Burning sensation in the chest - causes of symptoms in diseases of the heart, stomach or lungs

Symptoms such as pain and burning in the chest are quite frightening. After all, we all know that the heart is located there, whose diseases are dangerous. But there are other organs there: large vessels, lungs, esophagus. In addition, the walls of the chest are made of bones, muscles and ligaments, and in women on top there are mammary glands richly penetrated with nerve fibers. All these organs can hurt.

To differentiate “terrible” pain from “non-terrible” pain, we propose the following algorithm: first we determine where it hurts, then we focus on additional symptoms. Some conditions require ambulance transportation, while others require specialists from a local clinic.

Pain and burning between the chest in the middle: causes, treatment

Pain and burning between the chest in the middle
Most often, pain in the middle of the chest is caused by problems with the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, if such a symptom occurs to you quite often (especially if you are at rest), then you should definitely consult a specialist and at least get a cardiogram. In addition, the occurrence of this symptom can be caused by problems with the gastrointestinal tract. As a rule, a burning sensation in the very center of the chest occurs due to the fact that food and stomach juice regularly enter the lower esophagus, and against this background heartburn develops.

This is what people most often confuse with heart pain. Although you can find out if you have this problem in a fairly simple way. To do this, you only need to take a drug that reduces stomach acidity. If after taking the pills the discomfort in the chest area goes away, then you need to see a gastroenterologist. If the medicine does not help, then the problem is in the cardiovascular system.

In addition, pain in the middle of the chest can cause:

Cardiac ischemia
Pancreatitis
Intervertebral hernia.

This pathology is usually treated with medication. If the cause of the burning sensation is simple heartburn, then the patient is prescribed a diet and taking Maalokas or Rutacid. If discomfort in the chest area is caused by hernias, then a special massage may be needed. As for heart problems, it is best to eliminate them under the supervision of a doctor. If you need to remove the burning sensation as quickly as possible, you can take a Nitroglycerin tablet.

Symptomatic treatment of burning sensation in the chest

Given the many causes of a burning sensation in the chest, there is no symptomatic therapy. It is necessary to determine the disease or group of diseases that cause this symptom. Based on your complaints, the doctor can assume which system is affected, prescribe an additional examination, and only after that the appropriate treatment will be prescribed.

Let's consider symptomatic therapy for groups of diseases. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that only symptomatic therapy is considered, which removes the symptom of the disease, but does not treat the cause.

In case of coronary heart disease (angina pectoris), the main symptomatic drug is nitroglycerin; at the same time, the main course of treatment is corrected so that the need for additional intake of organic nitrates is minimal or completely absent; surgical treatment may be required. In the event of the development of unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction, treatment is provided in specialized cardiology departments in intensive care units.

For myocarditis and pericarditis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen) are prescribed.

For pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, the main symptomatic drugs are antacids (magnesium and calcium carbonate (rennie), aluminum phosphate (phosphalugel), algeldrat and magnesium hydroxide (almagel, maalox), maalox), antispasmodics (drotaverine (no-shpa), papaverine, mebeverine (duspatalin).

For diseases of the respiratory system, antiviral, antibacterial drugs, and respiratory therapy (inhalation with saline) are prescribed to relieve symptoms.

For osteochondrosis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nimesulide, meloxicam), muscle relaxants (tolperisone (mydocalm)) are prescribed.

If psychogenic symptoms develop, antidepressants are prescribed.

Pain and burning in the chest on the left: causes, treatment

Pain and burning in the left chest.
Burning in the left side of the chest can also cause heart problems. Typically, this symptom indicates that a person may be developing a myocardial infarction or angina. Other symptoms will indirectly confirm your guesses. If you really have heart problems, the burning sensation will intensify if you do heavy physical labor, walk against a strong wind, or climb stairs.

Yes, and don’t think that just resting will help you get rid of chest discomfort. Of course, after you lie down or sit quietly, the unpleasant symptoms will disappear, but the disease will continue to worsen. Therefore, if everything indicates that your heart is not working as it should, then immediately make an appointment with a specialist.

Causes and treatment of chest pain on the left:

Severe stress . Most often, this problem, in addition to burning, manifests itself as depression, tearfulness and excessive irritability. Getting enough sleep, regular walks in the fresh air, and communicating with people who love you very much can help you get rid of all these symptoms.
Problems with the pancreas. In this case, in addition to a burning sensation in the chest, the person will experience aching pain just above the stomach area. This pathology is very easy to treat (provided that you have not started the disease). In order for the pancreas to start working properly again, you will need to take Pancreatin, as well as eat exclusively healthy foods for a couple of weeks.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia. This disease is very insidious because for the time being it proceeds hidden. A burning sensation in the chest is an indirect symptom that appears exclusively at the initial stage of development of the pathology. As for the treatment of this disease, as a rule, in this case a person has to take medications for a long period that normalize the functioning of blood vessels and capillaries.

Diseases that cause burning in the chest

Diseases of the cardiovascular system account for about 20% of complaints of burning in the chest. The most common cause in this group is coronary heart disease.

With angina pectoris , a burning sensation behind the sternum is noted, which can be combined with discomfort or pain in the chest, radiating to the jaw, interscapular region, left arm, left half of the chest. The burning sensation is provoked by physical or emotional stress, possibly by eating, and is accompanied by a feeling of fear of death, lasting up to 15 minutes. It is relieved when the influence of the provoking factor ceases, as well as when taking nitroglycerin.

In the case of unstable angina, the burning sensation and pain are more intense, there may not be a clear connection with the provoking factor, they occur at rest and there is a slight effect from taking nitroglycerin, in which case you need to call an ambulance.

The development of myocardial infarction can also cause a burning sensation in the chest, there may be discomfort or pain in the chest, it may be accompanied by a feeling of palpitations, interruptions in heart function, dizziness, general weakness, a feeling of fear of death, usually the sensations are not associated with physical activity and there is no effect from taking nitroglycerin, the duration of burning and pain is over 15-20 minutes. In such a situation, it is necessary to call an ambulance.

More rare but possible causes include myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium). The burning sensation may be combined with pain. Pain and burning with myocarditis are not associated with physical activity or emotional stress, they are diffuse in nature, the pain and burning last for several hours, there is no positive effect from taking nitroglycerin. Also characteristic is the appearance of rhythm and conduction disturbances, general weakness, shortness of breath, skin rash, joint pain, a possible increase in body temperature above 37 degrees C, and swelling of the lower extremities.

Pericarditis (exudative and adhesive) is often combined with pain, pain and burning are localized in the left half of the chest, long-lasting, there is no clear connection with the provoking factor, intensifies with changes in body position, with pressure on the anterior chest wall, there is no effect from taking nitroglycerin, the pain is stabbing in nature. There may be an increase in body temperature above 37 degrees C, a gradual increase in shortness of breath, and the appearance of rhythm and conduction disturbances.

Diseases of large vessels, such as syphilitic aortitis, aortic aneurysm , are almost always accompanied by pain. The pain is aching in nature, there is no positive effect from nitroglycerin, and is not associated with physical activity.

The next group is pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastroesophageal reflux disease , in which stomach contents reflux into the esophagus. A burning sensation in this situation occurs after eating, intensifies in a horizontal position, a dry cough, belching, heartburn may occur, the burning sensation is localized behind the sternum, may be accompanied by pain from minor to pronounced, the effect of taking nitroglycerin may be minimal. There is a positive effect from taking antacid drugs (Almagel, Maalox, Rennie).

Very often in practice, it is impossible to distinguish gastroesophageal reflux disease from coronary heart disease (angina) based on clinical data alone, and additional examination methods are required.

Diseases of the gallbladder and biliary tract, liver, pancreas can also cause a burning sensation in the chest, a burning sensation can occur behind the sternum, in the upper abdomen, accompanied by pain, nausea, bitterness in the mouth, possibly bloating, unstable stool. A hiatal hernia, peptic ulcer, and gastritis can also cause a burning sensation behind the sternum. With pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, in addition to burning, pain in the upper half of the abdomen quite often occurs, belching, heartburn, nausea, burning and pain, usually associated with food intake, can be relieved by taking antacids or antispasmodics.

Respiratory tract diseases : tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy. Accompanied by a dry cough and increased body temperature. With pneumonia and pleurisy, there may be additional pain in the chest, aggravated by breathing, which is not associated with exercise; there is no effect from taking nitroglycerin and antacids.

With osteochondrosis, it is also possible to experience a burning sensation, itching and pain in the chest. Such sensations are clearly associated with movement in the thoracic spine; they can intensify with a deep breath; as a rule, the affected nerve or its branch can be identified by palpation. There is no effect from taking nitroglycerin or antacids.

