how many people experience chest pain?? causes??

[eddy1608]

hi, i am 25 no family history of heart problems in the last 2 yrs i ve had 3 ecgs and blood tests all normal but i still feel aches and pain in my chest area everyday for the last 16 months or so. i ve been told its anxiety but obviously suffering health anxiety i think its heart related. i have also been refereed to physio due to poor posture as i walk and sit hunched over so that could also be making the problem. does anyone else get this or has had it and got through it???? and giving the info do u think it is heart related i know you cant diagnose and i wouldnt ask that iam just asking for opinions?
thanks for reading guys

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Hey Eddy,
I actually just read a post earlier today of a woman who was told that a combination of weight and posture were causing her chest pains.

Here is a link from the left of this page (Symptoms)....hope it will help!


Heart palpitations, chest pain, irregular beats, flutters, skipped beats

What you feel:

One of the most worrying symptoms is chest pains or a tight feeling in your chest. The immediate thought is "heart attack" or "stroke" and this only worries you more. You may also notice that your heartbeat is incredibly fast or irregular at times having palpitations and again this leads to the worry that you will have a heart attack.
Often the chest muscles may feel very tight, and sometimes they can become painful if they are tight enough to spasm. Because the individual may become concerned that they may be having a heart attack, their fear will add to the stress biology which can not only worsen the pain, but can produce other symptoms similar to a heart attack such as profuse sweating, light-headedness and numbness in the arms, feet or face.
These increased symptoms can also cause more fear which then can turn into a panic attack
Your heart feels like it skips a beat or flops in your chest. It sometimes may feel like a tickle in your chest that makes you cough. If you take your pulse, you'll notice that sometimes the beats are unevenly spaced.
You may experience a tightness or pressure in the chest. Sometimes you may feel shooting pains, or muscle twitches, or just an uneasiness or fullness in the chest area which causes you concern
There is no evidence that panic and anxiety has any adverse effect on the heart and the pains are easily explained.
What causes this:

Stress biology causes the heart rate to increase. It does this so that the body is ready to take action. It's like in drag racing, drivers get their RPM's up prior to the green light so that they can hit the light with maximum torque. Since the stimulant hormone adrenaline, the body's super fuel, is produced when danger is perceived, the heart rate is naturally increased.
Once the stimulant is used and eliminated from the body, the heart rate will return to its normal range.
Moderate regular exercise helps to regulate this symptom.
When you start panicking the whole of your body becomes tense and this includes your muscles.
The chest pains you experience are due to the constricting of the chest wall muscles and the muscles between your ribs and not due to any actual muscles in your heart and the best cure is to start stretching these muscles gently to relieve the pain. Although you may not feel like doing any exercise whilst getting these pains, try stretching your arms above and behind your head, out to the sides and bending over gently to relieve the pain.
Naturally most people are dreadfully worried about their hearts but if your G.P. has given you the all clear cardiac wise - then do not be alarmed if the chest pains and palpitations come back and last for more than a day. If it is related to panic, although it is painful and worrying, the pains will subside if you try gentle exercise and ignore them.
Regular exercise and deep relaxation help to minimize this symptom. Also, staying away from artificial stimulants such as caffeine, chocolate, high doses of raw sugar (such as pastries, sweets, cookies, etc.) and smoking help to keep this symptom in check.

[HealthAnxiety12]

I've been getting fleeting chest pain as well. It's normal with anxiety.

[Pet59]

Hey,
read my post from yesterday!!!! I am with you !!

[eddy1608]

i have just actually read your post pet i know exactly how you feel its so horrible :(

[marlowe78]

I don't know if I'm having chest pain per se, but I've being driven crazy by what seems out of control muscle spasms from my shoulders down to my stomach. I experienced 3 severe panic attacks over the past few months. They happened in private but I became very nervous to go outside. The attacks seem to have stopped but everyday I'm feeling a tight muscle/nerve in my chest area that makes it a crisis to walk and uncomfortable for me to sit in certain positions. Even when I get out of bed in the morning, I begin experiencing this muscle tightening/activity and sometimes it gets so bad it feels like a knot of rope is inside of my body and getting tighter and tighter, almost like it's ready to snap. Yet I can't say that it hurts, I just feel it.

I had just been to my doctor for a physical and EKG and was told that I'm fine, except for an acid reflux problem that I've gotten an endoscopy for. I'm thinking my vagus nerve is out of control but the whole thing is so weird and distressing. Sometimes it's my chest going down to my diaphragm, sometimes it changes to my left or right side, sometimes it's the small of my back or the muscles in my neck feel stretched. I guess this could be a pulled muscle but I've never felt anything like this and stretching exercises that I try don't help very much (also afraid to make it worse by doing them). I use public transport to work and when I'm walking on my commute, I feel this tightening - which isn't painful, somehow - and think maybe today, I'll break in two. I don't doubt that my anxiety is making it worse but it's like someone turning a wheel and not allowing it to turn the other way. :mad: