed immediately. You can’t do without consulting a doctor here - he will prescribe both the course of the main treatment and the medicine that needs to be taken when pain occurs (the patient should have it with him at all times). Usually, in emergency cases, a nitroglycerin tablet is taken under the tongue, which relieves pain within 1 to 2 minutes. If after 2 minutes the pain has not disappeared, then the pill is taken again, and if this does not help, then you should immediately call an ambulance.

What can happen if you endure chest pain? The cells of the area of ​​the myocardium, which is supplied by the affected artery, begin to die (myocardial infarction) - the pain intensifies, becomes unbearable, a person often experiences pain shock with a sharp decrease in blood pressure and acute heart failure (the heart muscle does not cope with its work). It is possible to help such a patient only in a hospital setting.

A sign of the transition of an angina attack to myocardial infarction is the increase in pain and the lack of effect from the use of nitroglycerin. The pain in this case has a pressing, squeezing, burning character, begins behind the sternum, and then can spread to the entire chest and abdomen. The pain can be continuous or in the form of repeated attacks one after another, increasing in intensity and duration. There are cases when the pain in the chest is not very strong and then patients often suffer myocardial infarction on their legs, which can cause an instant disruption of the heart and death of the patient.

There are also atypical (atypical) forms of myocardial infarction, when pain begins, for example, in the area of ​​​​the front or back of the neck, lower jaw, left arm, left little finger, left shoulder blade, etc. Most often, such forms are found in older people and are accompanied by weakness, pallor, cyanosis of the lips and fingertips, heart rhythm disturbances, and a drop in blood pressure.

Another atypical form of myocardial infarction is the abdominal form, when the patient feels pain not in the region of the heart, but in the abdomen, usually in its upper part or in the region of the right hypochondrium. Such pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, loose stools, and bloating. The condition is sometimes very similar to intestinal obstruction.

Chest pain caused by changes in the central nervous system

Chest pain can also occur with other diseases. One of the most common diseases that cause frequent and prolonged pain in the chest is cardioneurosis, which develops against the background of a temporary functional disorder of the central nervous system. Neuroses are the body's response to various mental shocks (intense short-term or less intense, but long-lasting).

Pain in cardioneurosis can be of a different nature, but most often they are constant, aching and are felt in the region of the apex of the heart (in the lower part of the left half of the chest). Sometimes pain in cardioneurosis can resemble pain in angina pectoris (short-term acute), but they do not decrease from taking nitroglycerin. Often, attacks of pain are accompanied by reactions from the autonomic nervous system in the form of redness of the face, moderate palpitations, and a slight increase in blood pressure. With cardioneurosis, there are almost always other signs of neuroses - increased anxiety, irritable weakness, etc. Helps with cardioneurosis elimination of psycho-traumatic circumstances, the correct regimen of the day, sedatives, in case of sleep disorders - sleeping pills.

Sometimes cardioneurosis is difficult to distinguish from coronary heart disease (CHD), the diagnosis is usually established on the basis of careful observation of the patient, since there may be no changes on the ECG in either case.

A similar picture can be caused by changes in the heart during menopause. These disorders are caused by a change in the hormonal background, resulting in neurosis and a violation of metabolic processes in the heart muscle (climacteric myocardiopathy). At the same time, pain in the heart is combined with the characteristic manifestations of menopause: flushing of blood to the face, bouts of sweating, chills and various sensitivity disorders in the form of "goosebumps", insensitivity of certain areas of the skin, etc. Just like with cardioneurosis, pain in the heart is not relieved by nitroglycerin, sedatives and hormone replacement therapy help.

Pain in the chest caused by inflammatory processes in the region of the heart

The heart has three layers: outer (pericardium), middle muscular (myocardium) and inner (endocardium). An inflammatory process can occur in any of them, but pain in the heart is characteristic of myocarditis and pericarditis.

Myocarditis (an inflammatory process in the myocardium) can occur as a complication of some inflammatory (eg, purulent tonsillitis) or infectious-allergic (eg, rheumatism) processes, as well as toxic effects (eg, certain drugs). Myocarditis usually occurs a few weeks after the disease. One of the most common complaints of patients with myocarditis is pain in the region of the heart. In some cases, chest pain may resemble the pain of angina pectoris, but they last longer and do not go away with nitroglycerin. In this case, they may well be confused with pain in myocardial infarction. Pain in the heart may not occur behind the sternum, but more to the left of it, such pain appears and intensifies during physical exertion, but it is also possible at rest. Chest pain may recur many times during the day or be almost continuous. Often chest pain is stabbing or aching in nature and does not radiate to other parts of the body. Often pain in the heart is accompanied by shortness of breath and attacks of suffocation at night. Myocarditis requires careful examination and long-term treatment of the patient. Treatment primarily depends on the cause of the disease.

Pericarditis is an inflammation of the outer serous membrane of the heart, which consists of two sheets. Most often, pericarditis is a complication of various infectious and non-infectious diseases. It can be dry (without accumulation of inflammatory fluid between the sheets of the pericardium) and exudative (inflammatory fluid accumulates between the sheets of the pericardium). Pericarditis is characterized by dull monotonous chest pain, most often the pain is moderate, but sometimes they become very strong and resemble an angina attack. Pain in the chest depends on respiratory movements and changes in body position, so the patient is tense, breathes shallowly, tries not to make unnecessary movements. Chest pain is usually localized on the left, above the region of the heart, but sometimes spreads to other areas - to the sternum, upper abdomen, under the shoulder blade. These pains are usually combined with fever, chills, general malaise and inflammatory changes in the general blood test (a large number of leukocytes, accelerated ESR). Treatment of pericarditis is long, it usually begins in a hospital, then continues on an outpatient basis.

Other chest pain associated with the cardiovascular system

Often the cause of pain in the chest are diseases of the aorta - a large blood vessel that departs from the left ventricle of the heart and carries arterial blood through the systemic circulation. The most common disease is aortic aneurysm.

An aneurysm of the thoracic aorta is an expansion of a portion of the aorta due to a violation of the connective tissue structures of its walls due to atherosclerosis, inflammatory lesions, congenital inferiority, or due to mechanical damage to the aortic wall, for example, in trauma.

In most cases, aneurysm is of atherosclerotic origin. At the same time, patients may be disturbed by prolonged (up to several days) chest pains, especially in the upper third of the sternum, which, as a rule, do not radiate to the back and left arm. Often the pain is associated with physical activity, does not resemble after taking nitroglycerin.

A terrible consequence of an aortic aneurysm is its breakthrough with fatal bleeding into the respiratory organs, pleural cavity, pericardium, esophagus, large vessels of the chest cavity, out through the skin in case of chest injury. In this case, there is a sharp pain behind the sternum, a drop in blood pressure, shock and collapse.

A dissecting aortic aneurysm is a channel formed in the thickness of the aortic wall due to its dissection with blood. The appearance of a bundle is accompanied by a sharp arching retrosternal pain in the region of the heart, a severe general condition, and often loss of consciousness. The patient needs emergency medical care. An aortic aneurysm is usually treated with surgery.

No less serious disease is thromboembolism (blockage by a detached thrombus - embolus) of the pulmonary artery, which extends from the right ventricle and carries venous blood to the lungs. An early symptom of this debilitating condition is often severe chest pain, sometimes very similar to angina pain, but usually not radiating to other areas of the body and aggravated by inhalation. The pain continues for several hours, despite the introduction of painkillers. The pain is usually accompanied by shortness of breath, cyanosis of the skin, a strong heartbeat and a sharp decrease in blood pressure. The patient needs emergency medical care in a specialized department. In severe cases, a surgical operation is performed - removal of the embolus (embolectomy)

Pain in the chest with diseases of the stomach

Stomach pain can sometimes feel like chest pain and is often mistaken for heart pain. Usually such chest pains are the result of spasms of the muscles of the stomach wall. These pains are more prolonged than those of the heart and are usually accompanied by other characteristic features.