Psychogenic burning sensations are observed in patients against the background of a traumatic situation, or during emotional stress. In this case, irritability, increased anxiety, insomnia, a feeling of weakness, and a feeling of fatigue are also noted. Palpation of the chest is painless and does not cause discomfort; there is no effect from nitroglycerin, antispasmodics, or antacids.

Pain and burning in the chest on the right: causes, treatment

Pain and burning in the right chest.
Burning and discomfort on the right side of the chest indicate that you have problems with the biliary tract. In addition, a sick person may experience a strong yellow coating on the tongue and yellowing of the whites of the eyes. Moreover, the burning sensation in the chest will intensify if you eat fatty, spicy and fried foods.

It follows from this that in order to remove the burning sensation, you will only need to establish proper nutrition. That is, you will need to exclude sausages, pickles and deep-fried foods from your diet. You will also definitely need to see a doctor and undergo treatment that will normalize the functioning of your gall bladder.

Other causes of pain and burning in the right side of the chest:

PMS. As strange as it may sound, premenstrual syndrome can also cause chest discomfort. During the period before menstruation, processes occur in a woman’s body that can cause overstrain of the mammary glands, thereby provoking pain. Against this background, pain most often appears in the chest area. There is no need to treat this deviation; as a rule, all problems disappear on their own after the end of menstruation .
Scoliosis. In this case, discomfort appears due to the fact that, due to the curvature of the spine, the nerve endings located in the chest area are pinched. In this case, you can improve your condition with massages and regular exercises.

Hurts on the right

Pain syndrome localized in the right side of the chest usually makes itself felt:

Diseases of the liver and biliary tract

In this case, the pain is usually:

dull;
paroxysmal;
does not depend on body movement;
radiates to the shoulder blade, half of the neck, arm - on the right;
has a connection with the food taken: it intensifies when eating fatty and fried foods, which is why there is often an aversion to such dishes.

In this case, a yellow coating appears on the tongue, and there may be bitterness in the mouth. If there is a stone (or tumor) in the bile ducts that interferes with the passage of bile along its natural paths, then the whites of the eyes will first turn yellow, then the skin. Urine becomes dark, feces become light. The same can be observed when the liver itself is damaged by hepatitis, hepatosis or cirrhosis. Only qualified specialists can differentiate the conditions: surgeons and infectious disease specialists (see also pain in the right hypochondrium, pain in the left hypochondrium).

Other gastrointestinal diseases

Gastritis, ulcers of the upper digestive tract, and intestinal colic can also manifest as pain or a burning sensation in the right side of the chest, but are more often localized on the left or directly behind the sternum. These pathologies are associated with food intake. Let's look at these in more detail in the section on pain in the rest of the chest.

Intercostal neuralgia

This is the name of the condition when the nerves going to the intercostal muscles (they are the ones who “control” breathing) become inflamed or pinched. The most common cause of the disease is herpes zoster, caused by the chickenpox virus. In this case, a rash in the form of blisters in one or more intercostal spaces is added to the symptoms listed below.

The main signs of intercostal neuralgia are:

the pain is severe, can be described as a burning sensation, but in a strictly localized place that can be felt;
The pain intensifies when inhaling, turning the body, coughing, bending.

If the “ancestor” of intercostal neuralgia is osteochondrosis, then chest pain can also be accompanied by “shots” in the right arm or the right half of the neck. And if you ask an assistant to press your fingers on each vertebra, starting from the cervical ones, the pain will intensify in one place.

Pneumonia

Inflammation of the right lung, if it occurs with inflammation of the membrane of the lung, the pleura (this complication is called pleurisy), can also be accompanied by pain in the chest on the left. If you have this particular disease, then even before the pain syndrome appears, you feel weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle and/or bone pain. The temperature almost always rises, a cough appears, sometimes with blood, sometimes with mucous or mucopurulent sputum, or a dry cough. Just before chest pain appears, it becomes difficult to breathe.

Pain during premenstrual syndrome

One of the signs of mastopathy is pain in the premenstrual period. It is usually localized in both mammary glands, but can affect only the right one, which can be recognized as chest pain.

In favor of mastopathy, the pain syndrome manifests itself especially before menstruation, while the breasts swell (“fill up”) and one or more nodules can be felt in it.

Intercostal myositis

Myositis is an inflammation of a single muscle, in this case the intercostal muscle. The pain has a clear localization. It can be noted that there is no pain at rest, but it appears with a certain movement, accompanies only a deep breath or cough.

