The reason stabbed my heart. Pain in the heart area in various diseases - causes, nature, treatment

“It’s like a needle has been stuck,” the patient usually says about it; it is increasingly encountered at appointments with specialists in cardiology. It is very possible, as is well known in medicine, that such a patient has “neurosis of the heart.” And this is due to the fact that with the growing pace of life, greater load on the psychological adaptation systems, especially now, in the era of the next crisis, people are becoming more and more sensitive and irritable, suffering from emotional stress.

Any doctor, hearing from a patient that the pain in the heart that he complains of is similar to injections, that it appeared suddenly, stabbing and short-lived, will breathe a sigh of relief, worrying less about the patient’s life. In this case, there is no reason to worry that we are talking about severe heart pathology, serious danger and death. The patient may feel truly hellish pain that takes his breath away. But cardiology knows that the heart does not hurt like that. In any case, the cardiologist will least of all think about pathological processes in the heart, in the heart vessels, about myocardial infarction, because this is completely unusual for them.

What could it be? What could be the cause of these terrible “pricks” in the heart? Remember better. In addition to the fact that the pain can be severe and makes breathing difficult, there is also often a feeling of mild nausea, abdominal pain, a lump in the throat, and rapid heartbeat, right? And also severe irritability, nervousness, sometimes hidden behind forced external calm? This is a typical picture of a neurotic condition, or as cardiology specialists often say at an appointment, cardiac neurosis.

The patient endures such conditions very hard; it seems to him that something terrible is happening to him, that he might die, that he is losing control over himself. This is really unpleasant, but believe me, it does not pose any threat to life. Therefore, first of all, the cardiologist will ask such a patient not to worry, to calm down, explaining to him the true state of affairs.

Such crises often occur in emotional people who are strongly worried about any, even the smallest events in life. And especially when the emotional stress at work or at home increases. Conflict situations with the boss or co-workers, overload - mental and physical, problems in the family or with a sentimental partner - these situations are a provoking factor.

What should be done in this case? Calm down and endure. The crisis is usually very short-lived, sometimes literally a few seconds. Then be sure to see a doctor to get a cardiogram. There will most likely be no pathological changes on the electrocardiogram. This will calm you down even more. Now you will definitely know that in such cases you need self-control and... valerian. But the best thing is not to put yourself in such situations.

What happens during such a crisis is an alarm signal that your body gives, paying attention to the state of the nervous system. A signal that the stress you are under is too much for you, and the adrenaline that is released begins to cause disturbances in the body, causing not only emotional changes, but also physical ones.

Which one exit? There are two of them, if you look at the very root of the problem.

A good psychologist, and even you yourself, by turning to books on psychological help, can improve your condition. Both in general and during the crisis. Medicines are recommended in the initial stages of therapy and only on the recommendation of a doctor. Believe me, the family doctor knows better when, what and how much is needed. Don't worry and be happy!

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Signs of cardialgia

1. Pain on the left side of the chest. The nature of the pain changes depending on the position of the body - when bending or raising the arm up, it also changes when inhaling and exhaling.
2. Character of pain: aching, cutting and stabbing. According to duration, three states are distinguished: fleeting (it stings and goes away), short-term (the heart hurts for about a minute) and long-term (the period of pain lasts hours, days of the week and months).
3. With cardialgia, many in an attack of pain experience terrible fear for their lives, as a result of which they feel a lack of air, a state of panic sets in, sweating increases, and the heartbeat increases.

Causes of stabbing pain

To understand why and for what reason the heart hurts, the attending physician asks the patient about the nature of the pain, how often it occurs and how long it lasts. Based on these answers and examination of the person, a conclusion is made about the presence of a particular heart disease.

Main reasons:

• strong emotional experience;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• congenital or acquired heart defects;
• sometimes coronary heart disease;
• inflamed condition of the heart muscle, pericarditis, dystrophy of the heart muscle;
• diseases of the nervous and digestive systems.

First of all, if you have pain, no matter what kind it is, you need to visit a neurologist. He will be able to determine what is causing the pain and what nature it is - cardiac or you have problems with the nerves.

Treatment

In order for the patient to stop experiencing stabbing sensations in the heart area, it is necessary to cure the disease that causes pain. A referral to specialists will be issued by a local physician.

Treatment is carried out by specialists:

• cardiologist;
• neurologist;
• gastroenterologist;
• endocrinologist;
• psychotherapist, etc.

By following the recommendations of specialized specialists, you can reduce the frequency of stabbing pain. Changing your lifestyle, getting a new job and taking medications will help to reliably protect the blood vessels of the heart and other organs.

First aid for stabbing pain

If the diagnosis is established and the causes of pain are related to blood vessels, then in this case you should take the medicine prescribed by your doctor. If this is your first attack, then you should lie down and take Corvalol or Valocordin.

The patient's room should be filled with fresh air. If a person experiencing stabbing pain belongs to a risk group (for example, has previously suffered a myocardial infarction), then it is necessary to immediately call an ambulance. While you are waiting for the doctor, give the patient one Validol tablet to dissolve. If possible, steam the patient's legs.

By following all of the above tips, you can save a person’s life, relieve pain, or remove it altogether. Do not neglect your health; be sure to consult a therapist, neurologist and cardiologist.

Prevention for stabbing pain

The main rule is a healthy lifestyle. The following recommendations will help you cope with many causes of pain:

1. The balance between rest and work. In between heavy loads, you need to take breaks - rest every 2 hours and perform gymnastic exercises on the spinal area for 10 minutes. Sleep after a hard day of work should last at least 7-8 hours.
2. Physical activity should be regular, but not excessive.


