Presses the heart hard to breathe. Inflammatory heart disease. Acute pain in the region of the heart, you can not inhale: what causes discomfort

- always dangerous symptom. But she has various characteristics, can be very different. On my own different character pain can't be trusted diagnostic sign, however, it can help the doctor to suggest what the patient may be suffering from and make a preliminary diagnosis.

Description of the symptom

• Patients characterize pressing pains in the region of the heart as a feeling of squeezing in the left half of the chest. This symptom occurs suddenly with physical or emotional exertion, or for no apparent reason.
• The pressure is short-term, not more than half an hour.
• The intensity can be different - from weak to so pronounced that the patient is forced not to move and hold his breath.
• The symptom of a fist is characteristic - the patient can approximately describe the area on which he experiences pressing pain, pressing his fist to his chest.
• The pain is stopped by the cessation of the load, techniques sedatives or nitrates.

If the pressing pain in the heart does not stop and does not go away on its own, and lasts more than half an hour in a row, this alarm symptom, in which it is necessary to call an ambulance. During this time, the patient should not move and talk, he should take a lying or sitting position, and all care for him should be taken over by the patient's relatives.

Causes of pressing pain in the heart

There are several diseases that are manifested by a feeling of pressure on the heart.

It can be:

1. angina;
2. myocardial infarction;
3. Cardioneurosis;
4. Myocarditis.

• Pressing pains in the heart his diseases are often accompanied by shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, fear of death, anxiety, and others. discomfort.
• The patient may feel much worse than his condition actually, or, conversely, feel relatively good with severe myocardial damage.
• With angina and heart attack myocardial pain has a pressing, squeezing or stabbing character, accompanied by shortness of breath, fear of death, and other symptoms.
  Pain duration(longer than half an hour) is considered the first differential diagnostic sign of a heart attack, which makes it possible to distinguish it from an angina attack. The intensity of the pain has nothing to do with the severity of the condition.
• Cardioneurosis has a different nature, but symptoms similar to angina pectoris - pressing pain, shortness of breath, fear. Distinguishing cardioneurosis from angina pectoris and even a heart attack can be difficult. Moreover, it is possible to have both of these diseases at the same time.
  Associated symptoms may not give a clear picture, and the nature of the pain does not depend on which of the two diseases it is caused. An attack of cardioneurosis is well stopped by sedatives.
• Myocarditis- inflammation of the myocardium, has either an infectious or toxic nature. Distinctive feature pain in this disease - it is present almost constantly. The intensity of the pain may vary throughout the day. Associated symptoms may be absent in chronic myocarditis.
  Acute myocarditis manifested by an increase in body temperature, a sharp weakness during any physical activity, constant pain in the heart of a different nature.

Effects

If no action is taken, the disease that caused the pain in the heart will progress, which over time will lead to life-threatening consequences.

1. heart attack- this is acute disorder blood supply to the heart, which leads to the death of some myocardial cells, and a scar forms in their place. The consequences depend on the size and location of the scar. scar tissue, unlike muscle, is unable to contract, therefore, after a heart attack, the function of the heart deteriorates significantly.
   How does this affect the patient's condition?, depends on whether the remaining muscle compensate for the damaged function. The recovery period after a heart attack is long, associated with a significant limitation physical activity.
2. Myocarditis – inflammatory disease, which may be acute or chronic. Flow acute myocarditis, as a rule, fast, leads to significant hemodynamic disturbances, failures heart rate, and subsequently - to the formation of an extensive scar.
   Chronic myocarditis proceeds for a long time, with periodic exacerbations and remissions, leads to a gradual replacement of part of the tissue of the heart muscle with scar tissue (cardiosclerosis). This disease can be even more dangerous than myocardial infarction, although it is less common.

