People of all ages can suffer from chest pains, caused by various causes, such as anxiety or panic attacks. In severe cases, the pains can indicate problems with the lungs or arteries, as well as heart attacks. You can stop those caused by anxiety by controlling your breathing and slowing it down. For more worrying conditions, including heart attacks, see your doctor or emergency room right away.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Stop the Pain Caused by Breathing
Step 1. Slow down your breathing
Anxiety sufferers often experience chest pain due to rapid and too deep breathing. This can lead to painful twinges in the vicinity of the heart. To relieve them, breathe more slowly and without introducing too much air into your lungs. Breathe in normally for a few seconds.
If the pain you are feeling is acute and you can pinpoint it to a specific point, it is not a heart attack. Pain from a seizure spreads and has no precise point of origin
Step 2. Get reassured by a friend or relative
Ask a loved one to calm you down with phrases like "This is not a heart attack" and "You will not die." If it does this with a relaxed and sweet tone, it will contribute to the increase of carbon dioxide levels in the blood and to reduce hyperventilation.
- Hyperventilation is a common symptom of panic attacks. It causes the blood vessels in the chest to contract, which causes sharp pain.
- If you often suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, consult a doctor or psychologist. Therapy and medications can help reduce anxiety and its effects, thereby limiting chest pains.
Step 3. Learn to breathe with pursed lips
Imagine blowing on a candle and slowly exhale from your mouth. Do this until you feel calmer and control hyperventilation. Breathing like this increases the carbon dioxide level in the body and helps you relax.
It is not recommended to breathe into a paper bag to reduce hyperventilation
Step 4. See your doctor if you experience constant chest pains
Your doctor will examine you to see if you have lung problems that can cause pain. These conditions include pulmonary embolisms (thrombi in the lungs) and pulmonary hypertension.
Constant chest pains can even indicate a lung collapse
Step 5. Ask your doctor to check if you have pleurisy
If you do not suffer from anxiety, but are experiencing constant chest pain, you may have this condition, which causes inflammation of the outer membranes of the lungs, which rub against each other. The problem can be treated with medication.
If you have pleurisy, the pain will become more acute during exercise because you breathe more deeply
Method 2 of 3: Diagnosing Intense and Chronic Chest Pain
Step 1. See your doctor if you have had chest pains for a long time
If the pain lasts for days, schedule a visit to the doctor. While unlikely to be a symptom of a heart attack, it can indicate a variety of serious conditions, such as heart disease. Describe how you feel to your doctor and ask for a diagnosis.
- Chest pains that last for a long time can indicate health problems with the arteries, lungs, or other internal organs.
- Once your doctor has made his diagnosis, he will prescribe medications that can reduce chest pain.
Step 2. Ask your doctor about angina
This term refers to chest pain caused by thick plaques on the artery walls. Over time, they can line the major arteries that carry blood to the heart. If you experience frequent but moderate chest pains, ask your doctor about angina and request a test or exam. The pathology that causes angina, atherosclerosis, is treated with drugs that the doctor can prescribe.
- It can be difficult to distinguish chest pain caused by a heart attack from that caused by angina. In general, the pain of the attacks lasts longer and is more intense.
- The pain of a heart attack can come on suddenly and is usually intense, while the pain due to angina has a tendency to grow slowly and is not as severe.
- If you think you have angina, your doctor can determine whether it is stable or not. Unstable angina can cause more lasting or intense pain.
Step 3. See your doctor if you have suffered a chest injury that continues to cause pain
If you've recently fallen or otherwise damaged your chest and the pain lasts for more than a day or two, you may have broken a rib. The doctor will request an X-ray to check for damage to the ribs.
Step 4. Ask about chronic medical conditions if you experience bone or muscle pain
If your chest muscles or bones often hurt, explain your symptoms to your doctor. You may be suffering from fibromyalgia.
Costochondritis, a condition that causes inflammation of the cartilages in the rib cage, can also cause chronic chest pain
Method 3 of 3: Reacting to a Heart Attack
Step 1. Recognize the symptoms of a heart attack
Attacks occur when a blood clot travels to the heart and blocks part of the blood flow. They can also be caused by the reduction in the diameter of the arteries, due to the accumulation of plaques. Pay attention to any chest pains you feel. Pain from a seizure usually spreads and cannot be traced back to a single point. The signs of an attack include:
- Shortness of breath and sweating.
- Vomiting or nausea.
- Dizziness and rapid throbbing.
- Pain that spreads outward from the chest.
Step 2. Call 113
Heart attacks are serious and require immediate treatment. Don't ask a friend or relative to take you to the emergency room. Call an ambulance so you can get help quickly if your condition worsens.
Step 3. Chew aspirin if you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack
While waiting for the ambulance to arrive or on the way to the hospital, chew and swallow an adult aspirin tablet. This drug makes the blood less thick and reduces chest pains.
- Do not take aspirin if you are allergic.
- If your doctor has prescribed nitroglycerin for the same therapeutic effect, take it as directed.
Advice
- Just because you have heart attack-like symptoms doesn't mean the diagnosis is certain. For example, a common problem such as a peptide ulcer can create symptoms that are difficult to distinguish from angina.
- If you have any health problems, always visit a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis.
