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History Of Chest Pain. Had Collapsed Lung. Experiencing Headache. Is This Related To Chest Pain?
Posted on
Wed, 26 Sep 2012
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 26 Sep 2012
Answered on
Tue, 16 Oct 2012
Last reviewed on
Question : I have had a history of chest pain before but my current doctor doesn't seem to think it's a concern because usually there are large gaps in time in which my chest feels fine. I have been having chest pains again though I don't know the right words to describe the pain. Sometimes it is brought up by laughing or just sitting still. I had a collapsed lung when I was younger. I have also been experiencing headaches and I wonder if the headaches could be related to the chest pain.
Hi,
Thanks for posting your query.
Chest pain may originate from lungs / heart / esophagus / chest muscles / bones and cartilages (costochondritis) / skin. The following details can give us clues of the origin of pain:
1. Do you have fever / cough with sputum / breathlessness? - It indicates lung involvement.
2. Do you have squeezing sensation / sweating / breathlessness on lying position? - It indicates heart disease.
3. Do you have food impaction / choking feeling / pain during swallowing / indigestion / nausea / vomiting / abdominal pain? - It indicates food pipe (Esophagus) involvement.
4. If you have tender areas on chest wall / pain aggravated with breathing / movement - there may be possibilities of costochondritis or muscle involvement.
As you have history of collapsed lung, there may be possibility of pleural thickening at affected site causing the pain. Consulting a physician / chest physician is in order. Other conditions such as muscle cramps or esophageal spasm also need to be ruled out. Your physician can order for chest X-ray, EKG, CPK-MB for muscle etiology, endoscopy for esphageal disease to rule out few of the aforementioned conditions.
The problem doesn't seem to be concerning / life threatening disease to me as they have other symptoms also. So do not worry. Visit your physician.
Headache appears to be a separate entity and not related with chest pain.
Hope this answers your query. Put your views / concerns should you have any.
Take care,
Dr.Mayank Bhargava
Thanks for posting your query.
Chest pain may originate from lungs / heart / esophagus / chest muscles / bones and cartilages (costochondritis) / skin. The following details can give us clues of the origin of pain:
1. Do you have fever / cough with sputum / breathlessness? - It indicates lung involvement.
2. Do you have squeezing sensation / sweating / breathlessness on lying position? - It indicates heart disease.
3. Do you have food impaction / choking feeling / pain during swallowing / indigestion / nausea / vomiting / abdominal pain? - It indicates food pipe (Esophagus) involvement.
4. If you have tender areas on chest wall / pain aggravated with breathing / movement - there may be possibilities of costochondritis or muscle involvement.
As you have history of collapsed lung, there may be possibility of pleural thickening at affected site causing the pain. Consulting a physician / chest physician is in order. Other conditions such as muscle cramps or esophageal spasm also need to be ruled out. Your physician can order for chest X-ray, EKG, CPK-MB for muscle etiology, endoscopy for esphageal disease to rule out few of the aforementioned conditions.
The problem doesn't seem to be concerning / life threatening disease to me as they have other symptoms also. So do not worry. Visit your physician.
Headache appears to be a separate entity and not related with chest pain.
Hope this answers your query. Put your views / concerns should you have any.
Take care,
Dr.Mayank Bhargava
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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