First aid for pressing pain in the heart

Pressing pain in the heart is an alarming symptom, so when it occurs, it is necessary to take therapeutic measures:

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A short list of what to do if your heart is crushing and breathing is difficult:

1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position;
2. Provide air access to Airways. If possible, open a window;
3. Take nitroglycerin;
4. If the condition worsens or the pain lasts more than half an hour:
   • Call an ambulance;
   • Take 3 tablets of nitroglycerin with an interval of 20 minutes;
   • If necessary, apply pressure bandages on your feet, inhale alcohol vapors.

These measures are not enough to full treatment, but they can improve the patient's condition.

Description of what should never be done unless absolutely necessary:

• move and talk;
• Take painkillers, diuretics, antiarrhythmics;
• Ignore pain if it lasts longer than half an hour;
• Refuse hospitalization.

These actions can aggravate the patient's condition, lead to more dangerous consequences, call severe violations hemodynamics.

Dangerous accompanying symptoms

• Heartache rarely occur on their own, they are usually accompanied by other symptoms. As a rule, they arise due to hemodynamic disturbances.
• Fear of death- very characteristic symptom, which almost always accompanies pain in the heart. Associated with the exceptional importance of the function of the heart for the body, and the resulting emotional reaction for pain in the heart.
• Shortness of breath, feeling short of breath appear due to impaired blood circulation in the pulmonary circulation. As a rule, stagnation develops in it, which can lead to pulmonary edema. it dangerous state, which disrupts gas exchange, is manifested by a bluish tint of the skin, shortness of breath, cough with sputum, in severe cases- release of foam from the lungs.
• Other symptoms associated with the fact that presses the head and heart - general weakness, feeling tired headache, tinnitus and flies before the eyes are associated with impaired hemodynamics.

When to see a doctor?

1. It is advisable to consult a doctor in any case if there are pains in the heart, especially if they are accompanied by the symptoms described above.
2. The second situation, when applying for medical care necessarily - if the therapy prescribed by the doctor has ceased to be effective.
3. And the third situation when you need to immediately consult a doctor is a suspicion of a heart attack or other serious complication.
4. In other cases, it is advisable to periodically be examined by a cardiologist so that the doctor has the opportunity to observe the course of the disease, evaluate the effectiveness of treatment, and prevent the development of serious complications in time.

Diagnosis of heart disease

Treatment of heart disease is impossible without proper diagnosis.

Modern cardiology has a fairly large arsenal of tools for diagnosing heart diseases:

Only based on the data of these tests, the doctor will be able to put accurate diagnosis, and argued to say what to accept if the heart presses. Self-treatment in this case very dangerous - after all, one does not joke with the heart.

acute pain in the heart indicates a pathology

Acute pain in the heart: how to determine what hurts the heart

Heart pain is characterized by the following symptoms:

• appears temporarily - angina pectoris lasts no more than 15 minutes;
• a person feels a burning sensation or pressure in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heart. Sharp stabbing pains not typical for cardiology;
• discomfort occurs when emotional stress, shock or during exercise;
• if there are problems with the heart, the pain is transmitted to the shoulder blade, left hand, neck or jaw.

If you have pain in the region of the heart, consult a doctor who will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

How to save your heart under stress: 7 simple rules

• More

Acute pain in the region of the heart, cannot be inhaled: what causes discomfort?

There are many reasons for the occurrence of non-cardiac pains, we list the main ones.

1. Intercostal neuralgia - this disease is often confused with a heart attack due to sharp deterioration well-being.
2. Neurotic state - during times of stress, impressionable people experience mental illness, which is confused with serious illness. Emotional patients develop pain in the stomach and heart, difficulty breathing and other psychosomatic symptoms.
3. Problems with the spine - pain in the arm and shoulder blade may indicate osteochondrosis.

Pain can also indicate problems with the heart muscle:

• heart attack - in the process of a heart attack, the patient feels weak, loses consciousness, feels nausea;
• angina pectoris - acute pain in the heart indicates vasospasm;
• thickening of the wall of one of the ventricles;
• inflammation outer shell- pericarditis due to injury or infection.

Acute pain in the region of the heart is a dangerous syndrome!

What to do if there is a sharp pain in the heart?

At the first symptoms heart disease need to contact medical institution. You can't self-diagnose and accept medications. Only a specialist is able to identify the cause of the ailment. Special attention should be given to children's complaints of pain in the region of the heart. The reason for this may be neurosis, circulatory disorders, birth defects, myocardial dystrophy and other pathologies. In this case, appropriate treatment should be immediately prescribed.

Pain in the chest area is accompanied not only by heart disease, but also by pathologies of a different origin. These can be injuries, diseases of the spine, respiratory organs, digestive or nervous system, and others. In any case, only a doctor can recognize this with the help of instrumental studies.

However, every person who encounters such a symptom is looking for an answer to the question: “How to understand what hurts the heart?” You need to know this in order not to miss the moment and seek help in time, for example, in case of myocardial infarction. It is important to understand how the heart hurts, the symptoms can be different. You need to learn to distinguish cardiac pain from non-cardiac. To do this, you need to have an idea about the nature, intensity and duration of pain, as well as other manifestations of certain diseases, characterized by discomfort in the chest area.

Early signs of a heart attack

As already mentioned, chest discomfort can have different reasons. Heart disease is determined by some characteristic features. You should know that the "core" often does not experience any discomfort. At the same time, a person with other pathologies may complain that it is difficult for him to breathe, his heart hurts. However, these symptoms will have nothing to do with cardiac diseases.

The very first signals indicating that main body out of order, usually come months or years before a heart attack. All people need to have an idea of ​​how the heart hurts. Symptoms of the onset of the disease are usually the following:

1. Compressive, pressing pains behind the sternum, extending to the back, arm, neck, jaw, especially in left side. Accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, nausea.

2. Pain occurs after exertion, physical or psychological, disappears with rest and after taking nitroglycerin.

3. Shortness of breath occurs during exertion, even during everyday work that is not too hard, while eating, while lying down. On the eve of an attack, a person may sleep sitting or suffer from insomnia.

4. increased fatigue from normal work can haunt a person for several months before an attack.

5. Men can suffer erectile dysfunction for several years before they are diagnosed " ischemic disease hearts."

6. Edema is one of the characteristic signs of a violation of the heart. At first they are insignificant, but gradually become more noticeable, this is especially evident in the rings on the fingers and in the shoes. When edema appears, it is necessary to undergo an examination by a cardiologist or therapist.

7. Sleep apnea, or stopping breathing during sleep, and snoring can signal a predisposition to a heart attack.

How does the heart hurt? Symptoms of coronary disease

myocardial infarction

Signs of a heart attack can vary. classical clinical picture in a heart attack, it unfolds, as a rule, as follows:

feeling of heaviness, pressing or squeezing pain in the center of the chest, behind the sternum and in the arm;

irradiation of pain in the left arm, neck, lower teeth, throat, back;

dizziness, sweating, pale skin, nausea, sometimes vomiting;

feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, burning in the chest, reminiscent of heartburn;

fear of death, anxiety, severe weakness;

unstable and fast pulse.

A heart attack can also occur in a different way. Symptoms may be absent, which is the insidiousness of the disease. A person may complain of discomfort in the chest area, or may not experience any sensations - this is painless heart attack. An extensive heart attack in its symptoms resembles acute heart failure: shortness of breath, suffocation, blue lips and fingertips, loss of consciousness.

A heart attack lasts about half an hour, it cannot be stopped with nitroglycerin.

Ischemic disease is manifested by attacks of angina pectoris. In this case, how does the heart hurt? The symptoms are usually the following:

rapid heartbeat;

• interruptions in the work of the heart;

  irregular pulse;

  dizziness;

• sweating;

  weakness.

With ischemia of the heart, patients complain of discomfort in the chest: pressure, heaviness, overflow, burning. Pain can radiate to the shoulders, shoulder blade, arms, neck, lower jaw, throat. It usually occurs during physical and emotional stress and ends at rest.

