Chest and breast pain can have various causes, including hormonal changes, pulmonary or cardiac issues, musculoskeletal strain, and gender-specific conditions. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, burning sensations, and tenderness. Cardiac chest pain is the most dangerous and life-threatening, while somatic pain is diagnosed in 8-10% of cases.
Pain in the chest and breasts may be the body’s way of warning itself of possible injury to the structure of the chest. The causes vary from hormonal changes to pulmonary or cardiac cases. There are two types of chest pain: somatic and visceral. Somatic pain can come from the skin or from muscles and bones and is often described as a sharp, stabbing sensation. Visceral pain originates in the organs and linings of the cavities.
A person with chest and sinus pain might experience several symptoms to varying degrees. These include shortness of breath, a burning sensation behind the breastbone, and pain radiating to the arms, shoulders, and neck. Other symptoms include dizziness, profuse sweating, and difficulty swallowing. There is also a feeling of tenderness on the chest when touched.
Musculoskeletal pain in the chest and breasts is usually the result of muscle strain from strenuous activity such as exercise and sports or direct physical impact. Another possible cause of this symptom is slipped rib syndrome, which is the result of increased mobility in the eighth and tenth ribs. These ribs, unlike the other seven pairs, are not attached to the breastbone. Somatic chest pain is diagnosed in 8-10% of cases.
Pulmonary chest pain is pain that originates in the lungs. The most common sources are chronic cough, pneumonia and asthma. In rare cases, serious medical conditions such as pleurodynia, pneumothorax, or pulmonary embolism can cause severe chest pain. Patients with sickle cell disease can experience acute chest syndrome, a potentially fatal vaso-occlusive condition.
In women, hormonal change is the most common cause of chest and breast pain. It could be due to puberty, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), or menstruation. Other gender-specific conditions that contribute to chest pain include pregnancy, menopause, and fibrocystic breast disease. There are also some medications that contribute to pain such as diuretics, spironolactone and methyldopa. Other causes include sinus infections, shingles, and liver damage from alcoholism.
Cardiac chest pain is considered the most dangerous and life-threatening of all chest pains, the most common form of which is angina. This is when the inner walls of the arteries are blocked due to plaque or cholesterol buildup. Prinzmetal’s angina is a type of angina that temporarily restricts blood flow to the heart, causing heart spasms. This usually occurs when the body is at rest and could be related to coronary heart disease. People suffering from prolonged cramps or heaviness in the chest are advised to consult their doctors.
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