3. The food is balanced. The diet should include vegetables, fruits and herbs. Try to avoid fried foods, canned foods, spicy and too hot foods.
4. Try to avoid stressful and conflict situations both at work and at home.
5. If you experience stabbing pain in the heart area, promptly contact your therapist, who will write a referral to the appropriate specialists.

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Where is the heart located

The location of this organ is not entirely accurately described when they say that the heart is located on the left side of the chest. In fact, it lies almost in the middle of the chest, and only a little the left ventricle extends to the left side.

To get an idea of ​​where this organ is located, you need to place your fist in the middle of your chest so that its lower part rests on your stomach, and move it slightly to the left.

What is perceived by patients during an attack as the localization of this organ is rather the location of the pectoral muscle. And if it stings in the area of ​​the heart, this may well be a manifestation of a spasm of the pectoral muscle.

Why does my heart hurt?

Stitching pain in the area of ​​the heart, not caused by organic damage to its arteries, refers to cardialgia and is caused by both heart disease and other reasons. The word “cardialgia” comes from the Greek. “kardia” (heart) and “algos” (pain) and characterizes the localization of the pain syndrome.

A sign of cardialgia is the absence of an analgesic effect when taking nitroglycerin and a positive reaction of the body to taking analgesics or sedatives during an attack.

Statistics

Cardialgia is caused by ischemic disease, pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, and disorders of the autonomic nervous system. According to medical statistics, about 80% of cases of seeking help from a therapist for chest pain are not associated with organic heart damage.

The causes of cardialgia are:

• heart disease, excluding coronary vascular disease;
• extracardiac pathologies.

Heart reasons

If there is pain in the heart, the cause may be inflammation in the heart muscle and cardiac membranes. Discomfort can cause:

• myocarditis - inflammation of the myocardium after a sore throat or flu;
• thickening of the heart muscle caused by increased stress in athletes;
• inflammation of the inner membrane - endocarditis;
• inflammation of the outer membrane - pericarditis;
• Mitral valve prolapse is incomplete closure of the valves caused by connective tissue pathology.

Extracardiac causes

Cardialgia can be caused by diseases that are completely unrelated to pathologies of the cardiovascular system. Such noncardiac causes include:

• neurogenic disorders;
• diseases of the digestive tract;
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• respiratory system diseases;
• metabolic disorders.

Stitching pain sometimes appears in menopausal women and is caused by protein deficiency, lack of microelements and vitamins.

During menopause, women may experience intercostal neuralgia, which is also manifested by sharp stabbing pain.

Cardialgia during pregnancy

Heart pain occurs quite often during pregnancy. However, the causes of this condition do not always mean illness, especially pathology in the heart. Cardialgia during pregnancy may be a consequence of normal physiological phenomena occurring in the body.

Carrying a child is accompanied by the following changes:

• woman's weight gain;
• an increase in the total volume of blood circulating in the body;
• an increase in the size of the uterus and, as a consequence, elevation of the diaphragm.

The listed changes relate to physiological cardialgia, which goes away without treatment after childbirth. Unfortunately, it is not always the case that during pregnancy there is a stabbing sensation in the area of ​​the heart for physiological reasons; such a condition may indicate the onset of the disease.

If there is a stabbing sensation in the heart during pregnancy, it may be caused by:

• neurological reasons, osteochondrosis;
• iron deficiency anemia;
• gestosis.

The cause of cardialgia in pregnant women may be a shift in the center of gravity, causing a redistribution of the load on the spine and irritation of the nerve roots innervating the chest, which leads to discomfort.

Cardialgia in a child

Any deviation from normal growth in a child cannot be ignored; hope that heart pain in a teenager will go away with age. Moreover, cardialgia in children cannot be ignored.

The causes of heart pain in children can be:

• developmental defect;
• inflammation of the pericardium;
• circulatory disorders in the vessels of the heart;
• neurosis;
• dystrophy of the heart muscle;
• complication of sore throat.

It can be difficult for children, especially younger ones, to describe where it hurts. It is necessary to diagnose why a child’s heart is hurting in order to begin treatment on time.

Non-cardiac diseases

With organic lesions of the heart, ischemic attacks, the attack cannot last long without changes. Without help, the pain intensifies and leads to myocardial infarction.

If a patient complains of pain in the heart area and indicates that he periodically experiences discomfort in the chest for a long time, most likely his condition has nothing to do with coronary disease or myocardial infarction.

Such symptoms are more typical for stomach diseases, reflux esophagitis, hiatal hernia and spasm of the pectoral muscle, which manifests itself upon palpation as tenderness of the muscle area.

Neurogenic disorders

In pathologies of the nervous system, it stings in the heart due to neurological disorders, a high degree of anxiety and hypochondriacal disorders. Cardialgia, caused by anxious-phobic manifestations and emotional experiences, is characterized by a feeling of suffocation, a coma in the throat, and lack of air.

The attacks are usually short, wave-like, lasting 3-5 minutes. An attack caused by a neurological disorder can be short-lived, but sometimes it lasts for a long time, lasting several days.

Cardialgia of neurogenic origin can, starting in youth, last a lifetime. Their characteristic features are the following:

• lack of air;
• sweating;
• rapid pulse;
• panic;
• fear of death.

The pain radiates to the left side of the sternum, armpit, and shoulder. It can radiate to the right side of the chest, radiate to the lower back, but is not accompanied by toothache and is not felt in the lower jaw.

