What causes severe pain in the sternum area? Is it a heart attack or something else? Explore the common causes of sternum pain, including costochondritis, injuries, and digestive issues.

Sternum Pain: What Is It?

Pain in your sternum, or breastbone, may be caused by a number of things, including inflammation, a joint or collarbone injury, and acid reflux. Pain in your sternum may also happen with a heart attack, but this is more likely if you’re over the age of 40 and have heart disease.

Your sternum, or breastbone, connects the two sides of your rib cage together. It sits in front of many major organs located in your chest and gut, including your heart, lungs, and stomach. As a result, many conditions that don’t necessarily have anything to do with your sternum may cause pain in your sternum and the surrounding area.

Your first reaction to chest pain, especially severe or consistent chest pain, may be to think it’s a heart attack. But in many cases, chest pain has nothing to do with your heart. This is especially true if you’re under age 40 and don’t have any serious health issues or existing conditions.

Sternum pain is actually more likely caused by conditions that have to do with your muscles, your bones, or your digestive tract than with your heart or the sternum itself. Keep reading to learn the most common reasons for sternum pain and when you should see your doctor.

Costochondritis: The Most Common Cause of Sternum Pain

The most common cause of sternum pain is a condition called costochondritis. This occurs when the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum becomes inflamed.

Symptoms of costochondritis include:

• Sharp pains or aches on the side of your sternum area
• Pain or discomfort in one or more ribs
• Pain or discomfort that gets worse when you cough or breathe in deeply

Costochondritis doesn’t always have a specific cause, but it’s most often a result of a chest injury, strain from physical activity, or joint conditions like osteoarthritis. Costochondritis isn’t a serious condition and shouldn’t cause you to be concerned.

Should you see a doctor for costochondritis? See your doctor if the pain persists or if you have other symptoms that might indicate a more serious underlying condition.

Other Causes of Sternum Pain

Conditions or injuries to the muscles and bones around your sternum can also cause sternum pain. This includes:

• Joint injury
• Collarbone (clavicle) injury
• Fractures
• Hernias
• Surgery on the sternum (such as open heart surgery)

These aren’t the only musculoskeletal conditions that may make your sternum hurt, but they’re among the most common.

Sternoclavicular Joint Injury

The sternoclavicular joint (SC joint) connects the top of your sternum with your collarbone (clavicle). Injury to this joint can cause pain and discomfort in your sternum and in the area in your upper chest where this joint exists.

Common symptoms of injury to this joint include:

• Feeling mild pain or having aching and swelling around your upper chest and collarbone area
• Hearing pops or clicks in the joint area
• Feeling stiff around the joint or not being able to fully move your shoulder

Collarbone Trauma

The collarbone is directly connected to your sternum, so injuries, dislocation, fractures, or other trauma to the collarbone can affect the sternum. Common symptoms of collarbone trauma include:

• Bruises or bumps around area of collarbone injury
• Intense pain when you try to move your arm upwards
• Swelling or tenderness around collarbone area
• Pops, clicks, or grinding noises when you lift your arm
• Abnormal frontward sagging of your shoulder

Sternum Fracture

Fracturing your sternum can cause a lot of pain, because your sternum is involved in many of your upper body movements. This type of injury is often caused by blunt force injuries to your chest. Examples of this include your seat belt tightening in a car accident or your chest getting hit while you’re playing sports or doing other high-impact physical activity.

Common symptoms include:

• Pain when you breathe in or cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Pops, clicks, or grinding noises when you move your arms
• Swelling and tenderness over the sternum

Muscle Strain or Hernia

Pulling or straining a muscle in your chest can cause pain around your sternum. Common symptoms of a pulled muscle include:

• Pain around the pulled muscle
• Discomfort when using the affected muscle
• Bruising or tenderness around the affected muscle

A hernia can also cause sternum pain. A hernia happens when an organ is pushed or pulled from the area where it normally sits into a nearby part of the body.

The most common kind is a hiatal hernia. This happens when your stomach moves up past your diaphragm into your chest cavity.

Common symptoms of a hiatal hernia include:

• Frequent burping
• Heartburn
• Having trouble swallowing
• Feeling like you ate too much
• Throwing up blood
• Having black-colored stool

Digestive Issues and Sternum Pain

Your sternum sits right in front of several major digestive organs. Conditions that affect your esophagus, stomach, and intestines can all cause sternum pain. Having heartburn or acid reflux after a meal are the most common gastrointestinal causes for sternum pain.