With rest angina, pain can occur at any time. Often in this case, the heart hurts at night. This form is unfavorable.

Inflammatory heart disease

Pericarditis

Pain - main feature pericarditis, or inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. It is felt in the middle of the chest, sometimes it radiates to the back, neck, arm, it intensifies when swallowing, inhaling, coughing, and also in lying position. AT sitting position or when leaning forward there is some relief. Breathing in patients is usually superficial. As a rule, it is a dull or aching pain in the region of the heart, but sometimes it is sharp and cutting. In pericarditis, there is subfebrile temperature and palpitations.

Myocarditis

With inflammation of the heart muscle, up to 90% of patients complain of pain. This is a stabbing, pressing or aching pain in the region of the heart, which does not depend on physical activity, but may increase a day after the load. It doesn't go away with nitroglycerin.

Diseases of the heart valves

With valve pathologies, the symptoms do not reflect the severity of the disease. A person may not have any complaints, but at the same time be seriously ill. Signs may be as follows:

shortness of breath, shortness of breath during daily activities and during exertion, as well as when lying down;

discomfort (heaviness, pressure) in the chest during exercise, inhalation of cold air;

dizziness, general weakness;

rhythm disturbances: irregular pulse, rapid heartbeat, interruptions in the work of the heart.

Valve disease can lead to heart failure characteristic features: swelling of the legs, bloating, weight gain.

Cardiomyopathy

Almost all patients with this diagnosis present pain syndrome. It is especially pronounced in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Pain changes with the course of the disease. At first it is long physical activity is not connected in any way, does not stop from nitroglycerin, is localized in different places. In the future, spontaneous pain or seizures after exercise are observed, which are stopped by nitroglycerin, although not always. The nature of the pain varies. It has a specific localization or occupies a large area, is present constantly or only during exertion, passes from nitroglycerin, but may not pass.

Arrhythmia

There are many types of arrhythmias characterized by heart rhythm disturbances. With some of them, there are pains in the heart that radiate to left side torso and arm.

Heart defects

Heart defects, congenital or acquired, may not manifest themselves for years, but may be accompanied by painful sensations. As a rule, these are constant aching, stabbing or cutting pains, which are joined by swelling of the legs and increased blood pressure.

Mitral valve prolapse

Pain usually occurs in the left side of the chest and is not associated with stress. It has a pressing, pinching or aching character and does not go away from nitroglycerin. In addition, night and morning headaches, dizziness, pre-fainting, palpitations, a feeling of lack of air are possible.

aortic stenosis

With this pathology, there is a feeling of compression in the chest, shortness of breath during exertion, muscle weakness, fast fatiguability, heartbeat. With development coronary insufficiency night shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting with a sharp change in body position, attacks of cardiac asthma and angina pectoris join.

Pulmonary embolism

This dangerous state requires emergency assistance. Severe pain in the region of the heart, which increases with inspiration, is early sign TELA. Unlike angina, the pain does not radiate to other places. The patient develops cyanosis of the skin, the pressure drops sharply, he suffers severe shortness of breath and heartbeat. Nitroglycerin will not help in this case.

Aortic diseases

Excruciating, sudden pains in the chest of a bursting nature - aortic dissection. Intense pain can lead to loss of consciousness. The patient requires urgent medical attention.

For aortic aneurysm thoracic there are unexpressed, less often strong, throbbing or aching pains in the chest and back. When an aneurysm ruptures, the patient experiences unbearable tearing pain, shock and death are possible if help is not provided in time.

Non-cardiac diseases

1. Intercostal neuralgia. It is often mistaken for heart pain, but in fact there are significant differences. With intercostal neuralgia, the pain is stabbing, sharp, aggravated by deep inspiration and expiration, turning the torso, sudden movements, coughing, laughing, sneezing. It can let go in a few minutes, but can last up to several hours and days. A person accurately indicates the place of pain, its localization is point, in the left or right side chest between ribs. With angina pectoris, it is burning, breaking, but not sharp, does not depend on the position of the body, exact location it is impossible to specify, usually they show on the entire chest.

