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What Causes Sensation Of Pressure And Tightness In The Chest And Nausea?
Question: I have chest pressure and tightness that increases with my activity level and diminishes when I stop moving. I feel slightly nauseous when the pressure in my chest increases. Does that sound like a something I should go to the emergency room for?
Brief Answer:
Yes, go to ER
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
You would be young to have a cardiac problem at your age, and it is possible your symptoms may be due to acid reflux or costochondritis, however, given these symptoms you do need to go to the ER and make sure it isn't a heart problem.
In the ER they should get an EKG, do cardiac monitoring, and check heart enzymes and troponin level.
Please let me know how you are doing after you are evaluated.
Yes, go to ER
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
You would be young to have a cardiac problem at your age, and it is possible your symptoms may be due to acid reflux or costochondritis, however, given these symptoms you do need to go to the ER and make sure it isn't a heart problem.
In the ER they should get an EKG, do cardiac monitoring, and check heart enzymes and troponin level.
Please let me know how you are doing after you are evaluated.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I did go to the ER. They did two EKGs and checked my troponin level, which was normal. Also, they did two chest X-rays, which didn't show any problems. They said given my specific health data, I was very unlikely to have blood clots and my blood pressure in both arms was the same, so no tears in the heart were likely. Basically, they ruled out the worst-case-scenarios. They gave me an shot of Tramadol, which has helped a lot.
What more can you say about costochondritis? I just looked it up. I often can hear a slight popping sound when I breathe deeply, in the spot where the pressure/tightness was occurring. Could this be related/causing the problem?
What more can you say about costochondritis? I just looked it up. I often can hear a slight popping sound when I breathe deeply, in the spot where the pressure/tightness was occurring. Could this be related/causing the problem?
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
I'm glad you went to the ER and that serious cardiac and pulmonary causes were ruled out.
So as you may know from looking up costochondritis, it's inflammation of the cartilage of the rib cage. The popping you hear with deep breathing may be related, but it is isn't necessarily diagnostic. Often costochondritis is identifiable by recreating the pain with pressing on the rib cage, raising or moving the associated arm, or twisting the back/rib cage. But not always, and that is why heart and lung causes can need to be ruled out with a trip to the ER.
I've seen costochondritis many times in women who have a baby or toddler. Repeatedly picking the child up or carrying them around seems to inflamed the chest wall in some people.
You can take NSAIDs if it recurs, such as ibuprofen (up to 600 mg every 8 hrs - after you have food in your stomach). And avoid lifting and other physical activity that uses the muscles of the left arm and chest wall.
I am wondering about the nausea you experienced with the pain, as nausea with chest pain is usually either cardiac or gastrointestinal, such as from reflux (heartburn pain). But if the pain is quite bad, that could cause nausea too in some cases. So that is one caution to using NSAIDs - that if there is reflux, an NSAID can make that worse. In that case, use Tylenol, and if that doesn't hold the pain, then call your doctor or go back in to be seen. Nausea with chest pain can sometimes be the liver/gall bladder, but usually that causes right sided abdominal pain and right sided back pain. So that is much lower on my list of possibilities.
So for a plan now, I recommend limiting your lifting and similar activities.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
I'm glad you went to the ER and that serious cardiac and pulmonary causes were ruled out.
So as you may know from looking up costochondritis, it's inflammation of the cartilage of the rib cage. The popping you hear with deep breathing may be related, but it is isn't necessarily diagnostic. Often costochondritis is identifiable by recreating the pain with pressing on the rib cage, raising or moving the associated arm, or twisting the back/rib cage. But not always, and that is why heart and lung causes can need to be ruled out with a trip to the ER.
I've seen costochondritis many times in women who have a baby or toddler. Repeatedly picking the child up or carrying them around seems to inflamed the chest wall in some people.
You can take NSAIDs if it recurs, such as ibuprofen (up to 600 mg every 8 hrs - after you have food in your stomach). And avoid lifting and other physical activity that uses the muscles of the left arm and chest wall.
I am wondering about the nausea you experienced with the pain, as nausea with chest pain is usually either cardiac or gastrointestinal, such as from reflux (heartburn pain). But if the pain is quite bad, that could cause nausea too in some cases. So that is one caution to using NSAIDs - that if there is reflux, an NSAID can make that worse. In that case, use Tylenol, and if that doesn't hold the pain, then call your doctor or go back in to be seen. Nausea with chest pain can sometimes be the liver/gall bladder, but usually that causes right sided abdominal pain and right sided back pain. So that is much lower on my list of possibilities.
So for a plan now, I recommend limiting your lifting and similar activities.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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