Heartburn happens when acid from your stomach backs up into your esophagus. This can cause a burning sensation in your chest, which may be felt in the area around your sternum.

Sternum Pain: What Is It?

Pain in your sternum, or breastbone, may be caused by a number of things, including inflammation, a joint or collarbone injury, and acid reflux. Pain in your sternum may also happen with a heart attack, but this is more likely if you’re over the age of 40 and have heart disease.

Your sternum, or breastbone, connects the two sides of your rib cage together. It sits in front of many major organs located in your chest and gut, including your heart, lungs, and stomach. As a result, many conditions that don’t necessarily have anything to do with your sternum may cause pain in your sternum and the surrounding area.

Your first reaction to chest pain, especially severe or consistent chest pain, may be to think it’s a heart attack. But in many cases, chest pain has nothing to do with your heart. This is especially true if you’re under age 40 and don’t have any serious health issues or existing conditions.

Sternum pain is actually more likely caused by conditions that have to do with your muscles, your bones, or your digestive tract than with your heart or the sternum itself.

Keep reading to learn the most common reasons for sternum pain and when you should see your doctor.

The most common cause of sternum pain is a condition called costochondritis. This occurs when the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum becomes inflamed.

Symptoms of costochondritis include:

• sharp pains or aches on the side of your sternum area
• pain or discomfort in one or more ribs
• pain or discomfort that gets worse when you cough or breathe in deeply

Costochondritis doesn’t always have a specific cause, but it’s most often a result of a chest injury, strain from physical activity, or joint conditions like osteoarthritis. Costochondritis isn’t a serious condition and shouldn’t cause you to be concerned.

See your doctor if the pain persists or if you have other symptoms that might indicate a more serious underlying condition.

Conditions or injuries to the muscles and bones around your sternum can also cause sternum pain.

This includes:

• joint injury
• collarbone (clavicle) injury
• fractures
• hernias
• surgery on the sternum (such as open heart surgery)

These aren’t the only musculoskeletal conditions that may make your sternum hurt, but they’re among the most common.

Sternoclavicular joint injury

The sternoclavicular joint (SC joint) connects the top of your sternum with your collarbone (clavicle). Injury to this joint can cause pain and discomfort in your sternum and in the area in your upper chest where this joint exists.

Common symptoms of injury to this joint include:

• feeling mild pain or having aching and swelling around your upper chest and collarbone area
• hearing pops or clicks in the joint area
• feeling stiff around the joint or not being able to fully move your shoulder

Collarbone trauma

The collarbone is directly connected to your sternum, so injuries, dislocation, fractures, or other trauma to the collarbone can affect the sternum.

Common symptoms of collarbone trauma include:

• bruises or bumps around area of collarbone injury
• intense pain when you try to move your arm upwards
• swelling or tenderness around collarbone area
• pops, clicks, or grinding noises when you lift your arm
• abnormal frontward sagging of your shoulder

Sternum fracture

Fracturing your sternum can cause a lot of pain, because your sternum is involved in many of your upper body movements. This type of injury is often caused by blunt force injuries to your chest. Examples of this include your seat belt tightening in a car accident or your chest getting hit while you’re playing sports or doing other high-impact physical activity.

Common symptoms include:

• pain when you breathe in or cough
• difficulty breathing
• pops, clicks, or grinding noises when you move your arms
• swelling and tenderness over the sternum

Muscle strain or hernia

Pulling or straining a muscle in your chest can cause pain around your sternum.

Common symptoms of a pulled muscle include:

• pain around the pulled muscle
• discomfort when using the affected muscle
• bruising or tenderness around the affected muscle

A hernia can also cause sternum pain. A hernia happens when an organ is pushed or pulled from the area where it normally sits into a nearby part of the body.

The most common kind is a hiatal hernia. This happens when your stomach moves up past your diaphragm into your chest cavity.

Common symptoms of a hiatal hernia include:

• frequent burping
• heartburn
• having trouble swallowing
• feeling like you ate too much
• throwing up blood
• having black-colored stool

Check out: Muscle strain treatment »

Your sternum sits right in front of several major digestive organs. Conditions that affect your esophagus, stomach, and intestines can all cause sternum pain. Having heartburn or acid reflux after a meal are the most common gastrointestinal causes for sternum pain.

