Introduction
Chest pain can occur on both the left and right side and can indicate different diseases depending on its location. They are also known as thoracic pain in medical terminology. The thorax (chest) is located between the spine, ribs and sternum.
Pain that occurs in this area is considered to be chest pain. The female breast can also cause pain, which also falls under this term. For further information, please contact us.
Causes
The cause of left-sided chest pain can be harmless, but it can also be caused by serious diseases. The pain can originate from the organs in the chest. These include the heart, lungs, esophagus and the initial part of the stomach.
The main artery, the aorta, also runs through the chest and can cause pain. Even after or during a cold, there are numerous reasons for pain in the left chest region. While it is more likely that chest pain originates in the lungs or bronchial tubes during the course of a cold, chest pain caused by a cold often makes one think of so-called myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.
If the cold is accompanied by a severe cough, it can either cause a kind of muscle soreness of the diaphragm or an inflammation of the pleura. Myocarditis can occur in the course of the cold, especially in young, athletically active people who do not take sufficient physical care even during the cold. It also causes mainly left-sided chest pain.
Chest pains due to tension are usually the result of poor posture; mostly bulging sitting due to working at the computer or similar. The chest muscles are then shortened if this position is not actively counteracted. However, back pain is far more common than chest pain in connection with physical posture.
Both problems can be remedied by stretching the shortened muscles and other special physiotherapeutic exercises. If left-sided chest pain occurs only or more frequently after sport, a doctor should be consulted. This is a typical sign of progressive calcification of the coronary arteries (coronary heart disease).
This can lead to an angina pectoris attack or even a heart attack. As more blood is needed in the body and thus also in the heart during sports due to the high oxygen demand, the lack of oxygen due to the narrowed vessels is mainly noticeable during sports at the beginning. Chest pain can also be caused by the stomach and the oesophagus.
In this case they are often closely related to eating. In most cases, chest pains that occur after eating are harmless and are due to eating foods that are too fatty. Heartburn can also be perceived as chest pain and is due to the diet.
An inflammation of the oesophagus can be triggered by the so-called reflux, in which the stomach acid rises in the oesophagus. But a contusion of the ribs or a broken rib on the left side can also lead to left-sided chest pain. In addition, muscle tension (see: Chest pain caused by tension) or sore muscles of the intercostal muscles can also lead to such pain.
Other possible causes are heartburn, diaphragmatic hernias or shingles. But psychological causes can also lead to chest pain. Stress or anxiety can lead to a feeling of tightness in the chest, which is often perceived as pain. Furthermore, chest pain can be radiating pain from other regions, which can be caused by diseases of the gallbladder or pancreas (see: Symptoms of a pancreatic disease). Blockages in the cervical or thoracic spine can also radiate into the chest.
All articles in this series:
