Right Chest Pain
Important Information about Right Chest Pain
Most people associated any chest pain with a heart attack and while this is one scenario, there are a number of other reasons that you might experience left or right chest pain. Usually, is it pain on the right side of the chest that raises the most concern but we wanted to provide some information showing that while this might be a sign of something serious, it could also be something minor.
For starters, if you have left chest pain, you could be dealing with an illness that is still somewhat misunderstood, Fibromyalgia. The term for this pain is known as Angina, which references a feeling of numbness or heaviness that is felt primarily behind the breastbone although it could spread across the entire chest. In this case, oxygen to the heart muscle is insufficient, thus the pain.
Now, if you feel right chest pain, keep in mind that this is not as common. With this, you might have some kind of cardiovascular issue going on. However, right chest pain could also be an indicator of a problem with the gallbladder and even liver, typically it from inflammation. You might also experience pain on the right side of the chest if you have pulled a muscle connected to the rib from physical exertion or injury.
Of course, if you experience left or right chest pain that is ongoing or becomes worse, or even pain that simply concerns you, then you should see a doctor. Another common cause of right chest pain is from rib subluxation, which is when the ribs have been displaced. In this case, you would likely feel the pain radiating from the front around to the back and when taking in a deep breath, the pain would be much worse.
Another possibility for experiencing right chest pain is inflammation of the liver or even hepatitis. In the case of hepatitis, the liver is diseased. Hepatitis is broken down into two categories. The first is acute hepatitis, which means the disease has been going on for six months or less and the second is chronic hepatitis, meaning the disease of the liver has existed longer than six months. Hepatitis can be caused by a number of things to include virus, fungal toxin, infection, and metabolic disorder but regardless, it is serious and therefore, needs to be diagnosed and treated quickly.
If you have right chest pain you might also have something going on with the pancreas or bladder. Both of these organs are in the upper abdominal area so pain radiating up to the chest is relatively common. Typically, a problem such as this would also include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and a loss of appetite. Blood tests could be done to determine exactly what is occurring in the body.
Right chest pain can also have to do with the gallbladder. Sometimes, when gallstones are present or in the case of having cholecystitis, which means the cholesterol has crystallized, then you might have pain in the chest along with sharp abdominal pain. With this, the pain would be constant and severe. Special tests would be performed to determine if gallstones were the problem and depending on size and number, proper treatment would be provided in the form of medicine or surgery.
Remember, whether you experience left or right chest pain, if the pain is extreme, then never hesitate to call for emergency assistance. It is always better safe than sorry so if you have any concern whatsoever, you should never wait to get help, even if it means calling 911.