Heartburn

Heartburn happens when acid from your stomach leaks into your esophagus and causes chest pain. It’s common to get right after you eat. Pain usually gets worse when you lie down or bend forward.

Heartburn usually goes away without treatment after a short time.

Check out: Post-meal tips to ease heartburn »

Acid reflux

Acid reflux is similar to heartburn, but happens when stomach acid or even what’s in your stomach starts to bother or wear away the lining of your esophagus. It can be part of a chronic condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Symptoms of acid reflux include:

• burning in your chest
• abnormal bitter taste in your mouth
• difficulty swallowing
• coughing
• throat soreness or hoarseness
• feeling like you have a lump in your throat

Learn more: How to prevent acid reflux and heartburn »

Conditions that affect your lungs, windpipe (trachea), and other parts of your body that help you breathe can cause sternum pain.

Pleurisy

Pleurisy happens when your pleura gets inflamed. The pleura is made up of tissue within your chest cavity and around your lungs. In some cases, fluid can build up around this tissue. This is called pleural effusion.

Common symptoms include:

• sharp pain when you breathe in, sneeze, or cough
• feeling like you can’t get enough air
• an abnormal cough
• fever (in rare cases)

Bronchitis

Bronchitis happens when the bronchial tubes that bring air into your lungs become inflamed. It often happens when you get the flu or a cold.

Bronchitis pain can also make your sternum hurt as you breathe in and out. It can last only briefly (acute bronchitis) or become a long-term condition (chronic bronchitis) due to smoking or infections.

Common bronchitis symptoms include:

• persistent wet cough that causes you to spit up mucus
• wheezing
• difficulty breathing
• pain or discomfort in your chest

Flu or cold symptoms that can go along with bronchitis include:

• high fever
• exhaustion
• runny nose
• diarrhea
• vomiting

Check out: 7 home remedies for bronchitis »

Pneumonia

Pneumonia happens when your lungs get infected by a virus or bacteria.

Common symptoms of pneumonia include:

• difficulty breathing
• high fever
• persistent cough

Other conditions that affect your gastrointestinal tract or your chest muscles can cause sternum pain.

Stomach ulcer

A stomach ulcer (peptic ulcer) happens when you get a sore on the lining of your stomach or at the bottom of your esophagus.

Symptoms of a stomach ulcer include:

• stomach pain, especially on an empty stomach, that responds to antacids
• feeling bloated
• nausea
• lack of appetite

Panic attack

A panic attack happens when you suddenly feel fear, as if something dangerous or threatening is happening, with no actual reason to be afraid. It’s often a result of stress or a symptom of mental health conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression.

Symptoms of a panic attack include:

• feeling like something bad is about to happen
• feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• having trouble breathing or swallowing
• sweating
• feeling alternately hot and cold
• stomach cramps
• chest pain

Check out: 11 ways to stop a panic attack »

Sternum pain can sometimes be the result of a heart attack. This is much less likely if you’re under age 40 or are in overall good health. They’re more likely to happen if you’re over 40 and have an existing condition, such as heart disease.

A heart attack is life-threatening. You should go to the emergency room right away if you have any symptoms besides sternum pain that may indicate a heart attack, especially if they appear without any obvious cause or if you’ve had a heart attack before.

Symptoms of a heart attack include:

• chest pain in the middle or left side of your chest
• pain or discomfort in your upper body, including your arms, shoulder, and jaw
• feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• having trouble breathing
• sweating
• nausea

The more of these symptoms you have, the more likely that you’re having a heart attack.

See your doctor right away if you have heart attack symptoms or symptoms that cause you sharp, consistent pain that gets in the way of your daily life.

You should also see your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• sternum and general chest pain that has no obvious cause
• sweating, dizziness, or nausea with no specific cause
• trouble breathing
• pain that spreads from your chest throughout your upper body
• chest tightness

If you’re experiencing other symptoms and they last for more than a few days, talk to your doctor.

You can find a primary care doctor near you through the Healthline FindCare tool.

Your next steps depend on what condition might be causing your sternum pain and how severe the condition is.

You may just need to take over-the-counter pain medication or change your diet. But you may need long-term treatment if the underlying condition is more serious. In some cases, you may need surgery to treat a heart or gastrointestinal condition.