Scoliosis

Lateral curvature of the thoracic spine is extremely rare: its “moving” parts – the cervical and lumbar – are more susceptible to this pathology. But if thoracic scoliosis does develop, and it has a C- or S-shaped appearance, with the convex side facing to the right, then when one of the intercostal nerves is pinched, pain appears in the right side of the chest.

In this case, the following symptoms occur:

localized pain: a person can clearly indicate the point where it hurts;
pain increases with breathing and coughing;
There is no weakness, nausea or cough.

Mental illness

This may be indicated by the absence of a cough, fever, or connection with breathing or eating. A person may feel difficulty breathing, but if you ask an assistant to count the number of respiratory movements per minute during an arbitrary period of time, when the patient himself does not know about it, then it turns out that it is within the normal range (12-16 per minute). When listening to the lungs, the doctor objectively does not hear any pathological noise, and X-rays, MRI or CT scans of the chest do not reveal any pathology.

Such diseases can be suspected if they began after severe nervous stress or resulted from chronic fatigue. They are referred to a psychiatrist when other causes of chest pain on the right are excluded.

Pain and burning in the upper chest: causes, treatment

Pain and burning in the upper chest
Pain and burning in the upper chest provoke diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Sometimes, against the background of a burning sensation, muscle pain also appears, which intensifies with the slightest movement. As a rule, such problems are provoked by the same scoliosis or kyphosis. It is clear that in this case, not a single pill or mixture can help you get rid of chest discomfort.

Therefore, it will be better if you try to correct your posture. To do this, you will only need to accustom yourself to keep your back straight all the time and regularly do exercises that promote better skeletal plasticity. Another cause of pain and burning in the upper chest may be high blood pressure.

Typically, problems with blood pressure have a very negative effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, which most often provoke the appearance of such symptoms. In this case, you can normalize your condition with the help of medications that lower your blood pressure.

Pain behind the sternum or on the left side of the body that has no obvious cause

This kind of syndrome mainly occurs when there is a disorder of the digestive system: increased stomach acidity, esophagitis, ulcers. However, there are other reasons that can trigger the appearance of an unpleasant symptom. Explaining why there is a burning sensation in the chest, doctors urge people suffering from cardiovascular diseases to be especially careful.

There are cases when patients mistook the symptoms of a heart attack and angina pectoris for banal severe heartburn. In this case, an extremely dangerous situation arises for the patient, which can lead to serious consequences, so you should not ignore even the most insignificant negative conditions at first glance. Meanwhile, doctors claim that patients have pain in their chests for the following general reasons:

pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
intercostal neuralgia;
cardiovascular diseases;
colds;
emotional and mental disorders;
tumor processes.

Only a doctor can accurately determine why a burning sensation occurs in the middle of the sternum. Causes may arise from problems with the heart, digestion, breathing and posture. Psychological problems cannot be ruled out.

Also, unpleasant sensations may appear on the right or left of the thoracic region, or radiate to different parts of the body.

Symptoms of problems with the liver and biliary tract:

In this case, burning and pain appear when eating food (usually fatty, heavy or fried).
A strong burning sensation in the chest is paroxysmal in nature, and the pain is not sharp, but dull.
Does not depend on body movements, does not worsen when taking a horizontal position, etc.
With such diseases, there is a burning sensation in the sternum on the right side and radiates to the shoulder blade, arm or neck on the right.
The appearance of a yellow coating on the tongue.
Bitterness in the mouth.
When a tumor or stone forms in the channels responsible for the excretion of bile, the whites of the eyes and, in advanced cases, the skin turn yellow.
Dark urine and light-colored stool.

These are symptoms that can occur with hepatosis, hepatitis and cirrhosis. The physician usually refers such a patient to an infectious disease specialist or surgeon. With such symptoms, you should not subject the body to excessive stress.

Gastrointestinal diseases

In addition to the liver, the stomach and duodenum may be affected.

Other possible diseases of the digestive system:

esophagitis;
intestinal colic;
damage to the esophagus or the presence of foreign bodies in it;
stomach ulcer;
gastritis;
pancreatitis.

Also, heartburn and chest pain are usually related. Stomach juice affects the esophagus and can cause discomfort when swallowing. With heartburn, you may experience a feeling of heat in the chest, which is accompanied by sour belching.

