Abdominal organs

Due to the local proximity of the upper abdominal organs to the thorax, it can happen that pain that is caused in the abdomen is displayed in the chest. Here too, inflammatory processes are an important aspect. Gastritis, the inflammation of the stomach lining, is not a serious disease.

It has already occurred in many people without their knowledge, even if only in a mild form. In addition to nausea and vomiting, it can cause pain in the upper abdomen and chest. Pancreatitis, the inflammation of the pancreas, on the other hand, is a serious disease, which is usually caused by years of damage to the body.

Chronic alcohol abuse (alcohol abuse) can lead to extremely painful pancreatitis, which should always be treated as an in-patient. Patients with a stomach ulcer or an ulcer (ulcer) in the duodenum also occasionally report chest pain. A blockage of the bile duct can lead to pulsating cramps of the same kind and cause extreme pain in the abdomen.

As with gastritis, there is the possibility that the pain is projected into the thorax, as the gallbladder and the bile duct are also close to the thorax. In the case of cancer of the stomach, pain in the upper abdomen is reported, not chest pain. Nevertheless, it is not excluded.

Female breast (mamma)

The chest pain described so far is clearly distinguishable from the pain of the mamma. While the former are felt more in the rib cage, the female breast lies on top of it. The pain can be localized more precisely and the identification of the problem is easier than a diffuse thoracic pain of unknown origin.

Since almost any tissue can become inflamed, the mamma is not spared. A distinction is made between mastitis puerperalis and non-puerperalis. The difference is the timing of the disease: while the puerperal form occurs after birth as a postpartum disease, the non-puerperal form is not related to pregnancy or birth.

Hormonal dysfunctions of various kinds, in which too much oestrogen is released, can trigger a so-called mastopathy. This leads to changes in the mammary gland tissue and, as a result, to hardening and breast pain (mastodynia) in the classic manner. Mastodynia can also occur without any further illness, depending on the cycle.

The probability of this increases if there is an imbalance of the various female hormones. If there is talk of mastalgia, the pain of the mamma is also described, but independently of the female cycle. The most common malignant tumour occurring in women is breast cancer.

It accounts for almost 30% of all cancers in Germany each year and is the most common cause of death in women between 35 and 55 years of age in industrialised countries. Breast pain can occur in the context of breast cancer, but is rather rare. Nevertheless, a doctor should clarify and rule out a malignant cause of newly occurring pain.