Chest pain diagnosis of cause

Pneumonia or pneumonia is a viral disease that affects the lung tissue and interferes with the normal exchange of oxygen between air and blood. Inflammatory secretions that enter the alveoli do not allow the body to receive a sufficient amount of oxygen. And if the disease affects most of the lungs, acute respiratory failure develops.

Pneumonia affects people with weak immune systems, children and the elderly. Every year in Russia alone, 1.5 million people suffer from the disease, and 30% of them are young children and people over 70 years of age.

But pneumonia can and should be treated! And it is recommended to do this using an integrated approach. Treatment of any disease begins with a correct diagnosis. Therefore, at the first signs of the development of pathology, seek the advice of a specialist.

What are the first symptoms of pneumonia, how to approach treatment correctly and comprehensively, and what is required to diagnose the disease, we will tell you in this article.

Causes of pneumonia

Pneumonia develops when bacteria and viruses, as well as foreign agents, enter the lungs and affect part or all of the lung tissue. Pathological agents enter the human body through the respiratory route, and rarely through the blood.

Why does the disease develop quickly in the body of a person with reduced immunity? Bacteria are constantly present in our body, but protective mechanisms do not allow them to multiply, causing pathology. But if the immune system is weakened, harmful microflora increases in population, which leads to the appearance of an inflammatory process.

Viral pneumonia also often develops against the background of the spread of colds of the upper respiratory tract (bronchitis, tracheitis). Pneumonia can also be caused by hypothermia, stress, overwork, or smoking abuse. The risk of developing the disease increases in people with chronic diseases and obesity.

The cause of chest pain is the heart

The following pathologies can provoke the occurrence of pain in the heart:

1. Heart attack. A condition that occurs as a result of a blood clot that blocks one or more arteries that supply blood to the heart. During a heart attack, a sharp, sharp and burning pain occurs behind the sternum.
2. Cardiomyopathy. This pathology includes a number of diseases that are united by one symptom - the heart muscle begins to weaken, resulting in difficulties with pumping blood. Pain due to cardiomyopathy may occur after eating or exercising.
3. Aortic rupture. The aorta is the largest artery in the human body, which receives blood directly from the heart. Over time, due to heavy load, the walls of the aorta begin to thin and aneurysmal sacs appear, with which a person can live for a long time without any signs of an aneurysm. But sometimes the walls of the aorta cannot withstand it, as a result of which dissection or rupture can occur. This condition is fatal to humans, therefore, in case of sudden acute pain in the chest, which does not subside, is accompanied by dizziness and profuse cold sweating, as well as rapid breathing, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance.

Signs of pneumonia in an adult

When the disease appears, a person’s body temperature rises, which can reach 38°, there is general weakness throughout the body, a headache, the patient wants to lie down and relax. After a few days, a strong paroxysmal cough appears and sputum appears.

Pain in the chest, especially at the site of inflammation, as well as the appearance of shortness of breath indicate the seriousness of the situation and clearly indicate pneumonia.

General signs are listed here, but the nature and timing of their manifestation may differ depending on the type of pneumonia. With viral pneumonia, the first symptoms appear quickly and the patient feels a sharp deterioration in health. From the very beginning of the disease, muscle pain, high body temperature, severe headache, and a painful dry cough are observed.

Bacterial pneumonia, on the contrary, develops gradually. The disease begins only 2 weeks after the first symptoms appear. After this, there is a sharp relief, an improvement in the general condition of the patient, then the temperature rises sharply again, a headache occurs, the cough intensifies, and purulent sputum appears.

One of the serious types of the disease is atypical bilateral pneumonia, which extensively affects the lung tissue and develops respiratory failure. In terms of its symptoms, bilateral pneumonia resembles a cold viral infection, and the characteristic wheezing is not yet heard in the lungs. Many begin to treat themselves, which aggravates the condition.

At first, the sick person thinks that his condition has improved, the symptoms of the pathology begin to go away. But then the cough worsens and the second wave of the disease begins.

Symptoms may vary slightly in older people. First of all, a dry cough and shortness of breath appear during minor physical exertion on the body or even at rest. Often the disease occurs without fever in older people.

When pain is deadly

The most dangerous pain sensations are those associated with heart and lung diseases. This condition can be recognized by the following signs:

1. The painful sensation lasts more than 5 minutes.
2. A sharp burning pain behind the sternum, which gradually spreads to the neck, shoulders and back.
3. There is a feeling of pressure and tightness in the chest.
4. The heart rate increases greatly, the patient finds it difficult to breathe, and shortness of breath appears.
5. The person breaks into a cold sweat, dizziness begins, weakness and nausea with vomiting appear.

If any of the listed symptoms occur, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Is pneumonia contagious?

The inflammatory process in the pulmonary system most often appears due to the multiplication of the virus and as a complication of influenza or acute respiratory viral infection. In such cases, it is impossible to get sick from pneumonia itself, but it is easy to catch the disease that became the root cause. That is, pneumonia itself is not contagious, and the development of inflammation in the lungs is an independent complication that arose against the background of a weakened immune system and improper self-medication.

Can pneumonia go away on its own without treatment?

Pneumonia or pneumonia is one of the most dangerous and common diseases of the respiratory system. The danger is that specialists do not always have time to make a diagnosis in time. People do not go to the doctor with a cough and fever, but prefer to stay at home for a couple of days until the disease spreads. The condition can worsen to bilateral pneumonia, which carries severe consequences, long-term treatment or chronic diseases.

A hundred years ago, before the discovery of penicillin, pneumonia took the lives of those who fell ill. Science and medicine do not stand still - our lives have changed dramatically in a hundred years. People have antibiotics in every medicine cabinet, and hospitals carry out operations using modern equipment. However, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences, pneumonia is still on the list of the deadliest infectious diseases and should not be underestimated.

Pneumonia will not go away on its own. This disease can lead to death, so seeing a doctor is vital. Treatment for pneumonia should be prescribed by a doctor. It is he who determines whether antibiotics are needed and which ones, and also decides on the severity of the disease.

With pneumonia there is always a high temperature and a strong cough, is this true?

This is a very big and dangerous misconception. Errors in diagnosing the disease are one of the main causes of mortality from pneumonia. According to doctors, up to 30% of cases of pneumonia are not diagnosed or detected too late, since people do not see the need to see a doctor before a high temperature appears. As a result, this leads to a deterioration in the person’s condition and the development of severe complications. Asymptomatic, hidden, but real pneumonia often develops in children and the elderly. The main and most dangerous problem in diagnosing pneumonia in elderly patients is that the disease successfully disguises itself as various chronic diseases. In this case, it passes without the most important marker of the disease for us - without fever. How then do you understand that pneumonia is going away in an adult? - Monitor your body, and promptly consult a doctor if your health worsens.

If you have what signs you should consult a doctor?

• increased sweating;
• weakness;
• dyspnea.

By the way, the myth that pneumonia is necessarily accompanied by a severe cough is just a myth. This problem is mostly characteristic not of the older generation, but of children. There are often cases when pneumonia progresses, but there is no cough. If you do not consult a doctor in time and do not make a diagnosis, the child may experience chronic consequences.

Pneumonia in children can be identified by the following symptoms:

• shortness of breath and chest pain when moving;
• pain when turning the body
• inability to take a deep breath;
• tachycardia;
• exercise intolerance;
• fast fatiguability;
• weakness;
• the person looks pale, but with a bright, unhealthy blush.

How is pneumonia transmitted?

The disease can be transmitted in different ways, including:

• Airborne method. During the disease, droplets form on the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose, which spread through the air during sneezing and coughing. You can become infected by airborne droplets in any public place: hospital, store, public transport. The pathogenic agent spreads through the air along with particles of mucus, sputum, and saliva.
• Contact. The infection is also transmitted through contact - shaking hands, hugging, kissing. People become infected when they touch contaminated objects or when they touch their mouth, eyes, or nose with dirty hands.
• Domestic. The infection can be transmitted through shared towels, dishes and bedding. Therefore, the patient needs to be provided with personal hygiene items, and, if possible, change and wash them more often.

However, personal hygiene items must be handled very carefully. It has been proven that the viral microorganism can survive up to 4 hours on any surface. Morbid bacteria are not afraid of frost; even with bleach it can be destroyed only five minutes after direct treatment.

• Fecal. The virus survives up to two days in fecal matter with normal bowel movements. You can easily acquire the disease from improper toilet cleaning or personal hygiene. To prevent infection, especially from young children, it is important to constantly wash your hands after cleaning the child's potty, change diapers frequently and thoroughly wash the area where bowel movements occur.

