Thursday, February 16, 2012

Monday, November 10, 2008 bassbill42 asks

Q: I have a deep seated pain in the upper left portion of my chest,just to the right of my armpit.

It's not always painful.Seems to be brought on by movements like turning or bending.Feels much like a sore muscle but it has been there for years.Sometimes worse than others but always there to some degree.I smoked for some 20 years,now quit.I have a horrible diet of fast foods.I do get exercise.42 yrs old.Whadda think?

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Answers (3)
11/11/08 7:16pm

Hello bassbill42

 

Any chest pain, and more generally any pain, is a sign that something is going on in your body.  Persistent pain, no matter where the location, is a good reason to make an appointment with your physician.

Concerning symptoms for cardiac causes of chest pain included left-sided pain that is described as pressure or tightness.  Also, pain radiating to the jaw or arm, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath and sweating are signs that your heart might be causing your symptoms.

However these symptoms are certainly not the only manifestations of heart problems!  Especially in women and people with diabetes, heart problems have many different and less serious-seeming presentations.

Symptoms that are less concerning for cardiac causes of chest pain include pain reproduced by palpation, pain caused by recent trauma to your chest wall, or pain that becomes worse or better depending on the position of your body.

For your own piece of mind, and to diagnose what is causing your pain, make an appointment with your physician.  She will examine you, likely order blood tests, an EKG, and possibly a chest x-ray.  And if you cannot get an appointment with your doctor, the pain does not get better, or certainly if it gets worse,  stop by your local ER.

 

To your health,

Neil MD

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11/13/08 9:35am

lung cancer is a posible and a blockage in the upper part of th e lung or heart

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11/13/08 11:54am

Blieve it or not it could be gas trapped in that portion of your body. I had this for two weeks and went to the doctor. Gas trapped. But well worth the forty dollars to make sure it was not a heart attack.

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