Chest pain in the woman

General

Chest pain causes fear and discomfort in most people. Since it is well known that chest pain occurs during a heart attack, these are mainly associated with those symptoms.
Although men are more likely to have heart attacks on average, women are equally concerned when they experience chest pain.
In women, an important gender difference comes into play that expands the possible causes of the pain that occurs - the female breast (Mom). Chest pain can therefore occur in women due to diseases of the organs in the chest and diseases of the breast. When looking for the cause, one should also pay attention to possible diseases of the abdominal organs, because these can sometimes project the pain into the chest. Muscular tension or damage as well as diseases of the bony skeleton should also be taken into account.

You can also find more information in our article Chest pain and Pain

What should a woman with chest pain or chest pulling do? If the person concerned notices chest pain, they should be aware of the quality. The intensity as well as the time of occurrence and the duration can provide information about the cause. The spectrum ranges from "light pressure" to the pain of annihilation, which is rated on a scale of 10 out of 10 points. These signs should be assessed objectively so that a visit to the doctor or even the emergency room can be considered. If this decision can no longer be made due to the pain, a doctor should be consulted immediately.

Read more on the topic: Heart pounding - how dangerous is it?

causes

Chest organs

There are several organs in the chest that can cause chest pain in the event of malfunction or illness.

The heart is known to cause extremely severe chest pain in the coronary arteries of the coronary arteries in the event of an infarction (closure with subsequent failure of the blood supply to the area supplied), which radiates into the left arm.
What very few people know: this is how a myocardial infarction (myocardium = heart muscle) only occurs in a certain proportion of patients. In women, the symptoms often look completely different and are therefore generally recognized later than in a man with a classic clinical picture.
For example, sudden severe abdominal pain can not only indicate a problem with the digestive system, but also indicate a myocardial infarction.

Before a heart attack occurs, damage to the vessels has usually developed over the years. This is known as coronary artery disease, and in advanced stages it can cause angina pectoris.
Angina pectoris is an additional clinical picture, which is accompanied by dull attacks of pain in the chest. These are caused by the same mechanisms as in myocardial infarction - by the reduced blood flow (Ischemia) of the heart muscle tissue. Inflammation of the heart muscle (Myocarditis) and the surrounding pericardium (Pericarditis) can also cause chest pain.

The aortic aneurysm is not a disease of the heart per se, but a disease of the draining vessels of the heart. The different layers of the vessel wall separate from one another and blood digs a cavity between them. Aortic aneurysms can be very dangerous and, if ruptured, lead to the patient bleeding to death in a few moments. If pain occurs as part of the disease, an advanced stage has already been reached in which an intervention is absolutely necessary.

Another organ in the chest that can cause local pain is the lungs with the windpipe.
Infections play the biggest role here. Inflammation of the various parts of the respiratory system often results in chest pain in addition to the symptom of coughing. These can be more or less pronounced depending on the pathogen. Virally caused inflammations are usually associated with milder symptoms, while bacterial infections often cause severe symptoms. In addition to inflammation of the lungs, an infection can also affect the pleura, the so-called pleura.

In the presence of inflammatory changes, patients report pain with any breathing movement. If it comes to a severe course, this can lead to a pneumothorax. The lung tears a little and the pleural space, i.e. the space between the lungs and the chest, fills with air. The lungs are no longer held in shape and collapse by the negative pressure that actually prevails in the pleural space.
It becomes significantly smaller and patients report severe pain on the affected side of the chest as well as shortness of breath.

A pulmonary embolism can also lead to chest pain and shortness of breath. A blood clot (thrombus) somewhere in the body (but mostly in the right atrium) and migrates to the lungs.
There it blocks essential supplying vessels, depending on their size. The corresponding lung or the parts that have been cut off can no longer contribute to oxygen uptake.

Cancer can also cause pain in the lungs, and thus chest pain. In most cases, lung cancer causes pain, whereas lung metastases are less common.

