Definition- What is a breast prick?
Stinging in the chest refers to pain in the area of the ribcage that feels “stinging”. Affected patients more often compare a stabbing in the chest with the feeling of needlesticks or the tip of a knife. A chest prick can always occur in the same place or in different places. It can affect only the left, only the right or both halves of the chest. A chest prick can occur occasionally or frequently and can be caused by both harmless and serious diseases.
These are the causes for a prick in the chest
There are many different organs in the thorax, all of which can cause a prick in the chest.
- Heart: The heart attack and angina pectoris (chest tightness) are caused by narrowed coronary vessels. Other heart diseases such as valve defects, cardiac arrhythmia or pericarditis can also cause stinging in the brood.
- Vessels: The aorta, the main artery of the human body, can tear if patients have an aneurysm (bulge) here.
Aortic dissection, i.e. the splitting of the wall layers of the aorta, is life-threatening.
- High blood pressure: In a hypertension crisis, the blood supply to the heart is reduced, which is why a stabbing in the chest can occur.
- Lung: If a blood vessel in the lung becomes blocked, this is called pulmonary embolism. If a lung collapses, doctors speak of a pneumothorax. Both diseases can cause a prick in the chest.
More harmless diseases of the lung with stings in the chest are pleurisy and Bornholm disease (nerve irritation caused by infection with the Coxsackie B virus).
- Esophagus: The most common cause of a stinging in the chest is probably heartburn. Other diseases are movement and swallowing disorders of the esophagus, tears in the mucous membrane or a tear in the esophagus due to strong vomiting (Boerhaave syndrome).
- Locomotor system: The thorax is surrounded by the spine and ribs. For example, a broken rib or an irritated intercostal nerve can cause a stabbing in the chest.
- Abdominal organs: It is possible that pricking in the chest is triggered by diseases of the abdominal organs, e.g. inflammation of the pancreas or gall bladder, and Roemheld syndrome (a very bloated stomach causes symptoms similar to heart attacks).
Most people probably think of a heart attack when they experience stabbing chest pain.
In many cases, the pain of a heart attack is also burning or oppressive. Typical accompanying symptoms are the radiation of the pain into the left arm and/or chin, as well as shortness of breath and fear of death. Nausea, vomiting and pain in the upper abdomen are also possible.
The heart attack is caused by the occlusion of a coronary vessel, e.g. in the context of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). In most cases, pulmonary embolism involves a venous blood clot being carried from the deep veins of the leg via the blood stream into a pulmonary artery. The embolus then becomes stuck and blocks the affected pulmonary artery.
The blood accumulates back to the heart and the heart beats faster. Accelerated respiration and/or shortness of breath are possible because the pulmonary embolism means that less blood in the lungs can be oxygenated. Chest pain occurs in only about 70% of cases.
A stabbing in the chest does not necessarily have to have physical causes, but can also be caused by stress, for example. “Stress” here means professional overtaxing, grief, ongoing disputes in the partnership or in the family or the reaction to other stressful events and situations. The body reacts to such things with increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for attention, escape and fight reactions.
This accelerates the heart rate, and the additional feelings of fear and overstrain can trigger a feeling of pressure or stabbing in the chest. It is important not to dismiss a stabbing in the chest as null and void with the words “I have too much stress” but to clarify possible physical causes. If no physical cause can be found in these examinations, it is equally important to accept that the body reacts in this way to excessive demands and to seek help to reduce the stress or to improve the way it deals with it.When smoking, the poisonous substance nicotine is inhaled, and through the pulmonary alveoli it migrates directly into the blood.
Nicotine activates the autonomic nervous system in different ways. For example, nicotine leads to an increased heart rate and to a narrowing of the blood vessels, which causes blood pressure to rise. In addition, nicotine activates pressure and pain receptors, which is why pain is perceived more clearly.
The increased blood pressure, the narrowing of the blood vessels of the heart and lungs can be felt as a prick in the chest. Some smokers report that this stinging occurs in connection with smoking and lasts only a few minutes. Many people suffer from too little exercise and too long sitting.
Especially people who spend a lot of time working on the computer suffer from tension in the back and shoulder muscles and postural damage, e.g. to the spine, due to sitting in the wrong position for long periods of time. These tensions can cause stabbing pains in the chest and often occur at rest. Therefore, you should ensure a straight posture when sitting: Hanging shoulders and a rounded back are taboo.
Headaches cannot be the cause of stabbing pains in the chest. However, if they occur as an accompanying symptom, i.e. at the same time as a stabbing in the chest, this can be an indication of heart disease or high blood pressure. If headaches and stabbing pains in the chest occur more frequently and/or for several minutes, the symptoms should be clarified by a doctor.
Earache and chest pain typically do not occur together. High blood pressure can cause a prick in the chest, but is more likely to cause ringing in the ear, such as ringing in the ears. Tension in the spine may radiate to the area behind the ears and cause a prick in the chest.
It is also conceivable that after an infection of the upper respiratory tract, both ear and pneumonia may occur. This could cause earache and chest pain at the same time. It is more likely, however, that the earache has nothing to do with the stabbing in the chest.
Pneumonia can also cause stabbing pain in the chest, typically on the side that is also affected by the inflammation. The stinging occurs more frequently when inhaling and can radiate into the upper abdomen. Other symptoms of pneumonia include high fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath and discolored cough secretion.
In heartburn, acid stomach contents reflux into the esophagus. Here the acid gastric juice then causes pain. Typically, affected patients describe a burning sensation behind the heart, but it is also possible that heartburn is perceived as pressure or stinging in the chest.
Heartburn is particularly common after large and fatty meals and when lying down. In medicine, a “pinched nerve” is actually just an irritation of the affected nerve. This nerve does not have to be literally pinched, a hardening or tension of the surrounding musculature is already sufficient to “annoy” the nerve.
Typically, a trapped nerve causes intermittent stabbing pain in the chest, which can be very severe. In addition, restricted mobility and possibly other symptoms such as tingling may occur. Many patients associate these symptoms with a heart problem. However, this would be more likely to be noticeable by a long lasting stinging and shortness of breath. A medical examination is nevertheless advisable in the case of long-term complaints in order to rule out a serious illness.
