The child is pressing on his chest and everything hurts all the time. Why does it hurt in the heart area? Normal hair growth cycle

It occurs with herpes, rib fractures, pericarditis and other diseases.
Children describe their pain sensations incompletely and inaccurately. Objective examination methods play a decisive role: inspection, percussion, palpation, auscultation, X-ray examination, blood analysis.

Herpes zoster (herpes zoster; herpes zoster)- a disease caused by the chickenpox virus.
Clinical picture. The concern is a sharp girdle pain, accompanied by the appearance of blistering rashes, usually one-sided, on the skin of the chest along the intercostal nerves. Regional lymphadenopathy is observed. Most of the bubbles subsequently dry out with the formation of crusts, some open and erosions form in their place.
Treatment. Paracetamol is prescribed - 10-15 mg/kg body weight 3 times every day, diclofenac sodium - 2-3 mg/(kg-day), B vitamins, acyclovir - 20 mg/(kg-day) orally. Locally - treatment with solutions of aniline dyes (methylene blue, brilliant green), the use of ointments with antiviral properties (tebrofen, oxolin, etc.), lotions with interferon.

Fractured ribs usually occurs due to direct mechanical force or a fall. Fractures can be open or closed, single or multiple.
Clinical picture. Complaints of pain in the chest area. There is a connection with trauma; local pain in the rib area, limited swelling, sharp pain on palpation. The diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray examination.
Treatment. Analgesics are prescribed: paracetamol - 10-15 mg/kg 3 times every day, diclofenac - 2-3 mg/(kg/day). A consultation with a surgeon is indicated.

Pericarditis- inflammation of the cardiac membrane of infectious, allergic, immunocomplex or other origin (for example, with diffuse diseases connective tissue, uremia, hemorrhagic diseases, tumors). The accumulation of a large volume of fluid in the pericardium leads to cardiac tamponade due to difficulty in its diastolic expansion. In this case, the pain has a different character.
Clinical picture. With pericardial effusion pressing pain is accompanied by a forced position of the body, swelling of the neck veins, expansion of the borders of the heart, dullness of tones, a triangular shadow of the heart on an x-ray, low voltage waves on an ECG. Dry pericarditis causes stabbing pain, aggravated by deep breathing and changes in body position.
Treatment. NSAIDs are prescribed: indomethacin - 2-3 mg/(kg-day), diclofenac - 2-3 mg/(kg-day), ibuprofen - 10-15 mg/(kg-day). Treatment of the underlying disease.

Defeat parietal pleura accompanied by pain in the chest wall.
Clinical picture. Spicy, stabbing pain when breathing (intensifies with deep breath, cough). Breathing is often shallow, gentle, cough is short, obsessive, dry.
Treatment. Paracetamol is prescribed - 10-15 mg/kg 3 times every day, codeine - for children over 6 months, 0.002-0.01 g. Treatment of the underlying disease.

The life of a teenage girl is full of difficulties and problems, and then her breasts periodically hurt! “I probably have cancer,” the unfortunate sufferer decides and says goodbye to all her friends on social networks.

“It hurts because it’s growing,” says the callous mother, who has never understood her poor dying daughter even once in her life.

True-Lady is always on the side of its readers, no matter who they are. That is why we recommend trusting the opinion of a gynecologist who knows exactly why a teenage girl has breast pain.

Chest pain is not scary

The chest, like any part of the body, can hurt, both in girls and young people. In guys, irritation may even appear on the skin near the nipple - however, it goes away within two to three days. Girls usually feel mild pain in the mammary gland, for example, while lying on their stomach or taking a shower. Sometimes your chest feels suddenly heavier.

In both cases, chest pain - meaning pain specifically in the mammary gland - is not a reason for panic, does not indicate anything terrible, and in the vast majority of cases goes away without a trace with age. Well, sometimes reminding you of yourself during pregnancy or before your period.

Breast pain in a teenager is not a symptom of a terrible disease, much less a sign of cancer. If there are no additional symptoms, treat some Special attention There is no need for chest pain.

Breasts are growing

All mammals, including humans, have breasts - or mammary glands. In humans, the breasts are steamy and consist of fat, mammary glands, nerves, connective tissues, and so on.

