Chest Pain on Left Side

Any chest pain on the left side can be alarming for almost everyone due to the fact that everyone immediately suspects heart problems with any chest pain. This is a normal reaction but it is not always correct. While the heart is in the left side of the chest, the nerves connected to the heart are in the center of the chest.

To put your mind at rest, if an individual is having a heart attack, he/she will probably have different symptoms than pain in the left side of the chest. The pain is not only in a different place – center of chest – but it feels more like a squeezing, heavy feeling instead of a sharp pain. Most of the time heart attacks feel like indigestion with other side effects also involved, such as breathlessness, sweat or even vomiting. The pain might also travel to the neck, jaw, arms, back or stomach. If these are your symptoms get medical assistance as quickly as possible.

Chest Pain Left Side in Women

Chest pains on the left side in women could be caused by things in the heart for instance vasospasm, blood pressure that is too high, as well as problems with the heart that need immediate attention. But things outside the heart can also cause these pains for example pneumonia, gastric reflex disease, asthma as well as musculoskeletal problems. Women could have pain in the breast for instance, breast pain several days before a period starts. Even things that are outside the chest for instance anxiety can cause chest symptoms. But it is important to work with a physician to come up with a reason for this discomfort

Chest Pain Left Side in Men

For men typical pain of the heart does occur in the middle to left side of the chest and can even spread to the left shoulder, the jaw, the left arm, the back or the stomach. Other associated symptoms include shortness of breath, increasing sweating, nausea as well as vomiting. Basically symptoms of heart problems can vary considerably from person to person.

Chest Pain Left Side Causes

There are a large number of problems other than coronary artery disease that cause chest pain in the left side of the chest. The source might be from other structures as well as organs in the chest, the wall of the chest itself, the spinal column or the abdomen. There are even some diseases that will indirectly contribute to coronary artery disease, which has been in silent mode for many years to become symptomatic. Treatment needs to be directed at the correct cause rather than assuming for coronary disease is causing the pain. The following is a list of some of the most common reasons for chest pain.

• Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common cause of pains in the chest for both women and men and is listed first due to the fact that it is the most common reason for chest pain.
• GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease is a very common cause of chest pain due to the failure of the sphincter at the lower end of the esophagus to close correctly. Because of this there is often regurgitation of gastric acid from the stomach into the lower esophagus and producing inflammation of the lining as well as producing spasms.
• Hiatal hernia or diaphragmatic hernia which is an abnormally large opening in the diaphragm and causes pain especially after eating a heavy meal.
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism – this is a blood clot in the lungs
• Mediasatinal emphysema refers to presence of air in the chest cavity that contains the heart and puts pressure on the heart
• Pulmonary Hypertension – rare cause of chest pains- pressure in the pulmonary arteries
• Aortic Valve Disease
• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Pericarditis – inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart
• Dissecting aneurysm of the aorta – enlargement and separation of the wall of the aorta
• Cervical Disk
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• Tenderness of the muscles of the chest wall
• Hyperventilation Syndrome – this is cause by hyperventilation as a result of anxiety or fear – also known as panic attacks
• Primary muscle pain – examples are fibrositis, fibromyalgia, myalgia and neuralgia
• Cancer
• Perforation of a peptic ulcer
• Pancreatitis is acute inflammation of the pancreas
• Gallbladder disease – in acute stages of gallbladder attack, pain develops in the lower chest
• Abnormal fluid retention
• Prostatitis
• Anemia
• Thyroid disease
• Cigarette smoking

Chest Pain Left Side Treatment

Treatment for chest pain is dependent on the cause. Often, situations require the evaluation, diagnosis as well as treatment to occur at the same time but when there is the opportunity and the time, the following sequence should be followed:

• History
• Physical Examination
• Testing
• Diagnosis
• Treatment

Untreated or poor control of chest pain can cause a variety of complications depending on the underlying disorder, disease or condition. Any kind of pain in the chest, whether occurring alone or accompanied with other symptoms, needs to be evaluated by a primary care physician. Once the cause is established, the individual and their physician will map out a treatment plan specifically develop for that individual. This minimizes the risk of serious or life-threatening complications which can include:

• Cardiac arrest
• Cardiac arrhythmias – abnormal heart rhythm
• High carbon dioxide levels and acidosis
• Low oxygen levels
• Respiratory arrest and respiratory failure
• Sepsis
• Shock