Stabbing Chest Pain

Stabbing chest pain is certainly frightening when it occurs. sharp stabbing chest pain can be caused by something quite serious or be from something as innocuous as gas.

However, knowing all the symptoms that surround the pain helps to make a better diagnosis. Unless you immediately find the cause is innocent, it's always best to investigate chest pain with the help of your doctor.

Causes

Chest stabbing pain that radiates to other areas of the body is an indication of a coronary event. If you are a menstruating woman with stabbing chest pain, the likelihood of a coronary is minimal. That's because estrogen helps protect you from a coronary event.

Other problems that cause stabbing chest pain include Texidor's Twinge, known as Pericardial catch syndrome, PCS, growing pains or a side stitch. Normally this syndrome occurs in younger people and children. The pain doesn't radiate like cardiac pain but remains localized. Even though it increases with deep breathing, it often is a way to resolve the symptoms. The theory behind the pain is that it originates in the lung's parietal pleura. This sharp chest pain resolves itself and is not dangerous.

Fibromyalgia causes chest pain also. The name of the condition is costochondritis and it comes from inflammation of the cartilage joining the chest bone to the ribs. Even though the condition is quite scary, it seldom has lasting complications.

Pulled muscles, inflammation in the chest, dislocated neck and back vertebrae or ribs, hiatal hernia, gas and other innocuous causes of chest pain vary in the degree and location. In combination with other symptoms, you can sort out those that require additional medication or immediate treatment.

Treatment for stabbing pain in chest

Treatment for chest pain varies according to the cause of the chest pain. Patients with PCS require no treatment for their pain and eventually the symptoms dissipate and go away. Doctors must locate the cause of other types of chest pain and treat that underlying cause.

Simple symptoms of chest pain disappear if it comes from gas. Those coming from cervical arthritis or neurological problems, diseases of the muscles, chest wall or shoulder, are often more severe when you participate in specific actions such as lifting or even breathing heavier. While these types of symptoms aren't necessarily reasons for immediate alarm, if accompanied by a fever require an immediate visit to the doctor.

Chest pain that occurs after eating can be signs of an ulcer, gall bladder disease or acid reflux. Note whether you recently ate, the foods you ate and any other symptoms when the pain occurred. Acid reflux tends to occur once the patient lies down, as well as after meals. Both diet change and exercise is often the first line of attack for this type of pain.

While there are many different causes of chest pain, there are certain symptoms you shouldn't ignore. These include chest pain that travel to the left arm or jaw.

Chest pain that brings a heavy feeling to the chest or one where you have a cough or fever with it requires immediate attention. Chest pain accompanied by blue or pale lips and/or fingernail or accompanied by irregular or pounding heartbeat, difficulty breathing, anxiety or one that doesn't subside after 24 hours of ibuprofen doses requires a doctor's attention.

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