Once your doctor diagnoses the cause, they can develop a treatment plan that can help relieve the symptoms and causes of your sternum pain.

Sternum Pain: What Is It?

Pain in your sternum, or breastbone, may be caused by a number of things, including inflammation, a joint or collarbone injury, and acid reflux. Pain in your sternum may also happen with a heart attack, but this is more likely if you’re over the age of 40 and have heart disease.

Your sternum, or breastbone, connects the two sides of your rib cage together. It sits in front of many major organs located in your chest and gut, including your heart, lungs, and stomach. As a result, many conditions that don’t necessarily have anything to do with your sternum may cause pain in your sternum and the surrounding area.

Your first reaction to chest pain, especially severe or consistent chest pain, may be to think it’s a heart attack. But in many cases, chest pain has nothing to do with your heart. This is especially true if you’re under age 40 and don’t have any serious health issues or existing conditions.

Sternum pain is actually more likely caused by conditions that have to do with your muscles, your bones, or your digestive tract than with your heart or the sternum itself.

Keep reading to learn the most common reasons for sternum pain and when you should see your doctor.

The most common cause of sternum pain is a condition called costochondritis. This occurs when the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum becomes inflamed.

Symptoms of costochondritis include:

• sharp pains or aches on the side of your sternum area
• pain or discomfort in one or more ribs
• pain or discomfort that gets worse when you cough or breathe in deeply

Costochondritis doesn’t always have a specific cause, but it’s most often a result of a chest injury, strain from physical activity, or joint conditions like osteoarthritis. Costochondritis isn’t a serious condition and shouldn’t cause you to be concerned.

See your doctor if the pain persists or if you have other symptoms that might indicate a more serious underlying condition.

Conditions or injuries to the muscles and bones around your sternum can also cause sternum pain.

This includes:

• joint injury
• collarbone (clavicle) injury
• fractures
• hernias
• surgery on the sternum (such as open heart surgery)

These aren’t the only musculoskeletal conditions that may make your sternum hurt, but they’re among the most common.

Sternoclavicular joint injury

The sternoclavicular joint (SC joint) connects the top of your sternum with your collarbone (clavicle). Injury to this joint can cause pain and discomfort in your sternum and in the area in your upper chest where this joint exists.

Common symptoms of injury to this joint include:

• feeling mild pain or having aching and swelling around your upper chest and collarbone area
• hearing pops or clicks in the joint area
• feeling stiff around the joint or not being able to fully move your shoulder

Collarbone trauma

The collarbone is directly connected to your sternum, so injuries, dislocation, fractures, or other trauma to the collarbone can affect the sternum.

Common symptoms of collarbone trauma include:

• bruises or bumps around area of collarbone injury
• intense pain when you try to move your arm upwards
• swelling or tenderness around collarbone area
• pops, clicks, or grinding noises when you lift your arm
• abnormal frontward sagging of your shoulder

Sternum fracture

Fracturing your sternum can cause a lot of pain, because your sternum is involved in many of your upper body movements. This type of injury is often caused by blunt force injuries to your chest. Examples of this include your seat belt tightening in a car accident or your chest getting hit while you’re playing sports or doing other high-impact physical activity.

Common symptoms include:

• pain when you breathe in or cough
• difficulty breathing
• pops, clicks, or grinding noises when you move your arms
• swelling and tenderness over the sternum

Muscle strain or hernia

Pulling or straining a muscle in your chest can cause pain around your sternum.

Common symptoms of a pulled muscle include:

• pain around the pulled muscle
• discomfort when using the affected muscle
• bruising or tenderness around the affected muscle

A hernia can also cause sternum pain. A hernia happens when an organ is pushed or pulled from the area where it normally sits into a nearby part of the body.

The most common kind is a hiatal hernia. This happens when your stomach moves up past your diaphragm into your chest cavity.

Common symptoms of a hiatal hernia include:

• frequent burping
• heartburn
• having trouble swallowing
• feeling like you ate too much
• throwing up blood
• having black-colored stool

Check out: Muscle strain treatment »

Your sternum sits right in front of several major digestive organs. Conditions that affect your esophagus, stomach, and intestines can all cause sternum pain. Having heartburn or acid reflux after a meal are the most common gastrointestinal causes for sternum pain.