Neurogenic cardialgia is a frequent companion of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Cardialgia with VSD:

• not related to body position;
• does not radiate to other organs;
• does not depend on rest or physical activity;
• characterized by a long-lasting character.

Psychogenic cardialgia does not worsen over time and does not threaten the patient with a heart attack, but it negatively affects his state of mind. A heart attack can cause such patients to have a panic attack, fear of death, and cause severe depression.

The patient complains that his heart is stabbing, pinching, squeezing, and piercing right through. The attack cannot be stopped with nitroglycerin, but the condition improves significantly when taking sedatives - Valocordin, Corvalol.

Psychogenic pain usually has a clear localization. The patient can pinpoint the place where it is felt especially acutely. Most often, this point is located at the left nipple in the area of ​​​​the projection of the apex of the heart.

Pain in diseases of the musculoskeletal system

A cardiologist is not always able to help with discomfort in the heart area. If, when you take a deep breath or exhale, your heart suddenly pierces, then this pain can be caused by a muscle spasm of the pectoral muscles or a disease of the spine.

Cardialgia caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system increases with movement. The patient complains that he has a tingling sensation in the area of ​​the heart or in the heart itself when inhaling, trying to turn his head, or bend his torso.

Stitching pain can be caused by radicular syndrome, in which the intervertebral cartilaginous discs are destroyed and the nerves are compressed, which is accompanied by unpleasant sensations.

An attack of vertebrogenic cardialgia caused by degenerative changes in the vertebrae of the thoracic spine causes serious inconvenience to a person.

An exacerbation of this disease is similar to a heart attack, but no cardiac or sedative medications can relieve such an attack. In such cases, the most effective therapeutic agents are physiotherapy and physical therapy.

Digestive tract diseases

If there is a stabbing sensation in the heart after eating, then we can assume that the attack is caused by a peptic ulcer, bloating, or esophagitis.

Cardialgia caused by a stomach ulcer is different in that it does not go away when taking sedatives or painkillers, but stops after taking drugs that reduce the acidity of the stomach contents.

Respiratory diseases

The heart can hurt due to inflammatory diseases of the lower respiratory tract - bronchi, trachea. The real cause of cardialgia is sometimes:

• bronchitis;
• tracheitis;
• pulmonary hypertension.

Why does my heart hurt when I inhale? The cause may be pleurisy, an inflammatory disease of the pulmonary lining, as well as a malignant tumor in the lungs.

Cardialgia caused by diseases of the respiratory system is always associated with breathing. Why does my heart pound when I take a deep breath? The cause may be respiratory diseases. When you take a deep breath, there is a sharp discomfort that goes away when you hold your breath.

Heart diseases

Stitching pain is not typical for heart disease. Sometimes a teenager’s heart may pound in the case of anatomical disorders such as an additional chord. Such changes do not have a negative impact on health in general, but it is still necessary to consult a cardiologist; the cause of cardialgia in a child must be established.

Heart disease causes pressing, burning pain. During an attack, patients complain that they have a “burning” or “burning” sensation behind the sternum. A heart attack is accompanied by shortness of breath and heartburn. And with angina, there is a dull pain, and not a sharp one, as with cardialgia of extracardiac origin.

A stabbing sensation in the chest may occur during a heart attack, but in this condition the pain becomes cutting and extremely acute. The condition may be accompanied by chills, profuse sweating, loss of consciousness, and stomach pain.

Cardialgia cannot be ignored. At any age, if such pain occurs, you should consult a doctor to determine its cause. And the universal prevention of cardialgia is a healthy lifestyle. In addition to giving up bad habits, regular exercise within reasonable limits is necessary.

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Heart diseases that can cause this defect

Neurosis of the heart.

Anomalies in the activity of regulatory systems in the brain can provoke stabbing pain in the heart area. The main reasons why this problem arises: overwork, a large number of nervous experiences, depressive moods.

Most often, people of an overly emotional nature who react sharply to any events are prone to it. In a stressful situation, an excess amount of adrenaline is produced, which is not used. Because of this, my heart hurts.

When a sharp stabbing pain appears in the left side of the chest, worsening when inhaling, this may be a sign of a heart attack. A blood clot forms in one of the arteries, which interferes with the movement of blood through the vessels. This is what causes pain.

This disease is very dangerous; it threatens health and life. The formation of this deviation needs to be identified in a timely manner, since only this will allow the patient to be cured.

Coronary spasm is diagnosed when the movement of blood through the vessels decreases. Because of this, a stabbing pain appears in the heart, which becomes stronger when inhaling. A break in the blood supply provokes the destruction of heart cells, which causes this symptom.

Pericarditis.

With this pathology, fluid accumulates in the pericardial sac, or an inflammatory process develops in its tissues. Therefore, tingling in the heart area may occur.

Angina pectoris.

If a patient has angina, this means the formation of fat cells in the blood vessels, which complicates the flow of blood. Less blood and the substances it needs flows to the heart, which causes discomfort on the left side of the chest.

Aortic dissection.

A rupture of this artery causes blood to leak out of its walls. This causes even more delaminations. When all three layers of the aorta rupture, it causes severe blood loss. In this case, the pain in the left chest can be not only stabbing, but also cutting.

Cardiomyopathy.

The basis of this disease is ventricular hypertrophy. This pathology provokes stabbing pain in the heart area.

