Heartache - what to do?

If your heart aches, you are disturbed (even only occasionally!) by sharp or aching pains in the region of the heart, these symptoms should not be ignored, but you should consult a doctor as soon as possible for professional medical help.

Self-diagnosis and self-treatment in this case can be extremely dangerous, it is impossible to independently determine why such phenomena occur. And the slightest delay can lead to fatal consequences.

Even more dangerous can be the uncontrolled use of medications that friends, relatives or advertising recommend for pain in the heart area. It must be understood that the causes of this phenomenon can be very different (high blood pressure or, on the contrary, too low, neuralgia of various etiologies, or the initial stage of myocardial infarction).

The most common causes of nagging pain

Pain in the heart always causes anxiety and alerts - what kind of disease are these manifestations and what to do? If your heart aches, you should not ignore this symptom, but you should contact a cardiologist as soon as possible.

If there is pain in the region of the heart, then most often the reasons for this lie in the following.

Intercostal neuralgia

The reasons can be very different - hypothermia, excessive exercise, osteochondrosis, injuries, infections caused by viruses or bacteria. Scoliosis is another reason why acute or aching pain in the heart area may occur.

Symptoms of intercostal neuralgia:

• frequent and constant aching pain in the region of the heart and sternum;
• increased pain when inhaling or bending over;
• an increase in body temperature, if the infringement of the nerves is accompanied by an inflammatory process.

For diagnosis, an ultrasound examination is performed, an electrocardiogram and a biochemical blood test are made.

After an accurate diagnosis and determination of the cause of neuralgia, the most appropriate treatment methods are selected:

1. Massage and manual therapy.
2. Antibiotic therapy.
3. Use of local anesthetic ointments.

With severe pain, analgesics are prescribed, as auxiliary folk remedies can be considered and allowed.

angina pectoris

Because of this, tissues do not receive enough oxygen and lose their functions. Angina pectoris can develop due to age-related changes in the body - the walls of blood vessels lose their elasticity, thicken, therefore blood flow is disturbed.

Another cause of angina pectoris is addiction to alcohol and smoking. According to statistics, 75% of cigarette and alcohol lovers complain of nagging pain in the heart, even before reaching the age of 40.

Symptoms of angina pectoris, accompanied by pain in the heart:

• frequent dizziness;
• discomfort in the chest area, aggravated when a person assumes a horizontal position;
• nausea, in severe cases ending in vomiting.

With angina pectoris, nagging pains in the region of the heart occur paroxysmal and last no more than 20-30 minutes. Then comes the endowment until the next attack. For diagnosis, standard studies of the functioning of the cardiovascular system are used, after which drugs are prescribed that promote vasodilation and stimulate blood flow.

Often, with repeated attacks of angina pectoris, the patient has to be hospitalized, since such a pathology threatens the development of myocardial infarction, which can only be avoided under constant medical supervision.

In an acute attack of angina pectoris, you need to do the following before the ambulance arrives:

1. Provide the victim with fresh air.
2. If necessary, open the collar, belt, etc.
3. Help the patient to take a semi-horizontal position.

It can quickly bring to life the intake of nitroglycerin-containing drugs, but in order to avoid incorrect dosage and complications associated with a strong and rapid drop in blood pressure or its jumps, it is not recommended to take any medications on your own before the doctors arrive.

Acquired heart defects

The human body is a well-coordinated mechanism, an important part of which is the heart.

With congenital heart defects, patients constantly experience pain and discomfort, they simply do not know how it can be otherwise.

But if the defect is acquired, then suddenly a person begins to be disturbed by a nagging pain in the chest, to which the following symptoms are added:

• dyspnea;
• swelling of the lower extremities;
• dizziness;
• nausea;
• loss of consciousness.

Today, almost all acquired heart defects are treated, regardless of age, by surgical intervention. The operation was carried out competently, adherence to a healthy lifestyle after that allows a person to lead a full-fledged active life in old age.

myocardial infarction

The reasons may be atherosclerosis, embolism and some diseases that develop with age-related changes, or it is a consequence of the patient's wrong lifestyle.

Symptoms of myocardial infarction:

• feeling of heaviness and tightness in the chest;
• nagging pain and burning in the chest;
• intense sweating;
• pallor of the skin;
• dyspnea.

With such signs, the patient needs urgent medical care, you can not hesitate:

1. Usually, a surgical operation is performed to remove necrotic tissue - stenting. If the patient's condition is critical, then stenting is performed on an emergency basis, but if the condition is relatively stable, the operation is scheduled.
2. After that, you will need another surgical intervention - coronary artery bypass grafting.

In the future, the patient should regularly take heart medications to maintain the functioning of the organ and prevent recurrent acute myocardial infarction, completely abandon bad habits, avoid stress and regularly undergo preventive examinations.

A pinching pain in the heart is not a disease as such, but only a symptom of it. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate not only uncomfortable sensations, but also their cause.

In all cases, only a doctor can determine what to do if the heart aches, since medications of various mechanisms of action are used for treatment, which have various indications and contraindications. It is important to accurately determine the localization and nature of pain in the region of the heart, this will help to establish the true causes of their occurrence and, as soon as possible, select adequate methods of treatment.