A person needs breasts, first of all, to feed their offspring - after all, we belong to the class of mammals, as intended by evolution. And the body of the expectant mother is preparing for this important process still in adolescence.

Breasts in girls begin to develop at the age of 8-13 (most often at 10-11), and at about the same age discomfort in the mammary gland begins, which in some girls can be quite intense.

The cause of the discomfort is the immediate growth of the breasts, which is also indicated by swelling around the nipples (which, by the way, can also change very much). This is not a cause for concern, but a normal part of development.

Breast pain before period

Let's first realize that not everything that is normal is pleasant and comfortable - that's how our body works. So, it’s completely normal for girls to have a little sore breasts before or during menstruation. This happens because the body produces a lot during menstruation. female hormones(estrogen and progesterone). Swelling, headache and pain in the lower abdomen, mood swings - it's all due to hormones. The chest also swells, becomes heavier, and mild pain is felt.

Most symptoms, including breast pain, should subside at the beginning of menstruation. Before this, you can use painkillers (preferably based on nimesulide) and a supportive bra - soft, made of dense natural fabric, without wires or push-up.

The pain decreases, but over the long term, a little every month, if healthy image life, eat right, exercise regularly and get enough sleep.

It has been proven that food with big amount salt (chips, crackers) and caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate) worsens the situation, as it retains water and adds edema. But foods containing a lot of calcium - for example, almonds, yoghurts, cottage cheese - on the contrary, relieve symptoms. You can drink decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea.

My chest hurts, is there any point in going to the doctor?

Every girl should be examined by a gynecologist every six months - this is important. Of course, you can clarify with your doctor everything that interests you, that worries you, or that is not clear. Don't be shy, it's completely normal to talk to your doctor about your concerns.

You need to see a doctor urgently if one of the breasts (less often both) is swollen, increased in size, hardened, hot to the touch, something is oozing from the nipple, skin changed color or developed a rash.

If specified symptoms not observed, but the chest hurts a lot, it throbs, the body temperature is elevated, plus it can pull in the lower abdomen, you need to plan a visit to the doctor in the next few hours.

If your chest does not hurt, but lumpy nodes or lumps are felt under the skin, you should also consult a doctor.

Tamara Rappel

Adults often associate chest pain in a child with heart ailments. But in reality this is far from the case. Studies conducted in the United States have shown that in adolescents and young children, chest pain is not associated with heart disease in 99% of cases. Like this. This study involved no less than 3,700 children from Boston with heart pain, patients at Boston Hospital, and only 1% of them were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. What are the causes of chest pain in children and what can be done about it?

Causes of chest pain in children

The study we wrote about above involved children average age who was barely 14 years old. 99% of them were diagnosed with diseases bone tissue, musculoskeletal system, digestive system, central nervous system. Some children experienced chest pain due to uncontrolled use of medications that caused allergies. And only 1% of children experienced chest pain due to cardiovascular problems. Therefore, doctors strongly advise parents who find chest pain in their children to first do an ECG.

This will immediately eliminate the risk of cardiovascular disease or confirm heart problems. And then you need to navigate according to the picture of the disease. This will make it possible not to waste time on taking medications for cardiovascular diseases, if there is no trace of them. This time will be useful to identify real reason chest pain in children.

So, the causes of chest pain in children can be:

• Psychogenic pain
• Pain due to damage or skin diseases
• Pain due to muscle dysfunction
• Pain due to diseases of the respiratory system
• Pain due to cardiovascular diseases
• Pain due to lesions of the gastrointestinal tract

First you need to ask the child in detail where exactly the pain occurs, because young children very often indicate different places that hurt. Therefore, pain in the pit of the stomach, indicating diseases of the digestive system, can easily be confused with pain in the chest - the child may call both parts of the body the chest. Also ask your child about the nature of the pain that bothers him. Are they sharp, piercing or dull, pulling? When does a child experience chest pain? After eating, during movements, after active activities sports? Let's look at each of the causes of chest pain in a child in more detail.