For example, chest pain is most often associated with eating. Pain can occur on an empty stomach and disappear from eating, occur at night, after a certain time after eating, etc. There are also such symptoms of a stomach disease as nausea, vomiting, etc.

Pain in the stomach is not relieved by nitroglycerin, but they can be relieved with antispasmodics (papaverine, no-shpy, etc.) - drugs that relieve spasm of the muscles of internal organs.

The same pain can occur in some diseases of the esophagus, diaphragmatic hernia. - this is an exit through an enlarged opening in the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity) of the stomach and some other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. When the diaphragm contracts, these organs are compressed. Diaphragmatic hernia is manifested by the sudden appearance (often this happens at night when the patient is in a horizontal position) of severe pain, sometimes similar to pain in angina pectoris. From taking nitroglycerin, such pain does not go away, but it becomes less when the patient moves to a vertical position.

Severe pain in the chest can also occur with spasms of the gallbladder and bile ducts. Despite the fact that the liver is located in the right hypochondrium, pain can occur behind the sternum and radiate to the left side of the chest. Such pain is also relieved by antispasmodics.

It can be confused with heart pain pain in acute pancreatitis. The pain in this case is so severe that it resembles a myocardial infarction. They are accompanied by nausea and vomiting (this is also common in myocardial infarction). These pains are very difficult to remove. Usually this can only be done in a hospital during intensive treatment.

Chest pain in diseases of the spine and ribs

Pain in the chest, very reminiscent of heart pain, can occur with various diseases of the spine, for example, with osteochondrosis, herniated discs, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.

Osteochondrosis is dystrophic (exchange) changes in the spine. As a result of malnutrition or high physical exertion, bone and cartilage tissue, as well as special elastic pads between individual vertebrae (intervertebral discs), are gradually destroyed. Such changes cause compression of the roots of the spinal nerves, which causes pain. If changes occur in the thoracic spine, then the pain may be similar to pain in the heart or pain in the gastrointestinal tract. The pain may be constant or in the form of attacks, but it always increases with sudden movements. Such pain cannot be relieved with nitroglycerin or antispasmodics, it can only be reduced by pain medications or heat.

Pain in the chest area can occur when the ribs are fractured. These pains are associated with trauma, aggravated by deep inspiration and movement.

Chest pain in lung disease

The lungs occupy a large part of the chest. Pain in the chest can occur against the background of inflammatory diseases of the lungs, pleura, bronchi and trachea, with various injuries of the lungs and pleura, tumors and other diseases.

Especially often, chest pains occur with a disease of the pleura (a serous sac that covers the lungs and consists of two sheets, between which the pleural cavity is located). With inflammation of the pleura, pain is usually associated with coughing, deep breathing and is accompanied by fever. Sometimes such pains can be confused with heart pains, for example, with pains at a pericarditis. Very severe chest pains appear when lung cancer grows into the pleura.

In some cases, air (pneumothorax) or fluid (hydrothorax) enters the pleural cavity. This can happen with a lung abscess, pulmonary tuberculosis, etc. With spontaneous (spontaneous) pneumothorax, there is a sharp sudden pain, shortness of breath, cyanosis, and blood pressure decreases. The patient has difficulty breathing and moving. The air irritates the pleura, causing severe stabbing pain in the chest (in the side, on the side of the lesion), extending to the neck, upper limb, sometimes to the upper abdomen. The patient's chest volume increases, the intercostal spaces expand. Help for such a patient can only be provided in a hospital.