2. Osteochondrosis of the chest and neck. It is easily confused with angina pectoris. It seems to a person that the heart hurts, the arm, usually the left one, and the area between the shoulder blades go numb, the pain radiates to the back, upper abdomen, intensifies with breathing and movement. It especially resembles a heart if it occurs at night, while a person experiences fear. The main difference from angina is that nitroglycerin does not help.

3. Diseases of the central nervous system. In this case, patients complain that their heart often hurts. As a rule, patients describe their condition in different ways. Pain can be constant and short-term, aching and sharp. In neurosis, there are usually various autonomic disorders: irritability, anxiety, insomnia or drowsiness, fever or chilliness in the extremities, dryness or high humidity skin, muscle pain, stomach pain, headache. Usually people with neuroses describe numerous symptoms very colorfully and in detail, which objectively do not correspond to the true state of the person. At the same time, the “cores” are very stingy in describing their feelings. It can be difficult to distinguish cardioneurosis from cardiac ischemia, since there are no changes on the ECG.

4. Violations in the digestive tract. Pain caused by pathologies digestive system, longer than cardiac, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, heartburn, depend on food intake. Acute pancreatitis sometimes mistaken for a heart attack: severe pain with nausea and vomiting. Pain during spasm of the gallbladder and ducts can be given to the left side of the chest, so it seems that the heart hurts. What to drink to find out for sure? If antispasmodics helped, then problems with the digestive tract.

5. Diseases of the lungs. Pneumonia can cause heart-like pain. With pleurisy, acute pain occurs, it is limited, aggravated by coughing and inhaling.

What to do?

This is the first question that comes to the mind of a person who feels chest pain. If there is a suspicion that the heart still hurts, that is, an angina attack or a heart attack, you need to act as follows:

First of all, you need to calm down and sit down. Panic will only make things worse.

Try to change the position of the body. If it gets better, it may not be the heart that hurts. If the pain has not receded, but continues to grow and is compressive or pressing, it is possible that this is angina pectoris.

In the room you need to open the window so that fresh air enters.

Nothing should restrict breathing, so the collar of the clothing must be unbuttoned or undressed to the waist.

Put one tablet of nitroglycerin under the tongue, with angina pectoris, the pain should recede quickly enough. If after 15 minutes it has not passed, take another tablet and call ambulance. If it's a heart attack, nitroglycerin won't help.

Conclusion

Even if the attack was stopped, the next day you need to go to the hospital for examination. And, of course, you do not need to self-medicate.

1. Myocardial ischemia: develops due to lack of blood flow to the heart, this is facilitated by cholesterol plaques that are deposited on the walls of blood vessels. They block their lumen, and the blood does not flow to the heart. Such pains in the heart and shortness of breath in pathology are mainly caused by stress and physical activity;
2. Thromboembolism: noted aching pain in the region of the heart, it becomes difficult for the patient to breathe, he begins to suffocate. The disease occurs when there is a blockage pulmonary artery thrombus. If measures are not taken in time, the patient will die;
3. Cardiac asthma: the patient feels a strong heaviness in the chest, it becomes difficult for him to breathe. It occurs with a severe course of a heart attack or other heart diseases, but it itself cannot develop in any way. It appears mainly at night.
4. Myocardial infarction: acute pain in the heart, hard breath and shortness of breath. Occurs when ignoring the symptoms of myocardial ischemia.

What to do when it's hard to breathe and your heart hurts?

With any symptoms of the manifestation of the disease, a person must be provided with complete rest before arrival. emergency care.

What does the diagnosis mean for pain in the heart?

