Where does the heart hurt? | When chest pain means heart problems

Often, after physical, emotional stress, people say the following phrase: “Oh, something in my heart stung.”

Let's figure out why and where the heart hurts, and what are the reasons for it.

Chest pain can be for various reasons. Most of them are harmless, but there is pain that can be a harbinger of disaster - angina. It occurs due to insufficient blood supply (and therefore oxygen supply) to the heart muscle - the myocardium. This is a manifestation of ischemic heart disease.

What is angina? And where does the heart hurt?

Angina is characterized more as discomfort behind the sternum than pain. Patients themselves describe it as pressure, burning, squeezing, “a stone in the chest.” It can often give to the left arm, shoulder blade, neck, lower jaw. In patients with myocardial ischemia, the equivalent of retrosternal discomfort is almost always present and, as a rule, is similar in nature to previous episodes of angina.

Angina does not change with breathing and body position, is not provoked and does not increase when pressing on the chest.

Another sign of angina is pain without precise localization, and often, in order to explain to the doctor where it hurts, patients press their fist to the middle of the sternum. Neurological pain, on the contrary, is more often characterized by pain in one specific point, increasing with pressure, breathing.

An attack of angina is stopped by nitroglycerin, and usually passes after 3-5 minutes. If the pain persists even after taking the drug, its intensity and duration have increased significantly - this is a reason to immediately call an ambulance, because there is a risk of developing a serious complication - myocardial infarction.

What should be done?

To prevent this, patients with existing coronary artery disease should constantly consult a cardiologist, monitor blood pressure, follow a healthy lifestyle and receive optimal drug therapy.

In any case, worsening of well-being, pain in the heart area, its irradiation to other parts of the body are a reason to contact a cardiologist and consult with him.

Take care of yourself and your heart.