A gastroenterologist solves such problems, so you need to urgently contact him.

This disease is caused by inflammation or pinching of the nerves that adjoin the intercostal muscles and are responsible for breathing.

Symptoms:

severe burning in the chest and pain in certain places that can be felt;
The burning sensation in the chest becomes stronger when coughing, bending, inhaling and turning.

The causes of these symptoms can be chickenpox, osteochondrosis (in this case, the pain will radiate to the right arm and part of the neck, and when palpating the spine, it will hurt) and other diseases.

Pneumonia

Unpleasant sensations on the right (you want to scratch your lungs) can signal diseases of the respiratory system. Inflammation of the lung or its membrane can be expressed as pain in the sternum.

Associated symptoms:

lack of strength;
no interest in food;
nausea;
painful sensations in muscles and bones;
temperature;
cough with blood and sputum;
labored breathing.

If there is a burning pain in the chest on the right or left, or there is a feeling that something is burning in the sternum, you need to make an appointment with a doctor, as the cause may be a pathology of the respiratory system.

Scoliosis

If you experience a burning sensation in the chest, you should pay attention to your posture, as the cause may be scoliosis - a lateral curvature of the spine. With this disorder, the intervertebral discs are worn out and the nerves are pinched, which provokes unpleasant sensations.

A person with such a disease needs to see a physiotherapist and do a lot of swimming. It promotes relaxation of the thoracic region.

Pain and burning in the chest, a feeling that it itches, may be evidence of a mental health disorder.

If, after all the necessary studies for the presence of heart disease, problems with the spine, lungs, etc., no problems were identified, perhaps this problem exists only in the patient’s head.

Most often, such a violation appears after severe shocks. To treat it, a person does not need pills, diets and exercises; only the help of a psychotherapist will help.

Intercostal myositis

This disease is different from intercostal neuralgia, although they are often confused. With myositis, inflammation of the muscles between the ribs also occurs, but pain and burning in the chest area manifests itself upon palpation of the entire intercostal space.

With neuralgia, 3 specific pain points are of concern - the spine, the sternum and its lateral surface.

Other symptoms of myositis:

the affected part of the sternum swells;
the skin turns red, becomes more sensitive, and the body temperature becomes higher;
sore throat;
cough and headache appear;

Sometimes sharp pain and a burning sensation in the area of the heart, a burning sensation behind the sternum or in its center indicate severe heart conditions, which without timely help can lead to irreversible consequences.

Contrary to the general idea of the location of the heart, it is located behind the sternum and slightly shifted to the left side. Therefore, discomfort in heart disease is most often accompanied by squeezing, burning and pain in these areas.

Angina pectoris

This clinical syndrome, popularly called “angina pectoris”, occurs at the age of 45-54 years. The main symptom is discomfort, including squeezing and burning behind the sternum. Pain occurs and intensifies during physical activity, stressful conditions and after eating.

Often it radiates to the left side of the sternum and lasts no more than 10-15 minutes.

Angina pectoris is treated with a low-cholesterol diet and a system of medications prescribed by a cardiologist.

Myocardial infarction

Many believe that during myocardial infarction the pain is localized in the chest on the left, but it rather appears behind it, is of a pressing nature and radiates to the left shoulder blade and arm.

Other symptoms:

cold sweat;
dizziness and weakness;
rapid decrease in pressure;
rapid pulse and shortness of breath;
nausea and sudden fear of death and panic.

This state lasts no longer than 15 minutes. The risk group is people over 50 years old; by this age, blood vessels narrow, wear out and lose elasticity. Treatment should be carried out by a cardiologist.

Myocarditis

Myocarditis develops due to cardiac damage of a viral or autoimmune nature. It may also be due to allergies to animals, plants or other allergens. With this heart problem, discomfort occurs in the back of the chest.

Other reasons

pulmonary embolism;
gallbladder disease;
rheumatism;
hiatal hernia;
cardioneurosis;
fracture or bruise of the sternum or ribs;
herpes zoster (often causes intercostal neuralgia);
intense training for an unprepared person.

Burning sensation in the chest with additional symptoms and their causes:

Pain behind the sternum in the center or on the left side of the body, which has no obvious cause - heart disease.
Spontaneous attacks – heart problems.
Burning sensation in the right side of the chest - diseases of the liver, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, intercostal neuralgia.
After overwork, physical activity and food - a sign of VSD or angina pectoris.
If burning and pain are associated with breathing - pneumonia or vascular dystonia.
If you have a cough – pneumonia, flu, bronchitis.
A burning sensation in the chest when walking - causes and treatment are associated with osteochondrosis.