An organ of the digestive system also exists in the chest through the esophagus. Simple disorders such as heartburn can lead to drawing or burning pain in the chest. The escalation of this is a manifested reflux disease. Patients have persistent heartburn and the risk of developing esophageal cancer increases significantly. If this malignant tumor develops, it can also lead to chest pain, depending on its size and location. Inflammation of the esophagus can also cause chest pain.

Abdominal organs

Due to the local proximity of the upper abdominal organs to the chest, it can happen that pain that is based in the stomach appears in the chest.

Also here are inflammatory processes an important aspect. The gastritis, inflammation of the lining of the stomach, is not a serious disease.
It has already occurred in many people without their knowledge, even if only in a mild form. Next nausea and Vomit can it to Pain in the upper abdomen and come in the chest.

A Pancreatitis, the inflammation of the pancreas, on the other hand, is a serious disease that is usually caused by years of damage to the body. By chronic alcohol abuse (Alcohol abuse) an extremely painful pancreatitis can develop, which should always be treated as an inpatient.

Patient with a Gastric ulcer or an ulcer (Ulcer) in the Duodenum also occasionally report chest pain.
A Relocation of the bile duct can lead to pulsating cramps and extreme abdominal pain. As with gastritis, there is a possibility that the pain is projected into the chest, as the Gallbladder and the Bile duct have a certain proximity to the chest.

At a Cancer of the stomach is reported to have upper abdominal pain, not chest pain. However, it is not excluded.

Female breast (mom)

The chest pain described so far is clearly distinguished from Pains of the mom from.

While the former are more likely to be felt in the chest, the female breast rests on it. The pain can localized more precisely and identifying the problem is easier than a diffuse thoracic pain of unknown origin.

Since almost any tissue can become inflamed, the mother is not spared. One differentiates one mastitis puerperalis from one non-puerperalis.
The difference is that of the timing of the disease: during the puerperal form after birth as Puerperium occurs, the non-puerperal form not with pregnancy or birth together.

Learn more about: Breast pain in pregnancy

By hormonal malfunction of various kinds where too much estrogen is released, a so-called mastopathy can be triggered. This leads to changes in the mammary gland tissue and, as a result, in a classic way Indurations and Chest pain (Mastodynia).
Mastodynia can also without further illness occur cycle-dependent. The likelihood increases if there is an imbalance in the various female hormones. Is from one Mastalgia the speech, the pain of the mother is also described, but independent of the female cycle.

The most common malignant in women Tumor is this Breast cancer. It accounts for almost 30% of all cancer cases in Germany and is even the most common cause of death in industrialized countries among women between 35 and 55 years of age. Chest pain can occur as part of breast cancer, but is rarely the case.
Nevertheless, a doctor should give a malignant cause clarified and excluded.

Muscles and skeleton

By strong Tension or physical overexertion it can cause pain Chest muscles come.
It can be small Ruptured muscle fibers, which 1 to 2 days later appear as so-called "sore muscles", but also larger muscle fiber or muscle bundle tears occur, which bring a long phase of physical limitation with them.

Be careful with training or at hard work must always be offered. Both bony changes in the ribs and sternum, as well as diseases of the Spine can cause chest pain in women. The Thoracic spine contains the spinal cord, from which, among other things, the nerves for pain perception originate.
In the event of damage, not only back pain but also chest pain can occur. Small new bone formations (osteophytes) as part of a benign or malignant cancer can also cause pain if they irritate the surrounding tissue. Many cancers metastasize to the disease as the disease progresses bone. There the cell tissue proliferates and infiltrates the surrounding area. The symptoms are restricted mobility and pain.

Breast pain in pregnancy

In the pregnancy there are extensive changes in the body of every woman.
This adjusts itself to the supply of a second living being and the Hormone levels vary. Various diseases can occur in the context of this enormous stress.