Heartburn

Heartburn happens when acid from your stomach leaks into your esophagus and causes chest pain. It’s common to get right after you eat. Pain usually gets worse when you lie down or bend forward.

Heartburn usually goes away without treatment after a short time.

Check out: Post-meal tips to ease heartburn »

Acid reflux

Acid reflux is similar to heartburn, but happens when stomach acid or even what’s in your stomach starts to bother or wear away the lining of your esophagus. It can be part of a chronic condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Symptoms of acid reflux include:

• burning in your chest
• abnormal bitter taste in your mouth
• difficulty swallowing
• coughing
• throat soreness or hoarseness
• feeling like you have a lump in your throat

Learn more: How to prevent acid reflux and heartburn »

Conditions that affect your lungs, windpipe (trachea), and other parts of your body that help you breathe can cause sternum pain.

Pleurisy

Pleurisy happens when your pleura gets inflamed. The pleura is made up of tissue within your chest cavity and around your lungs. In some cases, fluid can build up around this tissue. This is called pleural effusion.

Common symptoms include:

• sharp pain when you breathe in, sneeze, or cough
• feeling like you can’t get enough air
• an abnormal cough
• fever (in rare cases)

Bronchitis

Bronchitis happens when the bronchial tubes that bring air into your lungs become inflamed. It often happens when you get the flu or a cold.

Bronchitis pain can also make your sternum hurt as you breathe in and out. It can last only briefly (acute bronchitis) or become a long-term condition (chronic bronchitis) due to smoking or infections.

Common bronchitis symptoms include:

• persistent wet cough that causes you to spit up mucus
• wheezing
• difficulty breathing
• pain or discomfort in your chest

Flu or cold symptoms that can go along with bronchitis include:

• high fever
• exhaustion
• runny nose
• diarrhea
• vomiting

Check out: 7 home remedies for bronchitis »

Pneumonia

Pneumonia happens when your lungs get infected by a virus or bacteria.

Common symptoms of pneumonia include:

• difficulty breathing
• high fever
• persistent cough

Other conditions that affect your gastrointestinal tract or your chest muscles can cause sternum pain.

Stomach ulcer

A stomach ulcer (peptic ulcer) happens when you get a sore on the lining of your stomach or at the bottom of your esophagus.

Symptoms of a stomach ulcer include:

• stomach pain, especially on an empty stomach, that responds to antacids
• feeling bloated
• nausea
• lack of appetite

Panic attack

A panic attack happens when you suddenly feel fear, as if something dangerous or threatening is happening, with no actual reason to be afraid. It’s often a result of stress or a symptom of mental health conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression.

Symptoms of a panic attack include:

• feeling like something bad is about to happen
• feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• having trouble breathing or swallowing
• sweating
• feeling alternately hot and cold
• stomach cramps
• chest pain

Check out: 11 ways to stop a panic attack »

Sternum pain can sometimes be the result of a heart attack. This is much less likely if you’re under age 40 or are in overall good health. They’re more likely to happen if you’re over 40 and have an existing condition, such as heart disease.

A heart attack is life-threatening. You should go to the emergency room right away if you have any symptoms besides sternum pain that may indicate a heart attack, especially if they appear without any obvious cause or if you’ve had a heart attack before.

Symptoms of a heart attack include:

• chest pain in the middle or left side of your chest
• pain or discomfort in your upper body, including your arms, shoulder, and jaw
• feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• having trouble breathing
• sweating
• nausea

The more of these symptoms you have, the more likely that you’re having a heart attack.

See your doctor right away if you have heart attack symptoms or symptoms that cause you sharp, consistent pain that gets in the way of your daily life.

You should also see your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• sternum and general chest pain that has no obvious cause
• sweating, dizziness, or nausea with no specific cause
• trouble breathing
• pain that spreads from your chest throughout your upper body
• chest tightness

If you’re experiencing other symptoms and they last for more than a few days, talk to your doctor.

You can find a primary care doctor near you through the Healthline FindCare tool.

Your next steps depend on what condition might be causing your sternum pain and how severe the condition is.

You may just need to take over-the-counter pain medication or change your diet. But you may need long-term treatment if the underlying condition is more serious. In some cases, you may need surgery to treat a heart or gastrointestinal condition.