In addition to the reasons mentioned, a burning sensation in the chest may occur for the following reasons:

Fetal pressure. As the baby grows larger, it begins to put pressure on the diaphragm and chest, which can cause discomfort even at rest.
Stress. Changes in the body, habitual way of life and fear of childbirth provoke stress and depression. This fact can cause discomfort in the sternum area.
Breast enlargement can cause difficulty breathing and unpleasant pain that gets worse as the breast grows.
The expansion of the thoracic region as pregnancy progresses causes shortness of breath, accompanied by a feeling of tension.

Diagnosis of diseases causing this symptom occurs as follows:

study of anamnesis;
examination and listening of the lungs;
X-ray of the internal organs of the chest;
blood biochemistry and its general analysis;
tuberculosis test;
electrocardiogram;
additional research (if required).

There can be many reasons why there is a burning sensation in the sternum area, and each requires special treatment. Treatment and diagnosis should only be carried out by a qualified doctor. Do not take any measures without consulting a specialist.

Possible tips:

If you experience pain in the sternum on the left or in the middle of the chest, take a comfortable position and rest. If relief occurs, buy Nitroglycerin - it can help with angina pectoris. In case of acute pain or sudden difficulty breathing, call an ambulance. Visit a cardiologist as soon as possible.
A burning sensation in the chest when coughing requires an x-ray of the lungs and avoidance of inhaling cold air.
If you experience discomfort after an illness and exercise, be sure to consult a cardiologist.
Unpleasant sensations when walking are a sign of osteochondrosis; in this case, you should visit a chiropractor and undergo a massage course.
Pain during or after eating can be temporarily soothed with a weak solution of soda to get rid of heartburn.
A burning sensation in the chest with a rapid heartbeat often occurs with VSD; in this case, you should avoid strong emotional stress and quit bad habits, if any.
Itching and burning sensation in the upper chest is an allergy.
The chest itches, sharp coughing - bronchial asthma.

Any inflammatory diseases should be treated promptly;
Proper nutrition and moderate physical activity;
Avoiding stress and getting enough sleep;
The use of vitamin complexes.

Burning sensation in the chest when inhaling: causes, treatment

Burning sensation in the chest when inhaling
If you feel a burning sensation with every breath, then we can most likely say that you have problems with the respiratory system. Sometimes this symptom appears against the background of influenza or a viral infection. The appearance of such a manifestation provokes an inflammatory process occurring in the respiratory tract. In this case, all unpleasant sensations may intensify against the background of high temperature.

Bronchitis can also trigger a burning sensation in the chest. This disease, in addition to discomfort in the chest area, will also manifest itself as a cough, and the stronger it is, the more noticeable the burning sensation will be. This will be due to the fact that during coughing and expulsion of sputum, the bronchi will be overstrained and injured, and as a result the patient will feel a burning sensation.

These diseases are treated very simply. Most often, the patient is prescribed vitamin complexes, antibiotics and expectorants. As practice shows, with adequate treatment, after 10 days a person forgets about his problem.

Which doctor should I contact if I have a burning sensation in my chest?

If you experience a burning sensation in your chest while eating normally, you should consult a doctor. If, in addition to the burning sensation, there is pain that occurs or intensifies during physical activity, is accompanied by a feeling of fear of death, radiates to the left half of the chest, arm, jaw, there are sensations of interruptions in the functioning of the heart, the heartbeat is bothersome, the burning sensation is relieved by taking nitroglycerin, then you should consult a cardiologist as possible earlier.

If the burning sensation is intense, does not disappear after taking nitroglycerin, and is accompanied by pain, then it is necessary to call an ambulance.

In other cases, you should consult a general practitioner for a routine examination. The doctor will prescribe the entire necessary examination based on your complaints, after which you may need to consult a cardiologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, or psychotherapist.

Burning sensation in the chest when walking: causes, treatment

Burning sensation in the chest when walking
A burning sensation in the chest when walking directly indicates that a person has serious problems with the musculoskeletal system. As a rule, osteochondrosis and intercostal neuralgia manifest themselves in this way. In this case, discomfort can be felt both when moving and in a calm state.

