Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Chest Pain
Answered by
This forum is for questions and support regarding lung and respiratory issues such as: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds - Flu, Chronic Cough, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema, Fibrosis, Lung Abscess, Nasal Polyps, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Sarcoidosis, Sinusitis, Tuberculosis.
Chest Pain
by Dude21, Oct 03, 2004 12:00AM
Ok, I'm a 22 year old guy, and a heavy smoker thats been smoking sence I was 10 (yes I have tried to quit but I can't) and just recently I started having chest pain from breathing (?).
Now I did have asthma & allergies from when I was 15 all the up to when I was about 18 but I think/thought I out-grew it all by now. But I just gotten over the flu but I don't think thats causing it. I can't even bend down, turn around, or take a deep breath without grabbing at my chest cause it hurts so much.
What I'm wondering if maybe it's just a pulled muscle in my chest, a heart problem or just my lungs. It feels like there's a knife in my chest. The strange thing is it comes and gos. Tommorow I am going to see my doctor if I can afford it and hopefully I'll remember to tell him about this. But can anyone give me some advise on this (my chest pain), and I mean real advise not just to tell me to stop smoking, thanks.
Now I did have asthma & allergies from when I was 15 all the up to when I was about 18 but I think/thought I out-grew it all by now. But I just gotten over the flu but I don't think thats causing it. I can't even bend down, turn around, or take a deep breath without grabbing at my chest cause it hurts so much.
What I'm wondering if maybe it's just a pulled muscle in my chest, a heart problem or just my lungs. It feels like there's a knife in my chest. The strange thing is it comes and gos. Tommorow I am going to see my doctor if I can afford it and hopefully I'll remember to tell him about this. But can anyone give me some advise on this (my chest pain), and I mean real advise not just to tell me to stop smoking, thanks.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Oct 05, 2004 12:00AM
, Oct 05, 2004 12:00AM
To find out the nature of the problem that is causing your chest pain a thorough physical exam needs to done by your doctor and perhaps a chest x-ray. Only after finding the problem that is causing your chest pain can you be started on the most helpful treatment. This could be related to your smoking or it may have nothing to do with your smoking.
Once you have asthma, you always have asthma. It is possible to go through a period of time without symptoms, but it is also possible that the symptoms may return at any point in time. The symptoms of asthma are chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Each person with asthma could have only one of these symptoms or a combination of any of these symptoms, including all four of them. There is no cure for asthma at this time, but it can be controlled with medicine. With asthma the basic problem is chronic inflammation along with tightness of the muscles that surround the airways of the lungs. A rescue inhaler relaxes the smooth muscle tightness around the airways quickly, but does not do anything for the inflammation. When used routinely inhaled steroids decrease and prevent inflammation. If this inflammation is not controlled, it increases the sensitivity of the airways to a variety of things that make asthma worse. These asthma triggers vary from person to person. Infections, like the flu, are common triggers. Please read our What Makes Asthma Worse MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/worse.html for more detailed information.
It is probable that your smoking is slowing down your full recovery. Smoke decreases the ability to move secretions that may have increased following your flu. You may want to look at our Quit Smoking Topic Center at http://www.nationaljewish.org/topic/smoking_cessation.html for ways to help you quit smoking. Also check with your doctor for other quit smoking resources in your area.
Once you have asthma, you always have asthma. It is possible to go through a period of time without symptoms, but it is also possible that the symptoms may return at any point in time. The symptoms of asthma are chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Each person with asthma could have only one of these symptoms or a combination of any of these symptoms, including all four of them. There is no cure for asthma at this time, but it can be controlled with medicine. With asthma the basic problem is chronic inflammation along with tightness of the muscles that surround the airways of the lungs. A rescue inhaler relaxes the smooth muscle tightness around the airways quickly, but does not do anything for the inflammation. When used routinely inhaled steroids decrease and prevent inflammation. If this inflammation is not controlled, it increases the sensitivity of the airways to a variety of things that make asthma worse. These asthma triggers vary from person to person. Infections, like the flu, are common triggers. Please read our What Makes Asthma Worse MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/worse.html for more detailed information.
It is probable that your smoking is slowing down your full recovery. Smoke decreases the ability to move secretions that may have increased following your flu. You may want to look at our Quit Smoking Topic Center at http://www.nationaljewish.org/topic/smoking_cessation.html for ways to help you quit smoking. Also check with your doctor for other quit smoking resources in your area.
