What to do if your heart hurts: 5 ways to help quickly

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

But first - a list of symptoms for which you need to call an ambulance.

When to call an ambulance immediately

Here are the main signs of the 3 Types of Chest Pain That Won’t Kill You that you are in urgent need of medical attention:

• You are experiencing severe, almost unbearable pain that does not go away for 5-10 minutes or more.
• Chest pain is accompanied by shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
• The pain radiates to the left shoulder and arm.
• The pain is accompanied by cold sweat, dizziness, and severe weakness.
• You're pretty sure it's a heart attack. You are very scared.

The symptoms listed above may indicate a serious problem. For example, the development of a heart attack, inflammatory heart disease (myocarditis and pericarditis), diseases of the aorta, which supplies the heart with blood, or pulmonary embolism.

Each of these conditions is deadly, so you can't experiment with home remedies.

Only an ambulance!

How to understand that heart pain is not dangerous

In 80–90% of cases, it only seems to us What is Noncardiac Chest Pain? that hurts the heart. In fact, the ailment has other, albeit unpleasant, but much less dangerous causes of Chest Pain Causes:

• gastroenterological problems;
• disturbances in the work of the lungs;
• intercostal neuralgia;
• chest osteochondrosis;
• various musculoskeletal disorders;
• neuroses and other disorders of the central nervous system.

It is this relatively safe option that can be guessed on the basis of three characteristics of 3 Types of Chest Pain That Won’t Kill You:

1. The pain is like a flash, is immediate

If the heart is affected, the pain will be long (at least several minutes), unrelenting and equally severe. But discomfort like "Oh, my heart stung!"

2. It becomes easier for you when you move

Real heart pain is aggravated by even minimal physical exertion.

3. It hurts to breathe

With heart pain, shortness of breath and a feeling of shortness of breath may occur. But if instead there is a cough, soreness when inhaling, then we are most likely talking about problems with the respiratory system (pleurisy, pneumonia, asthma …)

Only a qualified doctor can find out what exactly is the cause of the discomfort behind the breastbone.

Therefore, be sure to contact a therapist or cardiologist directly if "heart attacks" without the deadly symptoms described above pester you regularly or are accompanied by vomiting, coughing, fever.

The doctor will examine you, evaluate your history, conduct additional studies, including an ECG and possibly an ultrasound of the heart, and prescribe treatment or send you to other specialized specialists: gastroenterologist, pulmonologist, orthopedist, neurologist.

How to relieve heart pain

We emphasize once again: real heart problems should be treated only with medications prescribed by your doctor. Amateur performance is unacceptable here!

But it is quite possible to relieve pseudo-heart pain with home methods. Here are How to get rid of chest pain at home to help you quickly relieve chest discomfort.

1. Take nitroglycerin

This tip is for in case you are worried that the pain may be related to a heart attack and your doctor has prescribed this drug for you before.

Nitroglycerin will help with angina pectoris. But if the pain is associated with other, non-cardiac causes, such as osteochondrosis or gastrointestinal disorders, the medicine will not work.

On the one hand, this is bad because there will be no relief. On the other hand, it's good: this is a sign that the cause of the discomfort is not related to the cardiovascular system. You can move on to the next points.

2. Take aspirin

First, it relieves pain. Secondly, the drug thins the blood (reduces its clotting). This improves blood flow and may relieve Chest pain: First aid when chest pain is still associated with cardiovascular problems.

Attention! Under no circumstances should you take aspirin if you are allergic to it or suffer from diseases associated with low blood clotting.

3. Make a cold compress

Or, place a bag of ice (frozen vegetables) wrapped in a thin towel to your chest.

Overexertion or stretching of the muscles is often the cause of chest pain. For example, due to the fact that you lifted something heavy, turned badly, or worked too actively in the gym.

Apply a cold compress for 10 to 20 minutes several times a day. This will help Chest pain relieve discomfort.

4. Drink warm tea

Or another warm drink. This recommendation may work if chest pain occurs soon after a meal.

The fact is that the esophagus and heart are located side by side and are connected by common nerve endings, which is why problems with the gastrointestinal tract can be confused with manifestations of coronary heart disease.

If you do not observe the dangerous symptoms listed at the beginning of the article, but, in addition to discomfort in the sternum, there are belching, heartburn, bloating, most likely this is your option.

American resource Healthline recommends Home Remedies for Heart Pain: What Works? choose hibiscus tea. Hibiscus not only improves well-being with certain digestive disorders, but also normalizes Hibiscus, Hawthorn, and the Heart blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which is good for the cardiovascular system as a whole.

5. Take a warm soda solution

Dissolve ½ teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water. This drink will improve the condition if the pain in the chest is caused by heartburn and increased acidity of the stomach.

Please note: this method can only be used if you feel discomfort after eating and do not suffer from diagnosed heart problems. The fact is, baking soda, which does an excellent job with acid, can Baking Soda Can Settle the Stomach but Upset the Heart: Case Files of the Medical Toxicology Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

Let's repeat: jokes with the heart are bad. Serious heart problems do not develop overnight. At first, they make themselves felt with minor pain, slight burning sensation in the chest, a feeling of pressure that quickly passes … Before the first real attack, you may feel unwell for several days, or even weeks.

It is important not to ignore these signs. If chest discomfort occurs regularly, see your doctor as soon as possible. It's better to play it safe here.