Squeezing chest pain is a subjective symptom that may alarm the patient of serious organic disease of heart or lungs. When squeezing, or crushing pain in the chest lasts for more than few minutes, or if the pain radiates to the arm, back, or towards the jaws, a person should immediately seek emergency medical help.
Chest pain, however slight it may be, can be frightening for the patient. Many times it is a challenging task for the doctor to detect the exact cause of chest pain. It is only after some tests such as ECG (electrocardiogram) and X-ray; the doctor may be able to tell the exact reason.
Squeezing chest pain can originate from any organ situated in the chest. It can be from the heart, lungs, ribs, muscles, skin or food pipe (esophagus). It can also be a referred pain from organs adjacent to the chest, for example referred pain from stomach.
Causes and Symptoms Of Squeezing Pain In The Chest
There are several diseases which can give rise to chest pain, let us know some of the potential causes of squeezing chest pain. This discussion may be helpful for anyone who may experience chest pain or someone known to him.
- Angina: The most common cause for squeezing chest pain in elderly individual is angina. It occurs due to reduced blood flow in the heart muscles. Coronary artery blockage is the reason for reducing the blood flow in the heart muscles. The characteristic pain is often felt behind the sternum (breast bone) or across the chest. It is often described as being squeezing or constricting in character. Angina pain is aggravated by any type of exertion; it forces the patient to stop doing that activity. Pain is often felt after meals, in cold weather. It also occurs at night during the REM sleep. The pain may be precipitated by emotions. The pain vanishes after few minutes of rest. Patient suffering from high blood pressure, high level of cholesterol in the blood, diabetes, is susceptible for angina pain.
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack): In myocardial infarction certain portion of heart muscle becomes dead due to lack of blood supply to that area. This gives rise to pain in the chest. The pain of acute MI is similar to the pain of Angina in its location, distribution, and character. However, following are the differences such as; the pain of heart attack is not related to stress or exertion. It may also occur while person is resting. The pain remains for long time and it is constant. Pain is not relieved by nitroglycerine (medicine which dilates the coronary vessels). There is profuse sweating, breathlessness, low blood pressure, and cyanosis (nails, tongue, and lips turn blue).
- Pericarditis: Pericardium is a sac like membrane that covers the heart. Inflammation of pericardium is known as pericarditis. There are three distinct type of pains felt in pericarditis. The first is below the sternum or the breast bone. It is squeezing and knife like pain radiating to the left arm, back, neck which mimics like angina pain. The pain is aggravated by specific movement such as turning over in the bed. Pain is relived by sitting or leaning forward. In the second variety, the squeezing chest pain increases with coughing, laughing, deep breathing. The third variety is rare, it occurs along the left border of the heart beat.
- Dissecting aneurism of aorta: Aorta is a large blood vessel arising from the heart. It carries pure blood to different parts of the body. Sometime, high blood pressure can weaken the walls of aorta. It may further lead to a tear in the vessel wall. Blood collects between the layers of vessel wall. The chest pain is sudden, sharp and squeezing, occurring below the breast bone. The pain radiates to the neck, back, and upper abdomen. Aortic dissection can occur at any age.
The above reasons are most common reasons for squeezing pain in the chest. However, there may be many other diseases having symptoms of squeezing chest pain. It is always better to consult a doctor whenever you experience chest pain, because failure in doing so may delay the much needed treatment.
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