Duration
The burning sensation in the context of angina pectoris, which is caused by a temporary narrowing of the coronary vessels, is usually a short-term event lasting for a few minutes. The burning sensation is caused by the reduced supply to the heart muscle, which is otherwise supplied by the constricted vessel. By using nitrates, either as a spray or capsules, patients can usually reduce the discomfort.
In the case of a heart attack, however, the vessel is completely blocked. The burning sensation and pain occur during an acute event and do not normally subside spontaneously. Patients have acutely severe pain, which is still present when the doctor arrives and must be treated with painkillers.
If the patient has pneumonia, the burning sensation will last for a long time and it will change with the general symptomatology of the pneumonia. In the case of a pneumothorax (rupture of the lung skin), the burning or pain and shortness of breath is an acute event that persists until medical treatment. In the case of heartburn, the burning sensation is usually not permanent, but occurs mainly after eating or even when lying down, when the gastric juice can more easily enter the esophagus.
Burning in the chest left or right
A burning sensation on the left side of the chest indicates involvement of the heart or esophagus. But the left lung can also be affected. Basically, one has to distinguish whether the burning sensation occurred suddenly or has been present for several days/weeks.
In the case of an acute event, a distinction must also be made as to the situation in which the burning sensation occurred. The classic symptom of a burning sensation in the left thorax (see: chest pain on the left) is a so-called “angina pectoris”, i.e. a “chest tightness”. The burning sensation is partially over the left ribcage, but often extends over the sternum to the right side of the ribcage.
More rarely, the pain radiates into the left or right arm. In the case of angina pectoris, there is a short-term reduction in blood flow to the coronary arteries. The trigger can be mental stress, but also severe physical strain.
Depending on its severity, angina pectoris can also occur without any prior physical exertion. Angina pectoris is not yet dangerous; the burning sensation disappears after seconds to minutes. However, angina pectoris is a typical precursor of a heart attack and should therefore be clarified by a doctor.
Some patients know the small red pump sprays containing nitroglycerine. In the case of a tight chest, the burning sensation and the feeling of tightness disappear within a few seconds when the pump spray is applied – it is then most likely an angina pectoris and not a heart attack. Another cause of burning sensation in the left and/or right thorax can be damage to the lungs.
This can occur, for example, in the course of an embolism, also known in this context as “pulmonary embolism“. A pulmonary embolism is a clot of blood vessels that displaces a more or less large vessel in the lung and thus cuts off the blood supply to the corresponding segment of the lung. This is problematic not only because the affected segment can no longer participate in the oxygenation of the blood – the body thus loses oxygen-rich blood.
Depending on its location in the thorax, pulmonary embolism can also cause pain, burning and shortness of breath. The larger the embolus is, the earlier it attaches itself to the vascular system of the lung and the more lung tissue is deprived of oxygenation of the blood. In addition, a vascular occlusion in the lung increases the pressure that the heart has to counteract when it ejects blood.
As a result, the heart has to permanently fight against increased resistance, which results in structural changes to the heart in chronic pulmonary embolism. This is known as right heart failure. A severe localization of the burn to the right or left thorax tends to be rather unusual for damage to the heart or lungs. In most cases, the burning cannot be limited to a certain section and extends over the entire thorax.
