Chest Pain

[PossiblyBroken]

Hello, I am 24 years old, a male, and a smoker for 10 years. Lately, as in the past week or so, whenever I have a cigarette I feel as though I am exhaling too much, and can feel a cold dull feeling washing over the left side of my chest.  Is this my lung, my heart, perhaps just the muscle?  I do not excersize too often, rarely in fact.  My girlfriend was recently in the hospital for a heart issue, where they did an ablasion due to an extra pathway that was causing her heart to get up to 200 beats a minute.

I am worried that this may be something serious, and I do not have health insurance.  If I do not smoke, it feels a bit better. However whenever I go to bed, if I lay on my back I feel once again as though I am exhaling too much out of the left lung.  There are no back pains with this.  Does anyone have any help they can offer.  I am very worried about this and would like a good strong opinion, preferably from someone who has had this, or even better a doctor.  Thank you very much, hope to hear from someone soon!

[PossiblyBroken]

Thank you very much sir!  I noticed today that if I was moving around, or when I am at work, I work in retail, that I feel much better. Could this by any chance be a factor in the fact that I dont get too much exercise, and am more of a couch potato?  When I seem to be moving around and keeping busy it does not bother me nearly as much.  

Once again, thank you very much Paul.

Take care.

[PaulMD]

Hi.

What you are experiencing at the present may indeed point to a primary lung or a primary heart problem.  From what you have described, it seems that you really are at high risk to develop these problems (lack of exercise, smoking history, and male gender).  A puff of cigarette smoke deposits over 4000 chemicals to your lungs and there is no telling what effects can these chemicals have.

I would suggest that you have yourself checked by a doctor to pinpoint the problem.  For now quitting smoking is the most prudent thing to do.

Regards and God bless.