Once your doctor diagnoses the cause, they can develop a treatment plan that can help relieve the symptoms and causes of your sternum pain.

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What should I do if it burns and hurts in the sternum?

The feeling of burning pain that occurs in the chest area naturally causes anxiety in a person. Pain can occur in men and women of any age, localized in the center of the sternum, occur to the left or right of it. If the symptom is severe, worries regularly, and even more so for a long time, you should seek medical help.

What diseases can cause burning sensation in the chest?

Burning in the sternum in the middle, to the right or to the left of the center of the chest, radiating to different parts of the body or concentrating in one point, has many causes. Various organs are located in this area of ​​the body. Violation of the work of any of them may be accompanied by a burning sensation. Pain can be due to problems with the heart, spine, throat, digestive system, lungs, etc. Psychological problems that cause such discomfort are not uncommon.

The nature of the pain, its course will differ depending on the cause that caused it. This specificity may suggest which specialist to contact for an initial consultation. The exact cause of discomfort in each case can only be determined by a doctor.

Liver and biliary tract

Inflammation of the liver and its ducts, pancreas, gallbladder, hepatitis, hepatosis, cirrhosis – the chest reacts to all these diseases. Symptoms of the disease of these organs – discomfort behind the sternum on the right, can be given in the right arm, shoulder blade, neck. Unpleasant sensations are not acute, they are paroxysmal in nature. The pain is associated with eating, especially fatty, heavy, fried foods; has nothing to do with movement. Additional symptoms: yellow coating on the tongue, a bitter taste in the mouth, dark urine and light feces.

Consultation of a therapist, infectious disease specialist, surgeon is indicated.

Gastrointestinal tract

Soreness behind the sternum on the right and in the center, in addition to the liver, gives the stomach and duodenum. It is caused by:

• reflux esophagitis – inflammation of the esophageal mucosa due to constant ingestion of acid from the stomach; burning in the chest may occur intermittently or be permanent;
• intestinal colic – due to a systemic malfunction in the gastrointestinal tract, the pathology manifests itself, including acid belching, pain in the sternum and solar plexus;
• stomach ulcer – disturbed by stabbing pains behind the sternum that occur after eating;
• gastritis, especially with high acidity – there is heartburn, pain, a feeling of heat in the thoracic region, because. gastric juice affects the esophagus;
• pancreatitis – sharp, burning pains develop in the chest, mainly on the left;
• injury of the esophagus, the presence of foreign bodies in it – the organ can be damaged mechanically, thermally, chemically, which causes the appearance of persistent pain in the chest.

The feeling of discomfort behind the sternum in all these cases is associated with the use of food, but not always harmful – its nature and quality may be different. You need to see a gastroenterologist.

Intercostal neuralgia and myositis

Compression, irritation of the nerves or their roots between the ribs gives severe pain attacks in the chest. Such pain lasts for a long time, regardless of the time of day, increases with movement, coughing, feeling the ribs, does not go away after taking nitroglycerin. If the disease is caused by osteochondrosis, there may be backache in the right side of the neck and arm. Relief is given by warmth, peace, taking painkillers.

In addition to neuralgia, burning pain in the chest can be caused by intercostal myositis, when the intercostal muscles become inflamed. In the case of myositis, edema can develop on the affected part of the chest, the skin turns red, the temperature rises, cough and headache, and sore throat occur.

Treatment is prescribed by a neuropathologist, sometimes a consultation with a neurosurgeon is required.

Inflammation of the lungs

Various lesions of the respiratory system are also causes of burning sensation and pain in the chest. One of the most dangerous conditions is pneumonia, pneumonia.

The lungs themselves do not hurt because they have no nerve endings. With inflammation, the pleura is irritated – the tissue that covers the lungs, the inner surface of the chest wall, and the diaphragm. There is a burning pain in the sternum, aggravated by breathing or coughing. It can hurt both the left and right side, as well as in the middle – depending on where the focus of inflammation has formed. Pneumonia is accompanied by severe weakness, lack of appetite, shortness of breath, feeling short of breath, high or low-grade fever, cough.

Consult a general practitioner or pulmonologist.

Scoliosis

If you have a burning sensation in your chest, you should pay attention to your posture. The curvature of the spine causes the erasure of the intervertebral discs and pinching of the nerve endings, which leads to pain. Discomfort increases with movement, weakens after taking painkillers. You need to seek help from a physiotherapist.