Causes of stabbing pain not related to heart disease

Sometimes pain in the heart area occurs in the absence of diseases of this organ. Why then does the heart hurt? This symptom can be provoked by pathologies in the functioning of other organs. This:

This symptom can occur for various reasons, so you should not think about heart pathologies and draw conclusions before the examination is carried out.

If you start taking the wrong medications, it can be harmful.

First aid

People want to know what to do to overcome this symptom. If stabbing pain appears in the heart muscle, the patient first needs to calm down. When the cause of a painful symptom is excessive physical activity, the person should simply rest.

This will help him get rid of unpleasant feelings. The strong emotions that caused this problem must also be overcome. The best way to do this is rest and relaxation. Sometimes this is difficult to do, and you need to use light sedatives or brew a medicinal mixture.

Update: October 2018

A healthy heart is a prerequisite for a long and fulfilling life. Pain in the heart area, at a minimum, requires careful attention to yourself. If they arise, then wariness and anxiety always appear. “Heart, heart, what happened that confused your life?” Do cardiac pains always indicate problems with the heart and how to distinguish them from other pains - in this article.

Heart area - where is it?

The projection of the heart onto the anterior chest occupies the area from the upper edge of the cartilages of the 3 ribs to the lower edge of the body of the sternum. The apex is projected into the 5th intercostal space 2 cm medially from the line crossing the middle of the clavicle. The right border goes from the cartilage of the 3rd rib to the 5th intercostal space on the right.

Typically, any discomfort in the left side of the chest is taken for heart pain, regardless of its nature and intensity. But the typical location of heart pain is the area behind the sternum and to the left of it to the middle of the armpit.

Features of the spread of heart pain are the appearance of referred pain (on the left in the shoulder blade and under it, in the arm). Sometimes the reflection is isolated, for example, 4-5 fingers of the left hand, the left jaw. Rarely does the pain radiate to the right arm or left shoulder.

Nature of pain in the heart area

The description of suffering by the patient himself is very important at the first stage of diagnosis. It is the detailed description of pain that allows the doctor to navigate in the direction of the search and reduce additional examination methods to the necessary minimum.

When questioning the patient, the following are taken into account:

• conditions for the occurrence of pain (during or after exercise, at rest, association with food, at night or during the day)
• the nature of the sensations (pricks, squeezes, aches, cuts, presses, constantly or periodically)
• duration of pain
• after which they stop.

Causes of pain in the heart area

Constricting pain

This is a typical cardiac pain, indicating oxygen deficiency of the heart muscle. It is characteristic of almost all forms of coronary heart disease. With angina pectoris, compressive pain in the chest in the region of the heart or behind the sternum gives typical reflections under the shoulder blade and left arm. It occurs during exercise and goes away on its own with rest or with the use of nitroglycerin, which dilates blood vessels and redistributes blood between the layers of the myocardium.

Patients with various types of rhythm disturbances are also concerned about this pain:

• it is most typical for atrial or ventricular fibrillation
• frequent extrasystoles
• paroxysmal tachycardia
• intracardiac blockades
• often the pain is accompanied by fear of death and necessarily irregular pulse
• The equivalent of pain in some cases is shortness of breath, indicating circulatory failure.

Atypical compressive pain under the left shoulder blade, in the region of the heart, can occur at rest, in the early morning hours against the background of spasm of the coronary arteries (Prinzmetal's angina).

Sharp pain

This type of pain always signals the need for emergency help, and therefore does not allow you to switch to anything else. The condition can also be described as acute pain, as it occurs suddenly.

Angina pectoris

A prolonged anginal attack with a typical location and reflection of severe compressive pain is the result of incipient thrombosis, embolism or severe stenosis of the coronary vessels. At this stage, nitroglycerin does not help much, but timely medication can prevent the death of the heart muscle. If after taking nitroglycernia twice with a five-minute break, the pain does not go away. It is necessary to call an ambulance.

Myocardial infarction

This is actually necrosis of the heart wall. Here, only treatment in a specialized hospital can save the patient’s life and preserve its further quality. When myocardial infarction occurs, the pain is very pronounced, prolonged, intractable with nitro drugs, accompanied by the fear of death and a feeling of lack of air. sweating, hand tremors. It can also be atypical, for example, radiating to the stomach or simulating intestinal colic, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, heart rhythm disturbances, convulsions, and involuntary urination. Some heart attacks occur with a mild pain syndrome, which does not lose its sharpness, but the pain is more tolerable. When pain is relieved only by neuroleptoanalgesia using powerful painkillers.

Diseases of the esophagus and stomach

The second option for dangerous sharp pain in the heart area is a catastrophe with the esophagus and the cardiac part of the stomach. Perforation of a cardiac ulcer will give a dagger-like pain, which will entail autonomic disorders in the form of lightheadedness. flashing spots before the eyes, dizziness or loss of consciousness.

For the esophagus, bleeding is more typical due to frequent vomiting (Mallory-Weiss syndrome) or from dilated esophageal veins with portal hypertension against the background of cirrhosis of the liver. The rate of loss of consciousness and the severity of circulatory disorders will depend on the volume of blood loss. In any case, perforation of the ulcer or bleeding is a reason for surgical assistance.

Pulmonary thromboembolism

This is a blood clot that has traveled from the pelvic system or into the arteries of the lung. The more branches of the pulmonary artery are thrombosed and the larger they are, the more pronounced and intense the pain. In addition, coughing with blood, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and swelling of the neck veins are observed. With thrombosis of large trunks, collapse and loss of consciousness develop. It is also an emergency condition requiring emergency care and hospitalization.