Pain due to diseases or damage to the skin

Pain due to diseases or damage to the skin can bother a child if he has herpes or shingles. This disease tends to affect the skin with rashes, sores or blisters. And then the child complains about burning pain in the chest. They may be accompanied elevated temperature or lymph nodes that are significantly enlarged.

How to help?

Shingles, or herpes, is viral disease, which, moreover, is infectious, that is, it is transmitted from child to child. To cure it, you need to call your local doctor and follow the treatment regimen that he prescribes.

Chest pain in a child due to musculoskeletal diseases

Chest pain in a child due to diseases of the musculoskeletal system can be quite severe and acute. Sources of pain can be changes in the vertebral processes after injury, pain due to cartilage lesions in the spine, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis. All these diseases lead to pinched nerve roots, and this is very painful.

How to help?

It is necessary to take the child to a rheumatologist for diagnosis and treatment.

Chest pain in a child due to diseases of the respiratory system

Chest pain in a child can most often occur due to damage or inflammation of the lungs. This respiratory organ is surrounded by the pleura, a membrane that lines chest cavity. When the pleura is inflamed, its leaves (it consists of sheets, very thin) rub against each other, and this causes severe pain in the baby's chest. They are very difficult to endure, the pain intensifies even more during deep breathing and can radiate to the shoulder joint.

How to help?

A child may experience such pain when pneumonia has worsened, the lungs are in in serious condition, they are inflamed and affected by the virus. In this condition, self-medication is unacceptable. You need to immediately call a doctor and treat the child in a hospital, usually with antibiotics.

Chest pain in a child due to cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular chest pain in a child is one of the most dangerous species pain. They can occur when various diseases heart and blood vessels, in particular rheumatism, ARVI (acute respiratory infections), which cause inflammation of the lining of the heart - the pericardium or inflamed muscles of the heart (a disease called myocarditis). Cardiovascular diseases not associated with myocardial infarction or angina pectoris can be recognized by dull and nagging pain, such pain can radiate (spread) to the neck or shoulder.

If there is any doubt about what disease is causing the pain, you should definitely listen to the child with a stethoscope. And then the doctor can hear extraneous noises in the area of ​​the heart that “keep pace” with each heartbeat, that is, synchronously. Chest pain in a child cardiovascular diseases may also become stronger during swallowing or deep breathing.

How to help?

If the heart and blood vessels are not normal, this is a great danger for the child. You should consult your doctor immediately. He will prescribe treatment depending on the nature of the disease.

Chest pain in a child due to diseases of the digestive system

Chest pain in a child due to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can be very severe and indicate serious health problems. There may be congestion in digestive tract, gas reflux disease (heartburn), inflammation of the esophagus, which doctors call esophagitis, as well as poisoning with substances that can irritate the delicate mucous membrane of the esophagus or stomach.

Diseases of the digestive system that cause chest pain in a child may be a stomach ulcer or duodenum, hiatal hernia, foreign body that a child has swallowed (for example, a bone). Such pains can be recognized by their nature: they become stronger when swallowing, when lying down or when the child leans forward. Accompanying symptoms are difficulty swallowing, vomiting blood, stool with black discharge, and increased salivation.

How to help?

Need to call immediately ambulance and take the child to the hospital. First of all, he needs to have an esophageal endoscopy (examination of the esophagus using computer diagnostics and an instrument called an endoscope). Next, the doctor will prescribe treatment depending on what diseases the child suffers from.

Psychogenic chest pain

Psychogenic chest pain can begin if the child is not sick, but is experiencing a state of acute stress. Then there appear in the chest muscle clamps, and the child complains of chest pain. The child may also worry about the condition of a person close to him, for example, his mother, and imitate chest pains that she suffers from. Psychogenic pain can be determined by the time when it occurs. As a rule, these pains bother the child only when he is awake, and in a state of sleep or while the child is engrossed in a game or an interesting book, the pain goes away.

How to help?

It is necessary to give the child the opportunity to rest more, play, and be in the fresh air. If chest pain does not go away, you need to show the child to a neurologist and psychologist.

Sudden severe stabbing pain of unknown etiology

Sudden severe stabbing pain unknown etiology may occur in a child, most often after eating or during severe physical stress. This pain may be accompanied by contractions in the chest area (attacks of pain), localized in the upper abdomen or lower chest. As a rule, such pain is more often localized on the right. This pain may be caused by strained ligaments between the abdominal lining (peritoneum) and the diaphragm.