The pleura can also be affected by periodic disease - a genetic disease manifested by periodic inflammation of the serous membranes covering the internal cavities. One of the variants of the course of periodic illness is thoracic, with damage to the pleura. This disease manifests itself in the same way as pleurisy, occurring in one or the other half of the chest, rarely in both, causing the same complaints in patients. Like pleurisy. All signs of an exacerbation of the disease usually disappear spontaneously after 3 to 7 days.

Chest pain associated with the mediastinum

Pain in the chest can also be caused by air entering the mediastinum - a part of the chest cavity, bounded in front by the sternum, behind - by the spine, from the sides - by the pleura of the right and left lungs and from below - by the diaphragm. This condition is called mediastinal emphysema and occurs when air enters from the outside with injuries or from the respiratory tract, the esophagus in various diseases (spontaneous mediastinal emphysema). In this case, there is a feeling of pressure or pain in the chest, hoarseness, shortness of breath. The condition can be severe and requires emergency care.

What to do for chest pain

Chest pain can be of different origin, but very similar to each other. Such pains, similar in sensation, sometimes require completely different treatment. Therefore, when pain occurs in the chest, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will prescribe an examination in order to identify the cause of the disease. Only after that it will be possible to prescribe the correct adequate treatment.

There can be many reasons for women to feel the chest pain in the middle. This area contains the respiratory organs, esophagus and heart. The spine and ribs can also cause pain in the sternum. And, of course, do not forget about the specifics of the mammary glands, which most often cause an unpleasant symptom.

If a woman has a chest pain in the middle, then the causes can be characterized as physiological or pathological. The first category includes those symptoms that are the result of natural processes in the body. They may be unpleasant, but they do not pose a danger to life and health.

Pathological pain is a signal of the body about the presence of a disease. In this case, only a doctor can determine the degree of health hazard. Therefore, it is important to learn to distinguish between types of pain in order to independently determine their cause and, if possible, eliminate it without leaving home.

But if you have any doubts, it is better not to postpone the visit to the doctor. Pain syndrome is a common symptom of cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Early diagnosis of these pathologies helps to cure the patient with minimal damage to health and wallet.

The most common reason that a woman has a chest pain in the middle is an error in choosing underwear. Bras of the wrong size, putting pressure on the mammary glands, disrupt the normal blood supply to the tissues. This is how pain occurs. Unfortunately, for women who have been gifted by nature with large breasts, such symptoms can also occur when wearing underwear of an adequate size.

Another common cause of chest pain is mastalgia. This is a common symptom of premenstrual syndrome. In this case, the woman's body, "hoping" for pregnancy, begins preliminary preparation.

For the mammary glands, this results in:

• swelling;
• the appearance of nodules;
• pain is accompanied by burning.

Similar symptoms develop during the week before each menstruation and completely disappear after the end of menstruation. Another important difference from pathological processes is that both mammary glands are necessarily affected.

A similar manifestation of symptoms is possible with a rarer event - pregnancy. But in this case, the process becomes longer and is accompanied by a delay in menstruation. This is one of the signs of the birth of a new life in a woman's body. In this case, it is better to play it safe and purchase a test at any pharmacy in order to register at the antenatal clinic on time and prevent many of the dangers of bearing a fetus.

Lungs

Another common reason that a woman has a chest pain in the middle is the pathology of the respiratory system.

They are quite varied:

It can also be caused by stress caused by many days of severe coughing or hemoptysis. Therefore, determining the need to visit a doctor is quite simple.

gastrointestinal tract

Despite significant differences, women often confuse the stomach with the heart when trying to self-diagnose the cause of chest pain. As a result, the terrified patient already in the hospital learns that he has serious digestive problems, which also require appropriate treatment.

It is possible to distinguish diseases of the gastrointestinal tract as the cause of pain behind the sternum by the following accompanying signs:

• heartburn and burning in the throat;
• heaviness when swallowing;
• nausea or vomiting;
• pain in the upper abdomen.

A more accurate self-diagnosis can be carried out if you trace the time of onset of pain. With an ulcer, the stomach does not tolerate hunger. With gastritis, symptoms develop immediately after eating. The duodenum, as the most "patient", responds with pain an hour after a hearty meal.