Aortic aneurysm dissection

More often occurs in elderly men against the background of long-term unregulated arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, or coarctation of the aorta. The provoking factor may be surgery on the heart or aorta. Most often, the ascending part of the vessel dissects. In this case, a longitudinal rupture of the inner membrane leads to the accumulation of blood between the layers of the aorta. Suddenly there is a sharp tearing pain behind the sternum or in the heart area, radiating under the shoulder blade. At the same time, the pressure initially increases. and then drops sharply. There is asymmetry of the pulse in the extremities, the skin turns blue. Sweating appears and fainting may develop. Neurological manifestations include disturbances in motor activity. A hematoma can lead to oxygen starvation of the heart, shortness of breath, and hoarseness. Patients often fall into a coma.

Fractured ribs

Sharp pain is also typical for. Subsequently, the nature of the pain changes to aching or gnawing.

Pressing pain

In cases where the heart is overloaded, pressure or dull pain may be felt on the heart.

• This type of pain can also occur in healthy people, for example, with excessive physical exertion or playing wind instruments, which increases pressure in the pulmonary circulation.
• With arterial hypertension, the heart has to pump blood against a pressure gradient, which impairs its blood supply and increases the load.
• Thyrotoxicosis leads to increased heart rate and overloads the heart with volume.
• Cardiac tamponade is a consequence of wounds and compression of the heart by blood. Also, the heart can compress the effusion during pericarditis of various origins (tuberculosis, tumor).
• With myocarditis of an infectious or allergic nature, mild pressing pain is accompanied by shortness of breath, rhythm disturbances, and heart failure.
• Myocardiopathy, myocardial dystrophy, cardiac tumors also give pressing sensations without a clear connection with the load, long-term or episodic.
• Pressing pain behind the sternum imitates foreign bodies of the esophagus or esophagitis.
• Intoxications of various natures (medicinal, narcotic, alcoholic), as well as poisoning with organophosphorus substances, ether, chloroform, and neurotoxic plant poisons, cause severe pressure on the heart, are combined with arrhythmias and heart failure, and are fraught.
• Purulent pathologies of soft tissues, mastopathy. will also give excess pressure in the projection of the heart.
• High levels also lead to a situation where pressing pain imitates cardiac pathologies.

In order not to fall into the situation of Tom Sawyer, who was not good at anatomy and hid the gifted flower closer to either the heart or the stomach, you can use a comparative table to distinguish stomach pain from heart pain.

Stitching pain

If the heart stabs sporadically, the pain is not accompanied by blood flow disorders (no fainting, dizziness, memory or speech disorders), and is usually not dangerous.

• Most often, stabbing pain in the heart is caused by neurocirculatory dystonia, in which the vessels do not have time to adequately narrow or expand when the load changes.
• Rarely, stabbing pains are accompanied by infrequent extrasystole).

Strong pain

• Pain can be unbearable during a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or dissection of an aortic aneurysm. It's often a 10 out of 10. Patients are excited and rushing about. Experience an intense fear of dying.
• 10-9 points on the intensity scale gives mediastinitis - inflammation of the mediastinum. When a purulent process develops due to complications of surgical treatment, injuries to the esophagus, or disintegration of tumors, the pain forces patients to take a forced position with their chin pressed to their chest. It intensifies when swallowing and throwing back the head. There is also fever, sweating, agitation or confusion, and swelling of the upper body.
• Angina pectoris gives pain from 6 to 8 points.
• Myocarditis and pericarditis from 5 to 2.

Aching pain in the heart area

The more intense the rhythm of modern life becomes, the greater the number of patients complaining of pain in the heart in the cardioneurosis program. In such patients there are absolutely no organic changes in the organ or the vessels that feed it, or they are insignificant.

• there is only a high degree of neuroticism
• depression
• anxiety disorder
• Cardioneurosis often develops as part of somatized depression.

Dissatisfaction with oneself and the world around us, which does not come out in behavioral characteristics, breaks out in the form of pain in the heart. At the same time, patients are haunted by many unpleasant sensations: pressure on the heart, freezing when breathing, aching pain and anxiety for their health.

Often, fixation on a non-existent cardiac pathology forces a person to undergo multiple examinations, change specialists and clinics, significantly complicating his life. At the same time, an experienced psychotherapist or group correction could solve the problem in a short time.

Pain in the heart: what to do

If you suspect problems with your heart, it is better to reassess the risks and immediately consult a physician or cardiologist. After questioning and examination, the doctor will prescribe:

• urine and blood tests
• fluorography of the chest organs
• if necessary, bicycle ergometry, treadmill and echocardioscopy.

This tactic will allow you to react in time to real heart disease or quickly verify its absence and preserve excess nerve cells. In addition, cardiac pathologies often mask other serious and not so serious diseases, which it is also advisable to diagnose and treat in a timely manner.

Pain in the heart area can be of various types. Patients often complain of stabbing pain. Usually, it is she who causes particular concern. Doctors also believe that such pain near the heart will not always be a symptom of a disease of coronary origin.

Such symptoms are unusual for many heart pathologies that are unsafe for health. It can often be observed during injuries to the spine and central nervous system.

Typically, complaints of sharp stabbing pain in the heart suggest sensations to the left of the chest. Most believe that the heart is located on the left. In fact, it is located in the middle of the chest, and cardiac pain is often felt behind the sternum, although it sometimes occurs on the left.