How to help?

Pain of this nature in a child should go away after he has rested and calmed down. The child should lie down, the peritoneal ligaments will relax and then all the pain will go away. Even without drugs.

Baby's chest pain due to muscle tension or muscle damage

Chest pain due to muscle problems can occur after injuries, muscle strains, bruises, and also due to viral infections in the muscles. The latter disease leads to muscle inflammation, which is called viral myalgia. It is characterized by the fact that the child’s muscles in the chest area become very painful, and this pain comes unexpectedly, it is strong, and can be felt even with light pressure with your fingers. As a rule, this is the only area of ​​pain; there are no other abnormalities in the child’s condition.

How to help?

For bruises and sprains, you need to alternate heat and ice (15 minutes each). Warm compresses Can be salt heated in a frying pan or a warm heating pad. You can also heat a woolen scarf over warm battery and apply it to the baby's sore breast.

If your chest hurts a lot, you can give it an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, such as ibuprofen. You can also give your child Panadol - it relieves pain and inflammation well.

How to determine diseases by the nature of chest pain in a child?

If the pain intensifies with movement, it is most likely caused by injury or muscle tension. It could also be a muscle strain or inflammation. Parents should pay attention to these symptoms even if there are no bruises or other signs of injury on the child's chest. Additional symptom– pain with light touch, breathing, coughing.

If your child's chest pain is concentrated in only one place that constantly hurts, it may be the result of a rib fracture. Additional symptoms – sharp pain when moving, touching, and this pain is in the area where the ribs are located. This kind of pain doesn't go anywhere anymore.

Severe and sharp pain in the child’s chest, as if behind the sternum, behind – this is a symptom of a sore throat or colds. Such pain can be caused by a disease of the trachea, in particular, its inflammation. Microorganisms, causing sore throat and tracheitis are the same. An additional symptom of this disease is a dry cough, pain that increases with deep breathing.

Pain in a child's chest in the form of a burning sensation that occurs after eating is a sign of a disease of the digestive system, in particular the stomach. This pain is caused by acid that rises from the stomach back into the esophagus. There are children who especially often suffer from heartburn and increased acidity. To avoid this condition, you do not need to overeat and bend over after eating, but sit straight. If these simple remedies do not work, you need to take the child to the doctor.

When a child complains of chest pain, it is difficult to immediately understand what exactly is hurting. And if he still cannot speak, then establishing the cause of his anxiety becomes doubly difficult. IN chest are various organs that can cause pain. It is important to clearly understand how this or that organ “hurts”, and also to know additional signs possible diseases.

Here are the most common causes of chest pain in children

1. Chest injuries (bruises, hematomas, rib fractures). Pain from such injuries is strictly localized and appears or intensifies with pressure.
2. Pleurisy. Painful sensations intensify on inspiration and decrease in the lying position on the area where the pleura is affected.
3. Diseases thoracic spine with pinched nerve roots. Sharp tingling sensations occur with deep breathing and sudden turns.
4. Inflammatory processes in the esophagus and stomach (ulcers, erosions of various origins). Pain is often associated with eating. The nature of the pain can be either acute or mild, aching.
5. Diseases of the heart muscle and large vessels.

It was not for nothing that I placed the lesion in last place, because complaints of chest pain are in fact rarely associated with changes in this organ. But despite the low frequency, diseases of the heart muscle are serious problem, which may entail severe consequences. Timely recognition of cardiac pain and its causes can not only quickly and effectively cure the disease, but sometimes even save a child’s life.

The child's heart is under enormous stress. In addition to the fact that he needs to be provided with oxygen and other nutrients all cells of the body, it must fully develop and grow. Therefore, even a slight damaging effect on the heart tissue can cause disruption of its functioning.

Pain in the chest can be caused by the following heart diseases:

- myocarditis;
- pericarditis;
- cardiomyopathy;
— myocardial dystrophy;
- structural anomalies and narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels supplying the heart, for example, in atherosclerosis.

I would like to talk in more detail about diseases such as myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. These pathologies have a large number of reasons, which makes them the most common.