Burning behind the sternum

Gastritis

Ulcer

Pancreatitis

21220 May 28

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Burning sensation behind the sternum: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.

Definition

A burning sensation behind the sternum is a symptom characteristic of many diseases - this is how patients with pathologies of the cardiovascular system, spine, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, neuralgia and panic attacks describe their sensations.

In some cases, this symptom is not dangerous, but some pathological conditions require immediate medical attention.

Types of burning behind the sternum
There is no generally accepted classification of burning behind the sternum. When patients are asked about their sensations, they talk about pressing, pulling, stabbing, burning, and encircling pain.

Thus, the burning sensation is as varied as the causes that cause it.
Possible causes of burning behind the sternum
Burning in the sternum, a feeling of fullness and heaviness, especially in older people, can be a symptom of serious cardiac problems, and all of them equally require seeking medical help.

In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the burning sensation is usually diffuse, often radiating to the back. In many patients it occurs during or after eating.

Disruption of the musculoskeletal system often leads to unpleasant sensations in the chest. The burning sensation intensifies when inhaling or exhaling, and changes when changing body position.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can cause numbness in the hands and decreased sensitivity.

Neuroses and panic attacks are often accompanied by a burning sensation in the chest.

When the neuroendocrine regulation of internal organs is disrupted, patients complain of a burning sensation behind the sternum. The cause may be either insufficient maturity of the body's systems during adolescence, or previous infectious diseases, stress, bad habits, or overwork. Short-term vasospasm directly leads to the appearance of unpleasant sensations in the heart area. The attacks pass at rest and are accompanied by weakness, rapid heartbeat, and cold hands due to deterioration of blood flow.

Diseases leading to a burning sensation behind the sternum

Cardiovascular pathologies:

1. Angina pectoris. Impaired blood circulation in the vessels of the heart due to atherosclerosis leads to deterioration in the nutrition of the heart muscle. During physical activity or anxiety, the heart requires more oxygen - if there is not enough oxygen, then the first signal will be discomfort in the chest area. A burning sensation, a feeling of squeezing, a tingling sensation can radiate (radiate) to the left arm, under the shoulder blade, rarely to the lower jaw, lasting no more than 15 minutes and passing with rest and after taking nitroglycerin.
2. Myocardial infarction.
   During a heart attack, a sharp disruption of the blood supply to the heart muscle occurs due to blockage of most of the lumen of the vessel supplying the heart by thrombotic masses. Most often, intense pain occurs, but a strong burning sensation in the chest may also be present. The attack lasts a long time, is not relieved by nitroglycerin, does not go away with rest, and is accompanied by shortness of breath, severe weakness, and decreased vision. Myocardial infarction is a life-threatening condition, so the patient needs urgent hospitalization.
3. A sharp rise in blood pressure may occur with a burning sensation in the chest. During a hypertensive crisis, the patient feels weakness, headache, dizziness, nausea, spots appear before the eyes and tinnitus.
4. Inflammatory processes in the heart can also be manifested by a burning sensation in the chest. Typically, this condition is preceded by an infectious disease, most often of viral origin, or a severe bruise in the chest area. Unpleasant sensations can spread to the right or left side and intensify with changes in body position.
5. A very dangerous condition is pulmonary embolism.
   It occurs if blood clots are present in the vessels of the lower extremities - when they break off, they rise up the bloodstream and clog the pulmonary vessels. In addition to a burning sensation behind the sternum, the patient is bothered by severe shortness of breath, coughing (sometimes with blood), and severe cyanosis appears. In such a situation, emergency hospitalization is necessary. At risk are patients with varicose veins, smokers, and patients on the first day after surgery.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:

1. Esophageal pathology is considered perhaps the most common cause of burning in the chest. It occurs as a result of the reflux of acidic gastric contents into the esophagus, which leads to damage to its mucous membrane. A burning sensation appears after eating food (especially spicy, fatty, smoked and fried), when wearing tight belts and taking a horizontal position immediately after eating.

2. Inflammatory processes in the pancreas and gall bladder are often accompanied by a burning sensation in the chest. This symptom appears a couple of hours after eating and may be accompanied by nausea and heaviness in the stomach.

Respiratory diseases:
In case of inflammation of the bronchi or lungs (bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy), in addition to coughing and fever, the patient may be bothered by a burning sensation in the chest.