It often happens that people perceive acute, sudden pain, which is not at all dangerous, as a heart attack. But truly cardiac symptoms are missed or not taken seriously.

Natural anxiety is triggered by the occurrence of stabbing pain to the left of the heart. This does not mean that there are heart problems, but such symptoms will be a good reason for an early consultation with a doctor. Only he, based on tests, examination, and medical history, will give a conclusion about the causes of stabbing pain to the left of the heart.

If it stings in the area of ​​the heart or to the left of it, then this sensation is related to the heart. Such pain may indicate problems with the heart, damage to the intercostal nerves, or malfunction of the respiratory system. Symptoms are extremely important, therefore, you should not ignore them, but you also do not need to treat yourself to eliminate the discomfort. Only a specialist can identify the causes of pain and prescribe medications, if necessary.

Stitching does not always indicate pathology and serious difficulties. The heart is a muscle that can get tired under stress. You need to know about the characteristics of pain signals and what to do in certain situations.

Causes of heart pain

The causes of pain are different.

They can be cardiac or non-cardiac:

Since the symptoms of stabbing pain in the chest or on the left appear during a variety of ailments, which include quite serious ones, you should not make a diagnosis and prescribe therapy on your own.

Consequences, what is the danger?

Complications and adverse effects of stabbing pain depend on the factors that caused it:

• Some diseases have a favorable course, for example, neuro-circulatory dystonia (the state of the central nervous system is disturbed) or osteochondrosis (intervertebral discs are destroyed and nearby nerves are compressed).
• Other ailments if not detected in a timely manner, they significantly reduce the quality of life and shorten its duration.
  Eg:
  • neoplasms of the mediastinum and lungs cause difficulty breathing and bleeding in the chest area;
  • myocarditis (inflammatory processes in the myocardium) leads to heart rhythm dysfunction and heart failure;
  • A stomach ulcer (defects in the gastric walls are formed) is complicated by ulcerative bleeding or malignancy (transformation into cancer).

First aid for heart pain

• Pain near the heart may not bother you for long, so you shouldn’t focus on a simple tingling sensation for a few seconds.
• When pain does not go away for 10 minutes or more, then appropriate measures must be taken. Check whether heart pain is related to breathing. When, when inhaling, the pain suddenly intensifies and begins to stab, there is a feeling of fear to inhale air; when the age is less than 25, there is a possibility that the pain is provoked by a feature of the growing body.
• When a child's heart hurts- this is an indication for detailed diagnostics. This is not dangerous if such sensations do not last long and go away on their own without complications.
• When pain is felt while turning the body, it’s unpleasant to touch the ribs - maybe it’s a cold, intercostal neuralgia, a doctor can give an accurate diagnosis. He confirms this and gives recommendations, or refers to a cardiologist to identify the causes.

The question arises, what to take if your heart hurts?

1. Should drink a few drops of Corvalol or Validol, which will make it possible to temporarily calm the pain. Next, in any situation you need to go to a specialist.
2. When the pain doesn't subside after such medications, if a burning sensation, swelling of the sternum or compression occurs, the person cannot move or cannot find a place, the pain became stronger and began to radiate into the arm, under the shoulder blade - immediately call a doctor.
3. Maybe it can help in a difficult situation, use aspirin and analgin. This is an emergency, albeit effective method.
4. Before the ambulance arrives you need to formulate what type of pain sensation. Try to describe whether it is localized or not, whether the left hand or fingers are numb or not. The duration of the discomfort and what is it caused by: a nervous disorder, excessive physical exertion, or manifests itself at rest. This helps to establish a diagnosis.

What to do if your heart hurts?

• Calm down. At rest, the heart consumes less oxygen. Therefore, in the presence of myocardial damage, there will be a lower risk of adverse consequences.
• Stop provoking loads- stop while walking, sit down. When it is a noisy, stuffy room, go out into the fresh air if the exit is nearby and you don’t need to go up or down the stairs.
• Take some kind of sedative, which is available nearby: phenazepam, Corvalol, motherwort, tincture of valerian, etc.
• Think about the type of pain you feel. When the pain is stabbing, intensifies during a deep breath or turning the body, during palpation, then most likely the pain is not associated with heart problems. If it is localized behind the sternum, and not near the armpit, then there is a risk of an angina attack.
• When are the symptoms of angina pectoris present?- It’s best to call doctors. Waiting out an attack of angina is a big mistake, leading to myocardial infarction, in particular, if you have not previously encountered pain in the sternum.

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The main requirement is to lead an active lifestyle.

The following preventive measures will help overcome many causes of pain:

1. Proper balance of rest and work. In the intervals between heavy loads, you should take a break - once every 2 hours, take a rest break and do gymnastics for the spine for 10 minutes. Sleep after a hard day should be approximately 7-8 hours.
2. Physical activity should be constant, but at the same time not unnecessarily overload the body.
3. Balanced diet. The menu includes vegetables, fruits and fresh herbs. You should avoid fried, canned, spicy and overly hot foods.
4. Try to avoid stressful and conflict situations at work and at home.
5. If a stabbing pain appears near the heart, consult a therapist in time, who will refer the patient to specialized doctors.

Dangerous accompanying symptoms

It is extremely important to understand the causes of such stabbing sensations.

It happens that such ailment is accompanied by:

• cough;
• dyspnea;
• heart rhythm disturbance.

When pain occurs near the left half of the chest, it is called cardialgia. It is not an independent disease, but a complex of various painful conditions associated with the heart and other causes.

