Chest pain: Causes explained
Read in: English | Nigerian Pidgin
Chest pain fit make person fear well well.
Sometimes na small wahala, wey nor serios. But sometimes e fit serious
Sometimes e heavy like say something dey press your chest.
To sabi d difference na im b d matter, cos e important!
Wetin Fit Cause Chest Pain?
For many people, chest pain fit come from acid reflux, muscle strain, anxiety, or small inflammation for the chest wall. These ones dey common and many times dem no dangerous.
But sometimes chest pain fit come from heart or lung problems, and that na why person suppose take am serious.
When person go hospital with chest pain, doctors dey try check three main things:
• Na heart problem?
• Na lung or infection problem?
• Or weather na muscle, stomach, abi na stress problem?
Na so doctors dey start to reason the symptom.
1️⃣ Heart Problem
Some chest pain fit come from d heart and that kind pain dey serios o.
Examples include:
• Heart attack
• Blood flow to the heart low or e no to do
• Very high blood pressure wey no dey under controll
This kind chest usually dey feel like:
• Heavy pressure (like say big stone dey on top chest)
• Something dey squeeze chest
• Pain fit spread go your hand/arm, neck, or jaw
• Person fit find am hard to breathe
Some things fit make heart problem more likely. Doctors call these things risk factors.
These risk factors fit increase the chance say person go get heart disease even if the person never sick yet:
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• smoking
• family history of heart disease
If person get these conditions, make dem take the chest pain serious!
2️⃣ Fear or Panic Attack
Sometimes chest pain fit no come from the heart.
Fear or panic attack fit cause am and the pain dey usually feel:
• sharp
• your heart go dey beat fast fast
• you feel strong fear
• you go even dey breath fast or sometimes e go hard to breath
Sometimes e easy to mix this kind pain with the one wey come from the heart.
But panic attacks usually:
• start fast or suddenly
• e go worse fast (peak quickly)
• after e go calm down after some minutes
E good make doctor check any new chest pain, especially if person never get this kind pain before.
3️⃣ Muscle or Chest Wall Pain
Sometimes chest pain come from muscles or bones for chest area.
This fit happen if:
• person carry heavy load
• bad posture for long time
• heavy lifting for gym
• chest wall inflammation
Muscle pain usually feel like:
• pain when you press the chest
• pain when you move your body
• pain when you stretch
This kind pain usually no come from the heart and e no serios.
4️⃣ Acid Reflux and Stomach Wahala
• Acid reflux (heartburn)
• GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
• Stomach irritation or gastritis
Sometimes chest pain no come from heart — e fit come from the belle/stomach.
Sometimes the acid ( the liquid wey dey help digest the food) from the stomach go, go up enter the food pipe (the pipe wey connect mouth to stomach), and e fit cause burning pain for chest. People dey call this one heartburn.
Because the pain dey for chest, many people dey think say na heart problem.
Reflux chest pain often feel like:
• Burning sensation for chest
• Pain dey behind the bone wey dey middle of the breast
• Sour or bitter taste for mouth
• Pain dey some after person don chop too spicy or oily food
• Pain wey worse when person lie down immediately after e eat chop finish
Sometimes the pain fit improve when person:
• Sitdown upright
• Drink water
• Take antacid medicine
Gas and Indigestion
Sometimes chest discomfort fit also come from gas wey trap for belle/stomach or even intestine.
This one fit happen after person chop heavy food or food wey dey produce gas like beans.
Person fit notice:
• say the belle swell (bloating)
• plenty burping
• discomfort for belle
• person feel better after d gas don come out
Even though reflux and gas dey common and usually no serious, any chest pain wey new, strong, or persistent suppose make person see doctor make dem rule out heart problem.
5️⃣ Lung or Infection Problem
Chest pain fit also come from lung infection.
Examples include:
• Pneumonia
• Tuberculosis
• COVID-19
• Severe asthma
Person fit also get symptoms like:
• fever
• cough
• difficulty breathing
For many places in Africa, infections na common cause of chest symptoms.
When E Fit Be Emergency?
Call emergency or go hospital immediately if:
• chest pain heavy and e no reduce efter some times
• pain spread go your arm, neck, or jaw
• person faint
• person dey sweat well well
• person feel weak or dizzy
These signs fit mean serious heart problem.
When You Suppose See Doctor?
Even if pain no be emergency, doctor check important if:
• na the first time u dey experience chest pain
• pain dey repeat
• e happen when you walk or do work
• you get high blood pressure or diabetes
• breathing become difficult
Doctors fit check chest pain with:
• physical examination
• ECG test
• blood tests
• sometimes X-ray
These tests help doctors understand wetin really cause the pain.
Final Advice
Chest pain no be something to ignore.
Sometimes e fit be simple muscle pain.
But sometimes e fit be serious heart or lung problem.
If you no sure, make doctor check am.
Your life important pass guessing.
Medical References
• American Heart Association – Heart Attack Warning Signs
• World Health Organization – Cardiovascular Diseases
• CDC – Heart Disease Information
• Peer-reviewed cardiology guidelines
Medical Disclaimer
This article na for education purpose only. E no replace medical advice from qualified health professional. Always talk to doctor or trained health worker about your health concerns.