Should my chest pains be something serious at age 16?!
Question: Just a few days ago (Sunday to be exact), I just healed from pains located near my flank areas. An hour after I woke up, I started to feel a sharp and tightening pain on the left side of my chest (left pectorial area). I figured with a few aspirins it would relieve the pain and so it did, but it came back a few hours later. Yesterday, I felt better until after school it started again but it was in the shoulder and on my back near the left shoulder blade. I didn't treat it with meds; instead, I used a heating pad and went to sleep with it. So today I felt no pain when I woke up but in the middle of school i felt that sharp tight pressure feeling in my left chest/shoulder/shoulder blade area. I was wondering is this something like a pinched nerve? Or can I have serious problems, especially with the heart, at the age of 16. Answer are much appreciated!
Answers: Just a few days ago (Sunday to be exact), I just healed from pains located near my flank areas. An hour after I woke up, I started to feel a sharp and tightening pain on the left side of my chest (left pectorial area). I figured with a few aspirins it would relieve the pain and so it did, but it came back a few hours later. Yesterday, I felt better until after school it started again but it was in the shoulder and on my back near the left shoulder blade. I didn't treat it with meds; instead, I used a heating pad and went to sleep with it. So today I felt no pain when I woke up but in the middle of school i felt that sharp tight pressure feeling in my left chest/shoulder/shoulder blade area. I was wondering is this something like a pinched nerve? Or can I have serious problems, especially with the heart, at the age of 16. Answer are much appreciated!
did you recently
a) get into a car accident?
b) participate in any kind of athletic activity?
c) do any heavy lifting?
sounds like it could be costochondritis (inflammation of cartilage of ribs) or a pulled muscle. i had costochondritis for a while after a car accident and kept aggrevating it with field hockey and swimming. It's incredibly painful, I used to wake up with really intense pains and get them during the day, think I had them for about 9 months on/off before they completely went away.. i seriously thought i was having a heart attack the fist few times.
the most important thing is to see a doctor as soon as possible so they can give you the proper testing and treatment (they'll probably do an EKG to rule out any heart issues)
Can be a number of things:
-Is your heart rate elevated (fast) could be SVT
-Are you normally quite fit? Could be an MI (highly unlikely)
-Do you have a family history of cardiac problems? MI
-I don't care if you have or haven't, but have you taken any drungs/ drunk alcohol recently?
-Have you eaten much in the past couple of days or thrown up recently? hypokalemia
Why are you asking this online- GO TO A DOCTOR!