Myocarditis

Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) can occur in a child already in the womb. This is facilitated by the penetration of infectious agents present in the mother through a poorly protected placenta. Agents can be viruses, as well as chlamydia, toxoplasma and a number of other microorganisms. This type of myocarditis is called congenital.

When infection occurs before 32 weeks, the affected heart muscle tissue is replaced by fibrin or elastin. Newborns with this pathology are usually not viable.

If myocarditis occurs later than 32 weeks, then the child is born with active or dormant infectious process, which often becomes chronic. Naturally, a baby cannot indicate chest pain. The presence of the disease will be manifested by sluggish crying, weak sucking, pale or cyanotic skin, and sometimes convulsions and loss of consciousness are possible. Neonatologists may suspect cardiac dysfunction in a maternity hospital by conducting an examination, auscultation and recording an ECG.

The causes of acquired inflammation in the heart can be:

— viruses;
- bacteria;
- protozoa and fungi;
- allergens and toxins.

Common viruses include those that cause respiratory infections-, adenoviruses, etc. Bacterial myocarditis usually occurs against the background of severe sepsis. Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus has tropism for heart tissue, but is caused by inflammatory process refers to rheumatic diseases, and not to infectious myocarditis. Quite rarely there are cases of protozoa and fungi affecting the heart muscles. Some allergens can cause an immunological response if the child has a predisposition to allergic reactions or bronchial asthma. Strong food or drug poisoning may also affect cardiac tissue.

The course of the disease is:

- acute, up to 3 months (typical for children under 3 years of age);
— subacute, up to 1.5 years (children aged 3 to 6 years are most often affected);
- chronic, more than 1.5 years (common in children over 7 years old).

Symptoms of myocarditis

Some time after exposure to the damaging factor, signs of myocarditis begin to appear:

- pain or discomfort in the area of ​​the heart, often aching in nature (can be constant or intermittent, but long-lasting; with physical activity the pain may intensify);
- , apathy, poor appetite, sometimes an increase in body temperature up to 38C;
- possible loss of consciousness;
- pale skin;
- with a prolonged process, symptoms of heart failure appear - shortness of breath, cough, etc.

The child may also experience a rapid heartbeat or irregular rhythm. Different kinds rhythm disturbances (tachycardia, bradycardia, extrasystole) are characteristic of infectious myocarditis.

In the clinic, one of the symptoms may predominate - pain, arrhythmia or asthenovegetative.

Diagnostics

Informative methods can be:

1. Inspection, palpation and auscultation of the heart.
2. ECG.
3. heart (if heart failure is suspected - ultrasound of the abdominal cavity).
4. General analysis blood.
5. Biochemical analysis blood with determination total protein, acute phase proteins, sialic acids and electrolytes.
6. Blood test for the presence of enzymes released during the destruction of heart cells (CPK and LDH).

Treatment

Drug therapy is carried out taking into account the factor that caused myocarditis.

- at viral etiology- This antivirals(Tamiflu - from 1 year, Isoprinosine - from 3 years) and drugs based on interferons (Anaferon - from 1 month);
- bacterial myocarditis is stopped, most often with modern cephalosporins (Pancef - from 6 months, Cefosin - from birth) or aminoglycosides (Sumamed - from 6 months, Amikacin - from birth);
- if the cause is an allergen, it is prescribed antihistamine( – from 1 month, Gismanal – from 3 years);
- anti-inflammatory drugs: glucocorticoids for infants and children under 3 years of age; at an older age, it is possible to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nise, Dilaxa);
- cardiotropic drugs (Meldonium, Riboxin) - help strengthen the heart muscle and, in combination with the main treatment, promote a speedy recovery.

It is important to understand that such drugs have not undergone serious large-scale studies, so you should not place too high hopes on their effectiveness.

If HF occurs, appropriate medications are prescribed (diuretics, cardiac glycosides, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors)

The outcome of the disease depends on the neglect of the case, the correctly identified cause of the disease and reasonably selected treatment. With a favorable outcome, in most cases there is full recovery. At frequent violations rhythm there is a high risk of sudden cardiac death. Chronic myocarditis Over time, they progress to cardiosclerosis or myocardial dystrophy.