The case when the heart hurts and it is difficult to breathe does not necessarily indicate the development of a pathology of the cardiovascular system. Reasons for the appearance similar symptoms lots of. They occur even in young people who have never complained of problems with the functioning of the heart. For an accurate diagnosis of pain, one should undergo comprehensive examination all body systems. It is dangerous to self-medicate.

Etiology of pain

The overwhelming majority of patients who turn to a cardiologist with complaints that they have colitis in the heart and shortness of breath appear, are surprised to learn that their heart is healthy, but nervous system failed. The doctor-therapist advises to address to the neuropathologist. He concludes that the culprit is sensitive tingling in the heart, which increases when trying to do deep breath, is intercostal neuralgia. If done in time preventive measures, then the problem is easily removed. With connivance, the disease develops and can lead to serious complications, up to lethal outcome. The mechanism of formation of intercostal neuralgia depends on the anatomical location of nerve receptors in chest more sensitive on the left side near the heart. When developing in them inflammatory process any attempt to inhale sudden movement causes apparent heart pain.

The variant of events, in which heaviness in the region of the heart is really associated with the organ itself, provides for more serious symptoms. The person, apart from pain syndrome and shortness of breath may feel the following ailments:

• signs of suffocation;
• sharp fluctuations in heart rate, as a result, the pulse rises sharply, then drops sharply;
• a significant increase in blood pressure is possible;
• it is difficult for a person to perform elementary physical actions.

Most often, these symptoms are age group patients. In young people, pathology develops as a result of organic disorders in the work of the heart or traumatic injuries.

The appearance of disorders in the functioning of the heart muscle of the doctor is explained by a number of such reasons:

1. 1. Over the years, a person has a change in the nature of the blood flow and the properties of the blood flowing in the vessels. Hemodynamic indicators: flow rate and pressure gradient between sections of the channel in the vessels are closely related to the rheological qualities of the fluid: electrolyte composition, characteristics of erythrocytes, plasma, proteins.
2. 2. There is a depletion of cardiac fibers and thinning of the walls of blood vessels.
3. 3. Conduction of nerve endings is disturbed.

The patient is urgently prescribed daily monitoring, angiography, an electric bicycle ergometer.

Common diseases

The appearance of pain in the region of the heart is characterized by pulling, stabbing, sharp and aching sensations. Their culprit is mainly stress or physical overload. AT chronic stage the development of pathology, pain appears at the same time or with the same movements. Often, after nervous overexcitation, it moves (radiates) beyond the focus of occurrence and gives to the lower jaw, left shoulder and hand. Then diagnosing a heart disorder becomes more difficult.

Pain also appears due to heart failure, when the blood flow weakens, not providing the organs and the heart itself. necessary quantity oxygen and nutrients. Additional sign chronic heart failure, in addition to pain and difficulty breathing, is swelling lower extremities. The diagnosis is helped by tests and echocardiography. The treatment regimen is prescribed in accordance with the causes and severity of the disease. In the chronic phase of the pathology, drugs are used with simultaneous cessation of smoking, taking alcoholic beverages, diet and dosed exercise. When these funds are not enough, they resort to the placement of implants in the form of pacemakers, prostheses, up to the transplantation of the entire organ.

The concept of "heart failure" is often associated with other cardiac pathologies, such as myocardial infarction, which leads to it, but is not the same as heart failure. dangerous disease, accompanied by the formation of pain, swelling, when breathing is difficult, is cardiomyopathy. This primary destruction of the cardiac muscles does not have an inflammatory, ischemic or tumor origin. The insidiousness of cardiomyopathy is the formation of an arrhythmia with a likely fatal outcome. Heaviness in the heart and difficulty breathing can cause diseases of other organs: the spine (osteochondrosis), gastrointestinal tract (ulcerative erosion of the stomach), respiratory organs ( left-sided inflammation lungs). These ailments differ from the pathology of the heart by the use of painkillers. If, after taking the medicine, pain in the heart and shortness of breath disappear, then this indicates the absence of cardiac pathology.