A similar set of signs can occur without pathologies. This is how the body of a pregnant woman reacts to food intake. Symptoms in this case appear due to the pressure of the fetus on the internal organs.

Heart and blood vessels

One of the most dangerous categories of reasons that a woman has pain in the middle of her chest is the pathology of the cardiovascular system. Most often, pain syndrome is a companion of hypertension or heart failure.

But before you get scared, it's important to remember that pain isn't the only symptom. Unpleasant sensations should also be manifested through:

1. Deterioration of the body. Problems with the heart and blood vessels provoke a deterioration in performance, weakness and pallor of the skin. At the same time, physical activity and stress often provoke an exacerbation.
2. Pulse increase. Trying to cope with the load, the heart works too fast, which is easy to feel. Because of this, there is a burning sensation and pain in the lungs, which cease to cope with increased gas exchange.
3. neurological reactions. Exacerbation of problems with the cardiovascular system is manifested through anxiety and confusion. The person sweats profusely and feels a severe headache.

If even some of these symptoms appear, it is better to consult a doctor.

ODS

The spine can also "give" a woman chest pain. In this case, it occurs as a result of curvature or osteochondrosis. The ribs often react to scoliosis, because of which it begins to stab in the side.

Osteochondrosis is dangerous because it can lead to a pinched nerve. In this case, a woman can easily confuse severe chest pain with a heart attack. The difference will manifest itself through a burning sensation in the back. There will also be specific pain when trying to press on the shoulders.

Spinal problems are rarely life-threatening, but they can significantly limit a person for many years. Therefore, you should not neglect the health of your skeleton, so as not to be bedridden later.

Pain in the chest in the middle can have a very different nature of origin. This unpleasant syndrome does not necessarily indicate that the problem has arisen precisely with those organs that are located in the area of ​​​​pain concentration. Quite often, pain in the chest in the middle is a kind of echo of the pathology of the abdominal organs, spine or brain. To get rid of discomfort, treatment of varying intensity and duration may be required. But first you need to identify the true reasons that cause the chest in the middle to hurt. And they can be quite serious. Acute pain can be a sign of a very dangerous disease. It is better to identify and eliminate it at an early stage than to deal with the long and difficult consequences that can cost lives. Consider what causes the sternum in the middle to hurt, based on many years of experience of doctors of various profiles.

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Diseases of the cardiovascular system

The most dangerous cause of pain between the sternum and back are pathological changes in the work of the heart.

The most common diseases of the cardiovascular system include:

• angina;
• hypertension;
• myocardial infarction;
• aortic aneurysm;
• ischemic disease.

As a rule, the focus of pain is located in the left side of the chest. But quite often it spreads throughout the body or is concentrated in the middle under the chest. Depending on the stage of the disease and other factors, symptoms may vary. This may be a nagging continuous pain or backache, which can cause shock and loss of consciousness.

Increased heart pain from physical exertion, prolonged nervous tension or severe fright.

The patient has a jump in pressure and lack of air. With severe attacks of a person, you need to lay down, unfasten your clothes and call an ambulance. If he has medicines with him, then you need to immediately give them to the patient.





Strong physical activity

Pain in the chest in the middle can be the result of an improperly organized workout. This can happen not only with beginners, but also with experienced athletes. As a rule, the chest hurts in the middle for no more than two days. After that, the discomfort goes away. But quite often it happens that the symptoms intensify, bringing tangible suffering to a person.



If the chest hurts in the middle after physical exertion, then the reasons for this may be as follows:

1. 1. Exceeding the permissible level of stress on the heart. Even recognized masters have their own limit, which cannot be exceeded. No incentives can be an excuse to torture your own body.
2. 2. Excessive stress on the pectoral muscles. Many microscopic tears in the muscles cause pain in the chest when inhaling. This syndrome lasts about 3 days.
3. 3. Performing exercises aimed at stretching the chest. If at the same time there was an extreme load, then cracks could form in the cartilage connecting the sternum and ribs. In such cases, there is a pain in the sternum in the middle when inhaling. It will take at least 2 weeks for the bones to grow together.