Diseases of Heart are basically relevant, but solves Pregnancy hypertension (High blood pressure) does not cause chest pain.
bronchial asthma In the event of a seizure, however: The tone of the bronchial muscles decreases due to various changes in the woman's body. This can make it easier for the alveoli to collapse and the lungs to cramp. Not only can an asthma attack be frightening because of shortness of breath, it can be Chest pain trigger.

A pregnant woman increases the risk of one Gallstone disease. If there is an obstruction of the bile duct and a subsequent one Biliary colic, the pain can also travel to the chest.

But of course the chest itself can be the source of pain during the pregnancy be. The glandular tissue develops and adjusts to the child after the Geburt breastfeeding and constantly producing milk.
These remodeling processes stress the tissue in the breast and can lead to a state of tension and thus to tenderness and pain.

After the birth it can become one Inflammation of the mammary glands come. The Puerperal mastitis is triggered by germs that the baby transfers to the mother's breast while drinking. Please also read: Milk congestion

Chest pain from stress

Stress triggers stress in the body.

There are more and more Stress hormones adrenaline and Norepinephrine formed and distributed. The body is thus put into a state of activation and can only return to a relaxed state with difficulty in the event of long-term stress.

For example work stress is in itself associated with little time and this is accompanied by an unhealthy diet and little exercise, the constellation for the development of a heart disease is perfect.
A CHD (coronary heart disease) relies on this behavior and as a result can lead to Angina pectoris or one Heart attack to lead.

Stress can lead to overproduction of the The hormone prolactin to lead.
This hormone causes the mammary glands to develop around them after the period of breastfeeding birth prepare.
There is none pregnancy and if the breast is not relieved of the milk, it infiltrates the surrounding breast tissue and causes inflammation there. The resulting Puerperal mastitis is with Chest pain connected.

Other diseases that are associated with stress and can trigger chest pain in women are Stomach ulcers and muscular tension.

Chest pain from the pill

The pill is a hormonal contraceptive. Depending on their chemical composition, it influences the different hormones in women.
estrogenOne of the hormones, among other things, promotes the build-up of fatty tissue in the breast, which makes it bigger.
Pills that affect estrogen levels also have an effect on breast tissue. As the breast grows, the tissues and skin become tensioned - the breast becomes tender and painful.

Menopausal chest pain

During the Menopause there is an imbalance in female hormones.
Of the Progesterone levels decreases in contrast to Estrogen levels.

Progesteron normally inhibits the water retention in breast tissue caused by estrogen. If this compensation is no longer given, the mamma can swell.
The chest becomes sensitive to pressure and hurts. The remodeling in the mammary glands can cause cysts to form in the tissue. Cysts are small benign cavities, encapsulated foci of inflammation that are not dangerous in themselves, but can cause chest pain.

Left chest pain

If the pain occurs mainly on the left side, there are various options. If you have problems with the Heartbe it inflammatory or ischemic processes, a pain shift from the center of the chest to the left side is often reported.

Also the stomach lies in the left upper abdomen and could therefore project into the left half of the thorax. If you have problems with the left lung or the left mom unilateral pain can also occur. Tension or muscle damage caused by overexertion of the muscles are also possible.

treatment

The treatment depends entirely on the Cause of pain.
It doesn't help just treating the pain itself by disregarding the source and simply Analgesics Is taking (painkillers).

In the case of repetitive pain or pain that worries the patient, a doctor should always be consulted in order to identify the underlying disease.
Many women wonder which doctor to see. Are the pain noticeable in the Mom localized so is a gynecologist the best choice for further investigation.
In the case of chest pain of unknown origin, but not of the most severe degree, the personal Family doctor be consulted. He has experience with symptoms of this kind and knows the most likely diseases that are responsible for the Chest pain are causative. Going straight to a specialist can provide quick help, but it can also lead in the wrong direction if the patient himself misinterpreted the pain.
A referral from the family doctor to the specialist is usually more effective here. At very severe pain in the chest, the woman should not wait for an appointment, but visit the local emergency room straight away. The staff there is prepared for acute cases and relief can be obtained quickly.