Chest Pain?

[Thegirlsmith]

Hi,

I'm 20 years-old and I've a had chest pain on and off for the past 3-4 years.

I don't think it's anything serious, so I haven't been to the doctor about it but it's been happening more frequently lately.

I get sharp pains in or just around my heart. They can last between 5-10 seconds and come on suddenly at any time of the day. The pain in intense, and it hurts to breath in. It leaves me gasping and grabbing my chest.

The longer ones, and this maybe a terrible description. I find when a push through and take deep breaths I feel something change and it goes away. It's like when there's a dent in an aluminum can and you push it out. (see terrible.)

Anyways, they used to happen every few months. But now they've been happening weekly or less, sometimes I've had it 2 times a day.  Most of the time now they leave me short of breath, my chest can feel heavy afterwards. The whole day after a particularly bad episode, I was short of breath.

I don't know the cause of these, I'm not over-weight, my mum thinks it's just wind. Could be, I'd just want to be rid of them.

You're thoughts on this would be much appreciated,

Thank-you~

[Anonymouse88]

Feeling short of breath after these is reason to go to a doctor, just to make sure.  Brief, stabbing pains in the chest can come from spasms of the intercostal (in between the ribs) muscles, and they are made worse with breathing in.  I get them sometimes, and they suck, but they're not dangerous.  Gas pain can reach to the base of the chest, where the colon stretches across the top of the abdomen.  

Again, though, being short of breath is a bit worrisome.  If you're near your annual physical, just bring it up then.  Otherwise, it's worth getting to a doctor sometime in the near future to get it checked out.  If the symptoms are getting worse, you'll need to get seen ASAP, and if you ever feel like there's an elephant on your chest/pain radiating down the left arm and up the jaw, those are symptoms of a heart attack and you'll need 911 (I really doubt that will be an issue, though).  

[specialmom]

Hi there.  Well, the good news is that you are young!!  However, don't let that fool you into not taking this seriously!!  I absolutely would see a doctor at this time and do so soon.  Young people indeed can have heart issues.

You also may have anxiety or gerd or a plethora of other things that feels heart related.  

but you need to know for sure and your heart is nothing to mess around with.  Please call and make an appointment to be seen and go from there.  good luck