Right & Left Sided Chest Pain: Causes and Relief Options

Chest pain symptoms

Chest pain is tricky, as it could be as serious as a heart attack or as harmless as an episode of heartburn. Your chest is home to your heart, lungs, and esophagus — all protected by your ribs and the muscles between them. A problem in any of these can lead to chest pain. Your immediate thought may be "heart attack," regardless of the amount of spicy food you ate; however, a heart attack is one of the least common causes of chest pain. Most chest pain is due to stomach, lung, or musculoskeletal problems.

Common characteristics of chest pain

If you are experiencing chest pain, the following characteristics are likely.

• Pressure
• Heaviness
• Tightness
• Constriction
• Burning
• Tearing or ripping sensation

Common accompanying symptoms

Chest pain might be accompanied by the following.

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Palpitations
• Feeling like you might faint

Depending on the cause, chest pain may get better with rest and worse with activity. It can also be exacerbated in cold environments or by emotional stress. It might hurt differently when you inhale than when you exhale — this all depends on what's causing the pain, making it important to see a physician immediately if it worsens or persists.

What causes chest pain?

Emergent symptoms

Remember, chest pain can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention, especially if:

• The pain is severe
• You have nausea, are vomiting or sweating
• You have shortness of breath
• You feel unwell or look ill

If you are not experiencing these symptoms, the following details may help you better understand what else could be causing your chest pain.

Cardiovascular causes

Any type of damage to the cells of your heart can cause chest pain.

• A heart attack
• Mitral valve disease: This occurs due to an abnormality in the structure of your heart.
• Dissecting aortic aneurysm or the rupture of your aorta: These are potentially fatal issues of your major blood vessels.
• Infection: Chest pain can also be caused by an infection in or around your heart.

Pulmonary causes

The following conditions can either restrict airflow or cause inflammation, both of which lead to chest pain. If you have chest pain and are short of breath, you need to go to the emergency room and be seen right away.

• Pneumothorax: This is when one of your lungs collapses.
• Tumor: This can restrict breathing.
• Embolism: This is a blood clot in your lung.
• Asthma: This can also inhibit breathing.
• Pneumonia: A type of infection that impacts the lungs.

Gastrointestinal causes

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes a burning sensation in your chest because your esophagus is exposed to the acid from your stomach. Related conditions, such as hiatal hernia and esophagitis, produce a similar sensation. Sometimes this is felt as a sharp pain behind the breastbone and can be associated with regurgitation or other digestive symptoms.

Musculoskeletal causes

The small muscles between your ribs (intercostal muscles) help your chest expand when you take a deep breath. Injury to these muscles, much like tearing any muscle in your body, will produce pain. Like any other bone, broken ribs will cause pain. Usually, this can be determined if you push on the muscles and they are tender or painful.

Psychological causes

Shortness of breath, chest pain, sweating, and numbness in your hands and arms are all classic heart attack symptoms. A case of anxiety (or panic attack) causes symptoms so similar it is often difficult to distinguish between the two. Your doctor can help you through this and help you relax if this is the issue.

Chest pain treatments and relief

Don't mess around with chest pain. If your chest pain is being caused by a life-threatening condition, emergency care may be needed to save your life.

At-home treatments

Not all chest pain is equal. Even when caused by a condition that is not life-threatening, chest pain can still be unsettling and uncomfortable. Conditions such as heartburn or costochondritis (strains or tears in the muscles between your ribs) can be managed at home with over-the-counter medications.

Here are some over the counter treatment that might help:

• Antacids: For chest pain related to heartburn or GERD, antacids can provide quick relief by neutralizing stomach acid. Consider options like Tums or Gaviscon.
• H2 Blockers: Products like Ranitidine work by reducing stomach acid production, beneficial for persistent heartburn symptoms.
• Anti-inflammatory Medication: If your chest pain is muscular or due to costochondritis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can help reduce inflammation and pain

When to see a doctor

It can be hard for you to know whether or not your chest pain is life-threatening. Err on the side of caution. Any new chest pain warrants a trip to the emergency room. However, you can expect to need professional medical care for heart, lung, and other conditions and the proper management of these conditions with follow-up is the best bet for your long-term health.

When it is an emergency

Seek immediate medical care if you have chest pain and:

• Shortness of breath
• Sudden, sharp "ripping" pain
• Palpitations
• Weakness
• Profuse sweating
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• You feel dizzy or faint, or actually lose consciousness
• You are coughing up blood
• Painful swallowing
• Pain radiating to your arm, back or neck
• Swelling in your legs
• Rash, fever, or flu-like symptoms

Prevention

While not all illnesses or injuries that result in chest pain can be prevented, following these recommendations from the American Heart Association can go a long way:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Complete 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week
• Eat a well-balanced diet: Fruits and vegetables, lean meats and other proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains are essential.

FAQs about chest pain

Can stress cause chest pain?

Yes, stress results in an increased heart rate and can strain the heart. This is especially true for people who have cardiovascular disease or clogged arteries. Extreme emotional stress can also a temporary shut-down of the muscle cells in an area of the heart, but rarely. This is called broken heart syndrome or Takotsubo Syndrome.

What causes chest pain?

Chest pain is caused by a variety of things. It can be caused by inflammation or damage to the esophagus, the lungs, the lining of the lungs, the airway, or the heart. The most concerning causes of chest pain include blood clots that have traveled to the lungs, a tear in the esophagus that is prone to profuse bleeding, a heart attack, or a tear in the aorta.

How do I know if chest pains are serious?

Chest pain or pressure at rest or that worsens with exertion is serious. If you have any signs of dizziness, nausea, sweating, numbness or tingling, confusion, or changes in vision, you should also visit an emergency room. Chest pain associated with any change in your senses, breathing, or state of consciousness may be signs of inadequate blood flow and point to serious circulatory problems.

What causes chest pain on the right side?

Chest pain on the right side can be caused by a heart attack just as frequently as chest pain on the left side. Chest pain on the right side of the body may also be due to pneumonia, broken ribs, torn or strained muscles, viral infections, heartburn, or gallbladder, liver, and pancreas issues.

When should you see a doctor for chest pain?

You should see a doctor for chest pain if it is severe, if it is regular, or if it is accompanied by any other symptoms. If you have dizziness, shortness of breath, or severe chest pain, you should visit an emergency room. If there is a known cause and the pain does not recur, then you may not need to see a doctor. If you get heartburn from eating acidic or very spicy food and find relief with antacids, you can rest at home. If chest pain occurs without eating problematic foods or is caused by increased activity, you should seek treatment.