Signs of cardialgia:

• pain that is localized in the left side of the chest, behind the sternum. Occasionally there is a stabbing pain near the armpit. Pain sensations completely depend on the person’s position.
  For example, it may become stronger when the patient bends forward or raises his left arm up;
• poor sleep;
• anxiety;
• impaired swallowing;
• blurred vision;
• the patient does not have the opportunity to fully inhale, therefore there is a feeling of lack of air; in difficult situations, the appearance of pre-syncope or convulsive contractions is likely;
• when the symptoms of the disease manifest themselves in a state of absolute rest, this indicates the progress of neurocircular dystonia. In such a situation, the following signs will be added to the general pathology: chronic fatigue, weakness, decreased ability to work.

When to see a doctor?

When there is a suspicion of an angina attack, it is necessary:

Diagnosis of heart diseases

The heart diagnostic program consists of many stages and may include the following procedures:

1. Consultation with a cardiologist.
   A specialist who deals with a patient's heart problems. You should consult him directly and come to him during discomfort near the heart.
   • The doctor interviews the patient, performs an examination and listens to the heart rhythm to detect murmurs. The primary examination also includes percussion (tapping the heart).
     

     Percussion makes it possible to determine the size and border of the heart. When the cardiologist is wary of something, he can send the patient for further examination.

2. Electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram is done at a local hospital; this research method has been used for quite some time. A functional examination can show the rhythm of the heart during the body's resting state. A typical procedure can take up to 15 minutes.
   Diagnostics will help determine:
   • Regularity of rhythm.
   • Functioning of the myocardium.
   • Heart rate.
     An electrocardiogram makes it possible to detect ischemia, rhythm disturbances and palpitations.
3. Holter monitoring. When the ECG does not show any abnormalities, but the patient continues to complain of stabbing pain, this diagnostic method is prescribed.
   • Monitoring is done for 3 days. A special portable device is used; its electrodes are applied and secured to the patient’s chest.
     The patient’s presence in the clinic for the entire diagnostic period is not required; the point of the study is to check the functioning of the heart under various conditions. This method helps prevent heart attacks.
4. -test. The method is generally similar to a regular ECG, but examines the patient while running, on a treadmill.
   • This method reveals the level of tolerance of the heart to physical activity and detects possible pathologies of the cardiovascular system. Diagnostics will reveal the presence of arrhythmia and ischemia.
   • A similar method is used to obtain the results of coronary bypass surgery after a heart attack and angioplasty.
5. Ultrasound of the heart. Ultrasound allows you to assess the condition of the heart and determine the level of its ability to pump blood.
   • The study will accurately determine the thickness of the heart walls, the size and condition of the valves and chamber cavities.
   • Internal formations are detected and results of the amount of blood flow in large heart vessels are obtained.

Pain in the heart (cardialgia) is a nonspecific symptom that manifests itself in the form of sharp or aching pain in the chest, varying in duration and intensity. It should be noted that the manifestation of such a clinical picture does not always indicate cardiac problems. Pain in the heart area can be both physiological and psychosomatic in nature. No less important is where the heart hurts. Therefore, treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor, after a comprehensive examination and identification of the etiology of the disease.

Etiology

Cardiological causes of heart pain include the following diseases:

• injuries;
• tumors;

Also, pain in the heart area can be caused by gastroenterological pathologies. In this case, the following should be highlighted:

• ulcer perforation;
• malignant tumors;
• toxic poisoning;
• gastric bleeding, which is provoked by injury or exacerbation of a certain pathological process.

In addition, the causes of pain in the heart may lie in the following pathological processes:

• the effects of toxic substances on the body - chemicals, nicotine, drugs, alcohol;
• pulmonary pathologies;
• muscle damage;
• mediastinal pathologies;
• pathologies of the mammary glands (both men and women);
• pathological processes that affect bones;
• pathologies of large vessels - , .

The psychological factor should be highlighted separately. Stitching or pressing pain in the heart can be psychosomatic in nature, be the result of severe stress or prolonged nervous strain. In any case, prolonged pain in the heart area requires consultation. You cannot take pills for heart pain on your own (without a doctor’s prescription). This can lead not only to complications, but also to death.

Symptoms

In this case, it is impossible to identify a single clinical picture, since each type of pain is a symptom of a specific pathological process.

Stitching pain in the heart area may indicate blood flow disorders.

The clinical picture, in this case, may have the following signs:

• pain in the heart increases when inhaling;
• of short duration;
• shortness of breath even with minimal physical activity;
• , which worsens at night or at rest.

Aching pain in the heart area often has a psychosomatic etiology. However, only a doctor can accurately determine this factor after examination. Symptoms, in this case, may be supplemented by the following signs:

• , sudden change of mood;
• - a person may suffer from or, on the contrary, feel the need for sleep constantly;
• headache;
• aching pain in the heart is periodic, intensifies after nervous strain.

The presence of such a clinical picture, just like in other cases, requires contacting a doctor. If the psychological factor is confirmed, the cardiologist will redirect the patient to a neuropsychiatrist.

Severe pain in the heart area clearly indicates the development of a serious pathological process. In this case, the clinical picture may have the following symptoms:

• unstable blood pressure;
• pain in the heart intensifies when inhaling and can be felt throughout the chest;

The presence of such a clinical picture requires immediate medical attention. Delaying or ignoring such symptoms can lead to death.

Clinicians note that quite often dull pain in the heart area is caused. In this clinical case, the following symptoms may be observed:

• and numbness of the upper extremities;
• the pain radiates to the left arm;
• pain intensifies when turning the head, body, raising the arm or placing stress on the spine;
• the nature of the pain is acute and gradual.

Pain in the heart with osteochondrosis can develop into chronic pain, so you should promptly seek medical help for comprehensive treatment.

Diagnostics

Only a doctor can tell why your heart hurts, after conducting an examination and making an accurate diagnosis. Initially, a detailed physical examination is carried out to clarify complaints and medical history. During the initial examination, the doctor should find out the following:

• how the heart hurts - location, nature of the pain, duration;
• what additional symptoms are present;
• conditions for the occurrence of pain in the heart area (when taking medications, after physical activity, after illness, and so on).

To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor prescribes laboratory and instrumental examination methods. The diagnostic program may include the following:

• general blood and urine tests;
• biochemical blood test;
• fluorography of the chest organs;
• Echocardioscopy;
• bicycle ergometry;

Only a doctor can find out why there is pain in the heart area, after receiving the results of the examination and determining the etiology. Based on this, treatment is prescribed.

Treatment

Eliminating radiating, pressing or stabbing pain in the heart area at home or through traditional medicine is impossible. If such a symptom is due to a psychological factor, outpatient treatment is possible. In general, the question of hospitalization of a patient is decided only by a doctor, after making an accurate diagnosis.

In this case, there is no single picture of treatment for the disease. Depending on the pathological process that provoked this symptom, basic therapy is selected. However, it should be noted that regardless of the etiology, the patient needs rest and avoidance of nervous tension.

Prevention

There are no specific preventive measures. In general, it is necessary to monitor your physical and psychological health, undergo a preventive medical examination in a timely manner and not self-medicate.

Heart pain can be of different types. Patients often complain of stabbing pain. As a rule, they are the ones that give people the most trouble. At the same time, experts believe that stabbing pain in the heart area is not always a sign of diseases of coronary origin. On the contrary, such a symptom is not typical for most life-threatening cardiac pathologies. It is most often observed with lesions of the spine and nervous system.

As a rule, when people complain of a sharp stabbing pain in the heart, they mean sensations in the left side of the chest. Many believe that the main organ is on the left. In fact, the heart is located in the middle of the chest, and cardiac pain is usually felt behind the sternum, although it can also radiate to the left half. It often happens that people mistake sharp, stabbing pains, which are not at all dangerous, for... At the same time, they may miss actual heart symptoms or not take them seriously.

The difference between cardiac pain and non-cardiac pain

The following signs may indicate a non-cardiological origin:

1. They are permanent, while an attack of angina pectoris lasts no more than 10-15 minutes.
2. Usually shooting or piercing. As for the heart, they can be pressing, burning, squeezing.
3. Acute stabbing pain occurs with sudden movements, deep breaths, and coughing. Cardiac problems are usually associated with psycho-emotional and physical stress.
4. Painful sensations of non-coronary origin, as a rule, do not radiate to the left arm, neck, shoulder blade, jaw, as can be the case with heart diseases.

Why does it happen?

The reasons for its appearance are varied.

1. One of the most common causes is intercostal neuralgia, which is often mistaken for a heart attack. The disease is characterized by severe pain, stabbing or piercing, which lasts from several minutes to several days.
2. Another common cause is neurotic conditions. In addition, a person may complain of a feeling of a lump in the throat, difficulty breathing, nausea, palpitations, irritability, and stomach pain. The patient usually talks emotionally about his health and considers himself seriously ill. As a rule, this is possible under severe stress, as well as in impressionable people who worry about every occasion and react sharply to any troubles.
3. Stitching pain in the heart area can occur with diseases of the spine. Sometimes with osteochondrosis there are symptoms of heart disease, namely irradiation into the arm and shoulder blade.

Diagnosis of pain in the chest

In some cases, it can be a sign of heart disease:

• Heart attack. A symptom of a heart attack may be pain of this nature. In addition, it radiates to the back, left arm, throat, jaw. The patient experiences nausea and heartburn, cold sweat, and possible loss of consciousness.
• Angina pectoris. In this case, this symptom may appear due to spasms of the coronary vessels and as a result of insufficient blood flow to the pericardium.
• May have such a symptom, which is characterized by thickening of the walls of the left or right ventricle.
• Pericarditis is an inflammatory disease of the outer lining of the heart. Pathogens can be bacteria, viruses, fungi. Pericarditis can be traumatic and allergic; it can develop against the background of malignant tumors and after taking corticosteroid drugs.

Stitching pain in children

You need to pay special attention to the complaints of children. They experience periodic stabbing pain in the heart for other reasons, unlike adults. In this case, the child must be carefully examined. The following pathologies may be detected:

• congenital heart defects;
• pericarditis;
• rheumatic carditis after tonsillitis;
• myocardial dystrophy;
• coronary circulation disorders;
• neurosis.

What to do?

Most often, stabbing pain in the heart, even severe, is in no way related to dangerous heart disease and is not life-threatening. To find out the cause, in any case, you will have to consult a doctor who will prescribe examination and treatment. With such a symptom, a differential diagnosis is required.

An ambulance should be called if there is a suspicion of a heart attack or angina attack.. Once again, it should be said that in these cases such pain rarely occurs. An acute heart attack is characterized by pressing pain in the chest, radiating to the back, left arm, neck, and jaw. In addition, during a heart attack, shortness of breath, heartburn, nausea, and discomfort in the stomach are observed. With angina, the pain is usually burning or aching, but not sharp, but dull.