Myocardial dystrophy

This is a heart disease that strictly has a cause. Myocardial dystrophy occurs when the heart muscle experiences oxygen starvation and she does not have enough strength to carry out the pumping function.

Causes of myocardial dystrophy in children:

1. Consequences of myocarditis.
2. Diseases thyroid gland(thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism).
3. .
4. Chronic tonsillitis.
5. Long-term treatment some medicines, for example, glucocorticosteroids.
6. Excessive physical activity.
7. Obesity and physical inactivity.

Clinical picture

Signs of this pathology include:

- prolonged stabbing or dull aching pain in the region of the heart;
- interruptions heart rate;
- weakness, fatigue.

At for various reasons When the disease occurs, certain symptoms become more pronounced. Painful sensations are more typical for myocardial dystrophy with hypothyroidism and long-term tonsillitis.

Myocardial dystrophy does not always manifest itself with any symptoms; it is a disease long time may not make itself felt.

Examination for myocardial dystrophy

First of all, the doctor conducts a detailed survey and examination of the child and prescribes additional examination.

1. An ECG will reveal insufficient nutrition of the heart muscle and determine the nature of the rhythm disturbance.
2. Echo-CG is less informative, in severe cases You can observe a slight expansion of the chambers of the heart.
3. To detect hypoxia in heart cells, it is possible to use waist scintigraphy or MRI with radioactive phosphorus, but such methods are not used in widespread practice.
4. The diagnosis of myocardial dystrophy can be fully proven only with the help of a biopsy of heart tissue, but this technique is not used due to its complexity and trauma.

Treatment

The main therapy is aimed at eliminating the causative disease. To normalize metabolic processes they are used the following means:

— cardiotropic drugs – Meldonium, Riboxin;
— folic acid and other B groups, as well as vitamin C;
- preparations containing potassium and - Asparkam, Panangin, Magne B6;
- relief of arrhythmia if necessary - Verapamil.

In conclusion, I want to say that if your child suspects any changes in the functioning of the heart, you should immediately contact a pediatrician or pediatric cardiologist. If chest pain bother the child a lot, you can give small quantities drugs such as carvalol (no more than 15 drops/day) or (¼ or ½ tablet).

Children often complain of chest pain, but it is rarely associated with heart disease or gastrointestinal tract, inflammation of the osteochondral joints. More often chest pain in a child appears after physical activity And sports training, associated with muscle tension, sometimes due to psycho-emotional stress at home or at school, associated with internal anxiety child.

If your child is without visible reasons constantly complains of chest discomfort or pain, consult your pediatrician to rule it out serious illnesses(heart, lungs, stomach, etc.).

URGENT CARE

Call an ambulance if your child:

• lethargy
• chest pain
• cough.
• dry cough.
• sudden shortness of breath.
• strong pain in the chest (suspicion of pneumothorax).

THE DOCTOR'S CONSULTATION

Contact your doctor if:

• The child complains of palpitations and difficulty breathing, constant or very severe chest pain at rest.

ATTENTION!

If child has chest pain persistent or worsened by physical activity, you should consult a doctor. If chest pain appears after an injury, it is necessary to exclude a hip fracture, pneumothorax (collapsed lung), and other injuries to internal organs.

FOR INFORMATION

Pneumothorax as a cause of chest pain

Collapse of the lung (or part of it) – pneumothorax – causes sharp pain in the chest and sudden appearance shortness of breath. Spontaneous (sudden, without apparent cause) pneumothorax occurs in children, although it is most common in men 20-40 years old. Children with chronic diseases lungs (for example, cystic fibrosis), but pneumothorax occurs in healthy children, more often in thin teenage boys. Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs upon rupture lung tissue allowing air to pass from the lungs to pleural cavity. If this "leakage" occurs slowly, the baby will experience chest pain without other symptoms. In this case, the gap, as a rule, closes on its own, and the free air is absorbed. IN otherwise a large accumulation of air in the pleural part can lead to compression of the lung or part of it; In this case, severe chest pain and sudden shortness of breath occur. The child needs to be provided with peace Fresh air. Immediate medical attention is required.