Dull pain on the left side of the chest

The chest contains many organs and blood vessels, including the sternum, thymus, heart, aorta, etc. Pain in the upper left chest may be caused by heart problems or pleural problems caused by tuberculosis. But no matter which one it is, long-term chest pain cannot be ignored. Many cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are causes of chest pain. Since the left chest is related to the position of the heart, if the pain does not disappear, it is recommended to take an X-ray examination.

What to do if you have dull pain above the left chest

First: If the chest pain worsens when you take a deep breath or cough, it means the problem is with the pleura, which is more common in patients with tuberculosis or lung tumors. Patients with pleuritic pain may press their hands on one side of the chest wall, avoid deep breathing, or suppress coughing. Over time, chest pain may move from one location to another. Timely treatment is required.

Second: Some young people suddenly experienced chest pain when lifting heavy objects. X-ray examination revealed "pneumothorax". The typical manifestations were sudden chest pain, accompanied by chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing, and sometimes shortness of breath, feeling of suffocation, irritability, cyanosis, sweating, shock, etc. So chest pain is not necessarily a problem exclusive to the elderly.

Third: Pay attention to the location of chest pain. Pain behind the sternum is common in angina pectoris. Left anterior chest pain can also be angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or left-sided pneumonia. Chest pain radiating to the left shoulder is often angina pectoris. The chest pain caused by neuritis is paroxysmal and stabbing. Sometimes esophagitis causes burning pain. Tearing pain is common in dissecting aneurysms.

Common causes of chest pain include the following:

1. Chest wall disease

Acute dermatitis, subcutaneous cellulitis, herpes zoster, epidemic chest pain, myositis, non-suppurative costochondritis, intercostal neuritis, rib fracture, acute leukemia, multiple myeloma, etc.

2. Cardiovascular disease

Angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, acute pericarditis, mitral valve or aortic valve disease, aortic aneurysm, rupture of aortic sinus aneurysm, dissecting aneurysm, pulmonary infarction: pulmonary hypertension and cardiac neurosis, etc.

3. Respiratory diseases

Pleurisy, pleural tumors, spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumonia, acute tracheobronchitis, lung cancer, etc.

4. Mediastinal disease

Mediastinitis, mediastinal abscess, mediastinal tumor, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, esophageal cancer, etc.

5. Others

Subphrenic abscess, liver abscess, splenic infarction, etc.

Precautions

There are many reasons for left chest pain. It does not necessarily mean that it is a heart disease. It may be due to insufficient blood supply in the body for some reason, which may also cause chest pain. It will be fine if you relieve it.