Psychosomatics

In the case of psychosomatic pain, burning sensation in the chest is not associated with movement, breathing, food, ambient temperature, or taking painkillers. On the part of the physical manifestations of the body, everything is also in order. The only guideline is the emotions of a man or a woman. At rest, the well-being of pain is reduced. With stress, emotional overstrain and fatigue, unpleasant sensations increase. Pain relievers sometimes help relieve pain. Consultation of a psychologist, a psychiatrist is required.

When burning in the chest is life-threatening

There are a number of conditions where burning and pain in the sternum requires immediate medical attention and even an ambulance. One of the most important organs in this area is the heart. It is located in the middle of the chest and is only slightly shifted to the left. Therefore, acute pain in this area should alert the person.

Discomfort associated with the heart has a number of features:

• the pain does not depend on the position of the body – the heart hurts equally when lying down, and sitting, and standing;
• respiratory rate does not affect discomfort;
• heart pain does not depend on the time of day;
• Painkillers do not bring relief.

If left untreated, severe pain in the region of the heart can lead to irreversible consequences.

Angina pectoris

The disease is also called “angina pectoris”: the patient experiences a pressing feeling of pain in the left half of the chest, tachycardia. The cause of pain is the lack of oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle, physical or emotional stress, sometimes pain occurs after eating. Relief occurs at rest, after taking a nitroglycerin tablet.

The condition requires an early consultation with a cardiologist, as angina pectoris is fraught with the development of myocardial necrosis. If the pain during the attack is very strong, you need to call an ambulance.

Necrosis of the heart muscle

If angina pectoris does not go away for a long time, nitroglycerin does not help, it may be a heart attack (death of the heart muscle due to circulatory failure). The pain behind the sternum is very strong, it radiates to the left shoulder blade and arm, the skin turns pale, perspiration appears, breathing is lost, blood pressure drops sharply, nausea and a feeling of panic occur.

You need to urgently go to the hospital: call an ambulance or take the patient to the emergency room yourself.

Myocarditis

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the muscular tissue of the heart, which can be viral, bacterial, toxic or allergic. It develops more often in men. Myocarditis is dangerous because from a state that is almost asymptomatic, it can quickly go into the stage of cardiogenic shock and sudden death.

Cardiogenic shock is a sharp decrease in the contractility of the heart muscle, which disrupts the blood supply to all organs and systems. The person experiences severe pain in the chest, as in a heart attack. An ambulance call is required, then treatment by a cardiologist.

Pain like this

Chest pain can be caused by a number of factors:

• excessive exercise;
• injuries;
• hiatal hernia;
• herpes zoster;
• rheumatism;
• cardioneurosis;
• vegetovascular dystonia;
• SARS, throat diseases, influenza;
• premenstrual syndrome and mastopathy in women.

Pregnancy and breast burning

Women often experience chest discomfort during pregnancy. It can be caused by:

• pressure of the growing fetus on the diaphragm;
• breast enlargement and compression of the lung zone;
• stress due to upcoming changes in life and childbirth.

After the baby is born, chest discomfort usually goes away without any treatment. However, if they persist, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination.

Diagnosis and treatment

It is important to understand that burning in the sternum can be a symptom of very serious pathologies, and therefore self-diagnosis and self-treatment are strictly unacceptable. Chest pain requires qualified medical attention.

When contacting a doctor, usually a general practitioner, the patient will be interviewed, an anamnesis taken, and auscultation of the lungs performed. Then the doctor will prescribe a series of examinations:

• general and biochemical blood tests, as well as a blood test for cholesterol;
• tests for tuberculosis;
• chest x-ray;
• ECG;
• CT, MRI, ultrasound of disturbing organs;
• consultations of narrow specialists.

Depending on the diagnosis, treatment is prescribed:

• If inflammation of the respiratory system is detected, the patient will need antibiotics, antiviral drugs, and mucolytic agents.
• For the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, antisecretory drugs, antispasmodics, antacids, enzymes, probiotics are used.
• Neurological diseases will require the use of NSAIDs, B vitamins, sedatives.
• Treatment of cardiovascular diseases will not do without beta-blockers, diuretics, antiplatelet agents.

