Chest pain or Angina is a sharp or dull sensation in the chest. It is often accompanied by other symptoms like weakness, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and a sudden feeling of pressure. Angina is sometimes due to underlying illnesses, including heart attacks, high blood pressure (hypertension), or angina. It also has some less serious causes like physical activities and acid reflux. It is best to visit your medical practitioner when you start to experience any form of discomfort around the chest area. Self-diagnosis isn’t advisable because some health conditions have similar signs and symptoms. Prevention is better than cure, so it is best to have the correct diagnosis of what is causing chest pain.
Let’s examine eight common causes of chest pain:
Cardiovascular Illnesses
There is a myriad of heart problems that can cause angina. Heart attacks usually cause severe pain in the right or left side of the chest, lasting for a few minutes or over several hours. This condition is when there is a blockage in blood supply to the heart muscles. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. For some, signs of an impending heart attack may start a few months before the attack, while it may come suddenly in others.
Angina [1] caused by the shortage of oxygen in the blood that flows to the heart muscles. The patient may feel a sudden pressure or squeezing in the chest. Pain caused by this condition may radiate to other body parts, such as the arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, or back. This pain usually lasts only for a short period, between three to fifteen minutes. Angina caused by high blood pressure (hypertension) feels like a burning sensation in the chest. The force of blood hitting against the wall of the arteries may cause pain in the upper body area.