Definiton
Stinging in the left breast means a pain in the area of the breast. This pain can be pressing, pulling, burning or a feeling of tightness, up to and including shortness of breath. The pain is usually temporary, but can also be persistent.
The persistent pain can occur behind the sternum and radiate from there to the left side of the body. The left arm, the left shoulder or the abdomen can also be affected. Pain in the left breast is more common than in the right breast because the heart is located on the left side.
Causes
The cause of pain can be very diverse. It is possible that the heart is the actual cause, but it can also be the lungs, for example. The typical causes are listed below.
Angina pectoris refers to the feeling of tightness in the chest and is associated with various diseases. It can be a heart pain caused by a lack of blood circulation in the heart. In most cases, the coronary arteries are narrowed by calcifications, the so-called coronary heart disease (CHD).
As a result, the heart is no longer supplied with sufficient blood, especially during physical exertion. A heart attack can also be a trigger for the stabbing chest pain. Blood clots have formed which have blocked the coronary arteries.
As a result, the heart muscle is no longer supplied with sufficient blood at one point, causing tissue to die. Stinging pains that extend to the left side of the body occur. High blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmia can also be responsible for the pain, as can inflammation of the heart muscle or pericardium.
Diseases of the lung, lung or pleura can also cause stabbing chest pain. These are then dependent on breathing. Examples are pulmonary embolism, pneumonia or bronchitis.
Nerve irritations or muscle tension are harmless causes. In this case the pain can be influenced by certain movements. As an accompanying symptom of an infectious disease a stabbing in the left breast can also occur.
This is very often the case. Examples of this are measles, scarlet fever or rubella. There is therefore an inflammation in the intercostal muscles or in the other muscles surrounding the chest.
However, the lung itself need not be affected. A pulmonary embolism is the occlusion of one or more pulmonary arteries by a blood clot. Consequently, the vessels through which the oxygen-poor blood is transported from the heart to the lungs are affected.
This blood clot is usually washed up from a leg or pelvic vein. This is where the thrombosis has usually formed. If only a small blood vessel in the lung is affected by the pulmonary embolism, there is no or only slight discomfort.
If, on the other hand, a large vessel is blocked, the affected person has severe symptoms such as stabbing in the chest, shortness of breath, pain when breathing or palpitations. There may be an acute danger to life. Tension can also be blamed for a stabbing or feeling of pressure in the chest.
The muscles in the upper part of the body can become tense due to incorrect loading, lack of movement or monotonous movement sequences and thus radiate pain right into the chest. It is more likely to be a superficially located pain that originates from the chest itself. Furthermore, this pain can be influenced by certain movements or postures.
When breathing in, a feeling of “knife wounds” in the chest can occur, which make breathing difficult. This stabbing is a common symptom with many possible causes. It can occur quite unexpectedly, but usually does not last longer than a few breaths.
It can be intensified by particularly deep and strong inhalation or laughter. As soon as it occurs, one should become aware of these facts, remain calm and inhale slowly and carefully. As a rule, stinging by inhalation is not a serious illness.
Stress, tension or fear are frequent triggers. It is important to note that although stress can be the trigger, it is not always acute in a stressful situation. Often the stinging occurs outside the stress moments.
In addition, an infection can cause muscle tension (when you breathe in you do muscle work) or a lung disease can be responsible for the pain.A stinging in the (left) chest can also occur during exhalation. Pain and a feeling of tightness can also occur. The pain often worsens when coughing or laughing.
If this is the case, such symptoms are indicative of a disease of the lungs or ribs. A rib fracture (fracture of a rib) is often very painful when breathing in and out, laughing or coughing. Bruises around the ribs are also very painful and unpleasant.
Another disease that can cause pain and stinging in the chest area when breathing is pleurisy. These pains are characterized by the fact that they are more intense when breathing deeply. If you take a break between inhalation and exhalation, the pain subsides somewhat.
