What causes chest pain?
Sep 24, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
In general, chest pain may be caused by emotional stress, excessive fatigue, improper diet, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), viral myocarditis, or other factors. It is important to maintain emotional stability, avoid overexertion, eat a balanced diet, reduce intake of high-fat foods, and undergo regular health checkups to monitor heart health. If any discomfort occurs, prompt medical attention is recommended.
Generally, chest pain may be caused by emotional stress, excessive fatigue, improper diet, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), myocarditis, and other factors. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly. Specific analyses are as follows:
1. Emotional Stress
Long-term mental pressure or anxiety can lead to sympathetic nervous system activation, causing increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure, thereby affecting cardiac blood supply and resulting in chest pain. It is advisable to relax the mind during daily life and practice deep breathing exercises.
2. Excessive Fatigue
Prolonged physical or mental labor leading to overexertion increases myocardial oxygen consumption. At such times, coronary blood supply may be insufficient to meet demand, ultimately causing myocardial ischemia and hypoxia, which triggers chest pain. It is important to arrange work and rest periods reasonably and ensure adequate sleep.
3. Improper Diet
Consuming excessive high-fat foods or eating food that is too hot or too cold can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, leading to gastrointestinal dysfunction. This may affect the heart via neural reflexes, causing chest pain. Adjust dietary habits by eating smaller, more frequent meals and avoiding spicy, greasy, raw, or cold foods.
4. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
GERD is commonly associated with factors such as obesity or vomiting. Stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus irritates the esophageal mucosa, causing chest pain, possibly accompanied by symptoms like acid regurgitation and nausea. Patients are advised to take medications such as omeprazole enteric-coated capsules, ranitidine hydrochloride tablets, or rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets as directed by a physician to relieve symptoms.
5. Myocarditis
Myocarditis may result from bacterial infections or low immune function, leading to abnormalities in cardiac structure and function and causing chest pain. Symptoms may also include fever and general fatigue. Patients are advised to take medications such as coenzyme Q10 capsules, vitamin C injection, or ribavirin injection under medical guidance to alleviate symptoms.
In daily life, it is important to maintain emotional stability, avoid excessive fatigue, follow a balanced diet, reduce intake of high-fat foods, and undergo regular health check-ups to monitor heart health.