Prevention

In order to live a long and fulfilling life without serious diseases, you need to be attentive to your health:

• treat any diseases in time, including caries, inflamed tonsils, other foci of infection in the body;
• eat well, getting enough nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber;
• sleep at least 8 hours a day, have a good rest;
• regularly give the body feasible physical activity;
• undergo preventive medical examinations every six months.

There is no single way to eliminate unpleasant burning in the chest area. If disturbing symptoms appear, contact a specialist – timely treatment will allow you to forget about the problem and restore the previous quality of life.

Chest pain, diagnosis and treatment of chest pain

When chest pain occurs , the first concern is that it is the heart. In fact, many conditions can be hidden under this pain syndrome. For example, painful sensations in the area are provoked by: the musculoskeletal system, digestive organs, lungs and other organs.

When chest pain occurs , it is important to establish its root cause, as it may indicate a serious pathology. If the pain syndrome manifests itself during exercise and disappears a few minutes after it ends, then we are not talking about something critical. It is simply desirable to pass or take place inspection at the family doctor. The appearance of pain at rest already signals serious problems, and it is advisable to consult a doctor immediately.

Causes of chest pain

Traditionally, there are causes of chest pain related to the heart and not related. The first include the following pains:

• With angina pectoris (ischemic heart disease). Caused by a lack of oxygen to the cells with increasing loads. Limited oxygen supply usually occurs due to narrowing of the blood vessels that feed the heart. The pain syndrome is short-term, has a compressive or pressing character, is felt behind the sternum or, in some cases, in the left half of the chest. The pain disappears after the end of the load or due to the intake of nitropreparations.
• In myocardial infarction. The nature of the pain is angina pectoris, but it lasts longer, is accompanied by shortness of breath and cold sweat. The end of the load does not lead to the disappearance of painful sensations, nitropreparations do not help.
• Pseudo-angina. The pain has the same properties as in angina pectoris, but it occurs due to other reasons: hypertensive crisis, heart defects, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, banal heart overload.
• Cardialgia. Painful sensations that occur when the regulation of the activity of the heart muscle from the nervous system is disturbed.

An accurate diagnosis can be made by a qualified doctor, so it is better to stop trying to diagnose yourself. The risk of error is too great.

If it hurts in the chest, and it is not related to the heart

You can name such common causes as:

• Osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic spine. Pain is strong and prolonged, localization as in angina pectoris. They can “give” to the left hand. It is possible to understand that pains in the chest area arose for this reason because they increase with the movement of the hands, turning the head.
• Tietze syndrome. Pain appears due to inflammation of the cartilage in the area of ​​​​their attachment to the sternum.
• Pleurisy. With inflammation of the membrane that lines the inside of the chest and covers the lungs, most often there is pain in the chest that increases with inhalation. They are acute in nature and usually have a clear localization.
• Muscle inflammation, muscle spasms. Painful sensations clearly arise when turning the body or moving the arms.
• Pathology of the esophagus. With spasm of the esophagus, achalasia, a pain syndrome occurs, which manifests itself during meals. It can have a different character, but usually passes within an hour.
• Diseases of the pancreas, gallbladder. They provoke pain in the epigastric cavity, which also radiate to the chest area.

These are the main reasons. However, it is not so much the reason that is important, but the very fact of deviation from the norm.

“Any pain that occurs in the chest area, especially if it happens for the first time, is reason enough to immediately visit your doctor and sign up for an examination. The sooner this is done, the greater the chance of avoiding irreparable consequences.”

Diagnosis and treatment

In medicine today, effective diagnostic techniques are used that allow one to accurately determine the causes of pain. Including, even if they are provoked by diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Depending on the initial examination and anamnesis, a qualified doctor may prescribe an examination:

• electrocardiography. Shows the electrical activity of the heart, allows you to exclude a heart attack from the causes;
• radiography, CT, MRI, ultrasound of the chest. All these techniques make it possible to assess the state of internal organs, tissues, muscles, etc. With their help, injuries, neoplasms and other pathological changes are determined.

If the examination showed that chest pain when coughing or any other is provoked by the musculoskeletal system, then at the Modus Medical Center you can undergo a course of treatment that will relieve you of this problem. With the help of kinesitherapy, as well as active-passive rehabilitation therapy, the root cause of pain is eliminated. We work not with symptoms (effect), but with causes. Due to this, a long-term effect of treatment in the Modus center is ensured.