what does it mean when you have sharp pain in your heart?
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Chest pain and heart problems The most common heart problems that cause chest pain include: pericarditis – which usually causes a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or lie down. angina or a heart attack – which have similar symptoms but a heart attack is life-threatening.
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When your heart beats faster than this, you have a condition called tachycardia. When your heart races, it's working too hard. It doesn't have enough time to fill with blood or pump it to the rest of your body. You might have heart palpitations or chest pain.
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If you experience any of the following symptoms, call 911 or ask someone to call 911 immediately. These could be signs of a heart attack: Discomfort in the chest, especially the center, that lasts more than a few minutes or comes and goes. The discomfort may feel like heaviness, fullness, squeezing, or pain.
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We call this referred pain. Timing/duration: Heart attack pain can be intermittent or continuous. Heart attack symptoms can last for a few minutes to a few hours. If you have had chest pain continuously for several days, weeks or months, then it is unlikely to be caused by a heart attack.
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Chest pain can be alarming, but more often than not, it's nothing serious. Many people with chest pain describe feeling like their sternum is bruised. The sternum is more commonly called the breastbone. While it's possible to bruise your sternum, this pain is more likely caused by costochondritis.
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What Causes Chest Pain? Chest pain is a common symptom of many heart problems, including: Coronary artery disease, which happens when cholesterol builds up on the walls of your arteries. This can make your arteries narrow, or even block them completely, raising your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
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Waking up with chest pain can be unsettling. The pain might be caused by a minor problem, such as stress or indigestion. The pain might also be caused by a serious problem, such as a heart attack or a pulmonary embolism. Chest pain should always be taken seriously.
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Pleurisy Coughing and chest pain might be due to pleurisy. This is inflammation in the tissue lining your lungs and chest cavity. Inflammation can cause sharp chest pain that worsens when you breathe, sneeze, or cough. Inflammation can also make it difficult to breathe, triggering a cough in some people.
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Chest pain. Most chest pain isn't a sign of anything serious but you should get medical advice just in case. Get immediate medical help if you think you're having a heart attack.
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Pay attention to your body and call 911 if you experience: Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes – or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
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Angina is chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscles. It's not usually life threatening, but it's a warning sign that you could be at risk of a heart attack or stroke. With treatment and healthy lifestyle changes, it's possible to control angina and reduce the risk of these more serious problems.
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The pain quality is variable, but it may be described as sharp or dull pain. If the patient complains of radiating pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, exertional chest pain, fever, productive cough, nausea, etc., these are worrisome for other causes of chest pain.
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Rheumatoid arthritis is one cause of that inflammation, and while the cause isn't always known, it has been linked to both injuries and physical strain. The RA inflammation may cause a sharp, stabbing chest pain that can be mistaken for a heart attack.
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The pain of a heart attack differs from that of a strained chest muscle. A heart attack may cause a dull pain or an uncomfortable feeling of pressure in the chest. Usually, the pain begins in the center of the chest, and it may radiate outward to one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
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Angina is a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. Angina (an-JIE-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) is a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina, also called angina pectoris, is often described as squeezing, pressure, heaviness, tightness or pain in your chest.
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Visit an emergency room near you immediately if you are experiencing chest pain with any of the following, as they may be symptoms of a heart attack or another serious issue: Confusion/disorientation. Extremely low blood pressure or heart rate. Extremely rapid heartbeat and/or breathing.
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With less blood flow, your heart doesn't get the oxygen it needs, and that can cause chest pain, called angina, especially when you exercise or do heavy labor. It also can affect how well your heart pumps and make the rest of your body short on oxygen, too.