Are you suffering from chest and back pain lately? Have you ever thought that these two medical conditions are interrelated?
Chest pain does scare a lot of people because it could mean a signal for a heart attack. For the first time that a chest pain is felt, it is more likely to be ignored. But the frequency and the severity of the chest pain will make you worry leading to ask for a medical advice at the soonest possible time. A chest pain should never be taken for granted because there may be cases that the chest pain may not be severe, but there are instances that the chest pain may threaten your life. The patient experiencing chest pain feels the pressure, tightness or discomfort within the front of the body just between the neck and the upper abdominal area.
Several possible causes have been identified for having a chest pain. It has been categorized as cardiac and the non-cardiac causes. The most popular among the cardiac causes is Angina Pectoris or Angina which is actually a type of heart-related chest pain. This usually occurs due to a stressful activity, and the pain goes away a few minutes after the activity has been stopped. Physical and emotional stress is also related for causing a person to experience Angina.
A heart attack is another cardiac cause which is defined as a crushing pain in the chest. The reason behind this is a blood clot that impedes the normal flow of blood to the heart muscle. The body part affected if heart attack occurs is not only the chest. Back pain is also experienced along with the neck, shoulders, arms and the jaw. This type of pain is commonly termed as a radiating pain.
The non-cardiac causes would include pulmonary conditions such as Asthma with wheezing, persistent cough and shortness of breath as manifestations. Normally, a person with Asthma will feel a pain in the chest. Back pain for patients with Asthma can also be possibly felt due to exhaustion from coughing.
Pulmonary embolism which is a blood clot to the arteries of the lungs which blocks the flow of blood to the lung tissues is another example of a chest pain cause. Pneumonia, Pneumothorax and Pleurisy are all other lung conditions that can relate to the difficulty of experiencing chest pain.
Fibromyalgia which is a typical example of a chronic pain syndrome can also be related to pain in the chest. Back pain is oftentimes felt if Fibromyalgia is the definitive diagnosis of a patient. This is a chronic medical condition wherein pain is spread throughout the muscles, tendons and ligaments. Fibromyalgia is known to be more common in women than in men.
The pain that originates from the spine can be related to chest pain. A person's sensation of the muscles in the chest wall is supplied by the nerves coming from the spine. Therefore, the pain that is greatly associated within the chest will possibly be radiated to the back.
Chest pain has been known to be one of the most common causes why people are brought to the emergency room. Although the fear of having a chest pain is often related to life-threatening conditions, there are certain instances that they aren't. But whatever may be the underlying cause of the pain, immediate medical attention is needed to take the most appropriate actions.