In addition, diseases characterized by a burning sensation behind the sternum include intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis, intercostal myositis, and vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Which doctors should I contact if I have a burning sensation in the chest?

If a burning sensation behind the sternum is accompanied by a sharp deterioration in condition, weakness, an increase in pain, shortness of breath, coughing, or dizziness, you must immediately call an ambulance.

In other cases, you should also not postpone your visit to the doctor. Since this symptom has many causes, it is advisable to first turn to. He will prescribe examinations and, if necessary, refer to other specialists: a cardiologist; gastroenterologist; pulmonologist; neurologist.

Diagnosis and examinations for burning sensation behind the sternum

Making a diagnosis begins with a thorough history taking into account all the patient’s complaints and a physical examination.

To exclude cardiovascular pathology, first of all, a chest x-ray or CT scan of the chest and mediastinum is performed, as well as an electrocardiographic study (ECG) or echocardiography (EchoCG).

Pneumonia and bronchitis: what is the difference?

Both diseases affect the human respiratory system, which means they have similar symptoms. It is often difficult to distinguish the two pathologies from each other.

Causes of chest pain when breathing

The most common cause of chest pain when breathing is pleurisy. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the lining around the lungs. There are two layers of pleura: covering the inside of the chest and the pleura covering the lungs. Pleurisy, in addition to pain when breathing, can cause coughing, chest tenderness, and difficulty breathing.

In addition to pleurisy, chest pain during breathing can provoke various diseases. The most common causes of the symptom:

• Rheumatoid arthritis;
• Lungs' cancer;
• Mammary cancer;
• Mesothelioma;
• Lupus;
• Pancreatitis;
• Cirrhosis of the liver;
• Connective tissue disease;
• Viruses, fungi, parasites;
• Pulmonary infarction;
• Injuries to the ribs, sternum;
• Pleural tumors;
• Pulmonary embolism;
• Clogged lungs with particulate matter;
• Congestive heart failure.

How is pneumonia diagnosed?

If a child suffers from the disease, you should seek examination from a pediatrician. If you are an adult, make an appointment with a therapist who will refer you to a specialist if necessary. The doctor will conduct an external examination, collect anamnesis, study the medical history and learn about the symptoms of the disease.

You will be sent for laboratory tests:

• General blood analysis;
• General urine analysis;
• Sputum analysis is carried out to determine the inflammatory process in the body, as well as the causative agent of pneumonia and its sensitivity to antibiotics.

Among the diagnostic research methods you will be prescribed:

• Chest X-ray - shadows appear in the images in areas of tissue damage;
• Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are used as additional measures when other methods do not allow an accurate diagnosis.

Methods for treating pneumonia

If pneumonia is bacterial in nature, antibiotics are prescribed. Their effectiveness can be assessed after 48-72 hours. If the temperature subsides, the cough becomes less frequent, and the patient begins to feel better, the treatment continues. You cannot interrupt the course of medications, and it is important to take them correctly as prescribed by your doctor. If antibiotics do not help, another treatment is prescribed or changed to a drug from another group.

For viral pneumonia, antibiotics are not effective, so antiviral drugs are prescribed. Vitamins and immunomodulators can be prescribed as auxiliary substances.

Once the patient's body temperature has returned to normal, physical therapy can be prescribed. It allows you to remove phlegm from the lungs. For this purpose, herbal medicines are often taken, for example, licorice root or complex breast mixtures.

Along with drug treatment, patients need bed rest, meals containing protein and vitamins, and plenty of warm drinks. For the best effect, therapeutic methods are recommended - electrophoresis, inhalation, massage, magnetic therapy, etc.

Treatment of chest pain when breathing

Treatment of this symptom is primarily aimed at the cause of its occurrence. Each disease requires a specific approach.

Treatments for the most common causes of chest pain when breathing:

• Pulmonary embolism - a course of anticoagulants is prescribed or the blood clot is removed during surgery;
• Pneumonia - doctors prescribe a course of antibiotics, inhalations and saline solutions;
• Pleurisy - therapy is usually complex. Doctors prescribe anti-tuberculosis and antibacterial drugs in combination with immunostimulants;
• Pneumothorax - in advanced cases, the patient is admitted to the hospital and the air is sucked out of the lungs;
• Rib melancholy - anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants and physical therapy are prescribed;
• Angina pectoris - acute attacks are relieved with blockades and painkillers. In addition, diet, β-blockers and acetylsalicylic acid are prescribed.