To avoid such consequences, you should conduct a high-quality warm-up before training, observe safety measures, and do not exceed the permissible load rate.





Consequences of injuries and wounds

The answer to the question why the chest hurts may lie in the plane of emergencies. These could be fights, accidents, or falls in slippery weather. When a person experiences a strong fright or excitement, he accelerates the production of adrenaline. This substance muffles pain from bruises and fractures. In some cases, injuries occur while the individual is in a state of extreme intoxication. Alcohol is a fairly potent drug that acts akin to painkillers.



Severe pain occurs as you calm down or sober up. Don't wait until it becomes unbearable. It is possible that there is a very dangerous fracture or damage to internal organs. You must immediately contact the trauma center. You can independently determine the presence of a crack with the help of light pressure on the bruised place. If a fracture occurs, a characteristic knock or crack will be felt.



Diseases of the musculoskeletal system

Osteochondrosis is a disease that affects almost all people over 40 years of age. There can be many reasons for the destruction and deformation of the intervertebral cartilage. The most common of these is sedentary work and poor posture. Quite often, pinched nerves occur due to obesity and heavy physical work.

As a rule, with osteochondrosis, pain occurs in the region of the sternum and in the back. In the latter case, pain is caused by pressure on soft tissues and irritation of nerve endings. The sternum hurts in the middle due to the infringement of the girdle nerve. This phenomenon is quite similar to a heart attack. This leads to the fact that patients with osteochondrosis take potent cardiac drugs that do not affect the damaged spine at all. As a result, precious time is lost when osteochondrosis can be detected and effectively treated at the initial stage.



Pain with pinched nerve roots is not permanent. It comes from prolonged sitting or standing. Deterioration of the condition may occur after prolonged physical work in an uncomfortable position. If the back and chest hurts due to osteochondrosis, then conventional medicines will not get rid of the discomfort. The removal of the pain syndrome is achieved by a complex medical, manual and physiotherapeutic effect. You can stop the disease by regular exercise therapy and normalization of lifestyle.

Respiratory problems

Quite often, dull pain in the chest can be the result of a disease in the lungs or another part of the respiratory system. It is not uncommon in medical practice that foreign objects enter the lungs. This happens especially often with children.

The following diseases can cause a painful syndrome:

• pneumonia;
• tracheitis;
• pleurisy;
• bronchitis;
• tuberculosis.



The severity of discomfort is determined by the stage and severity of the disease. They will intensify during coughing and sneezing. An increase in body temperature accurately indicates that an inflammatory process occurs in the respiratory organs. Often, even acute sinusitis causes heaviness and pain in the chest. This is due to the fact that purulent secretions descend down the larynx to the bronchi, causing their inflammation.

Pathologies of the digestive system

Since all systems in the human body are closely interconnected, there is nothing strange in the fact that the pathology of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract can cause burning or tingling in the sternum. Most often, problems occur with the stomach. Almost all people have experienced the reasons for this phenomenon. These are constant stress, malnutrition and bad habits. Especially pronounced is the stomach ulcer. It gives a very noticeable pain in the chest area. Accompanying ulcer symptoms are heartburn, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stool disturbance.



Quite often, the cause of cramps in the trunk is colitis. This is an infectious disease that can be cured quite quickly. The characteristic symptoms of colitis are bloody stools, prolonged diarrhea, chills and fever, and rapid dehydration.

Pain in the chest can cause other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. These include diaphragmatic abscess, duodenal ulcer, acute cholecystitis, reflux esophagitis, acute pancreatitis. They are accompanied by increased gas formation, heartburn, nausea and belching with a putrid odor.