As for the treatment of these pathologies, it will be identical for both diseases. Patients are required to be prescribed medications that will relieve pain. Depending on the severity of the disease, a person will be given a novocaine blockade up to three times a day. You can also try to alleviate your condition with ointments with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.

But remember, these drugs can relieve discomfort only for a certain time. If you want to get a more lasting result, then you will have to undergo physiotherapy and special massages. If you want to forget about this problem once and for all, then don’t be lazy and undergo treatment with massages and physical exercise a couple of times a year.

Pathological conditions requiring treatment

Carcinoma

Pathologies that can occur in women at different periods of life include:

Mastopathy is a lump caused by hormonal imbalances. Most often with estrogen dominance.
Mastitis is an inflammatory infectious process with an increase in temperature in the chest area, which can develop into a purulent abscess if it is not cured in time.
Malignant neoplasms - carcinoma, Paget's cancer, sarcoma and other types.
Sclerotic changes in the mammary glands.
Traumatic chest injuries with tissue rupture inside.
Complications after surgery.

Diabetes mellitus is a provoking factor for many diseases

In addition, there are concomitant diseases that are not directly related to the mammary glands, but have an indirect effect on their functions:

Diabetes.
Hypothyroidism.
Diseases of the adrenal glands.
Damage to the central nervous system - in particular the hypothalamic-pituitary system, as well as the peripheral nervous system, for example, with intercostal neuralgia.
Osteochondrosis.
Cardiovascular pathologies - a burning sensation in the mammary gland on the left side can mean heart problems.
Myositis.
Inflammation of organs in the chest.

In the absence of concomitant diseases, special attention should be paid to your own hormonal status, since burning is a symptom that most often appears when there is an imbalance of sex hormones and can lead to dire consequences.

Mastopathy

It can occur at any age, especially when changes occur in the body related to the production of estrogen and progesterone. They appear in the form of benign seals. Most of them do not spread beyond the chest and are not prone to degeneration. It is important to undergo diagnostics and find out the histological identity of the tumor. For example, leaf-shaped forms of fibroadenoma tend to degenerate into cancer under favorable conditions, so it’s not worth the risk.

For example, a burning sensation in the mammary gland on the right side and the presence of a dense tumor may indicate a cyst, adenoma, or other form of mastopathy. The process can also occur synchronously.

During menopause, women experience “hot flashes” or sudden heat. This is due to decreased estrogen levels and a temporary disruption of the body's thermoregulation. The upper half of the body usually suffers and the sensation of heat is transferred to the mammary glands.

A burning sensation in the left sternum in women or right-sided mastopathy is usually very painful, and therefore causes fear and anxiety, but pain is the symptom that indicates the benign nature of the tumor.

Mastitis

Most often it is a continuation of lactostasis - stagnation of milk during lactation, when microbes - staphylococci or streptococci - penetrate into the cracks in the nipple. It can only take 2-3 days from the onset of lactostasis to the purulent form of mastitis, so if burning pain, redness of the skin and fever appear, you should urgently consult a doctor and begin treatment with antibiotics. If an abscess forms - a dense capsule filled with pus - conservative treatment will be impossible. Feeding the baby will have to be interrupted, and the woman will need to undergo surgery.

Breast cancer

A burning pain on the left or a burning sensation in the right breast in women can be caused by a rare disease - Paget's disease or nipple cancer. The very first sign is a painless lump in the mammary gland, then discharge from the nipple appears - transparent or mixed with blood, pus, and mucus. At the same time, the shape of the nipple changes - it gradually retracts inward. This is a rare disease, but it cannot be ruled out. Just 30 years ago, breast cancer was found predominantly in older women. Now there are many cases where it is diagnosed in teenage girls.

Symptoms of cancer rarely appear in the initial stages. Women sometimes ignore the presence of a dense, immobile neoplasm and do not go for diagnosis. Subsequently, it turns out that the tumor has metastasized and treatment is ineffective. The prognosis is favorable only in the case of non-aggressive forms of cancer and their detection at stages 1–2.

Pituitary gland and endocrine system

Organs of the endocrine system

2 parts of the brain - the hypothalamus and pituitary gland - control the activity of the entire endocrine system of the body. These are sex hormones - estrogen, progesterone and prolactin, hormones of the thyroid and pancreas, and adrenal glands. When the functions of the pituitary gland are disrupted, a malfunction of any system occurs.

Problems with bone tissue caused by a lack of sex hormones manifest themselves in the form of osteochondrosis or osteoporosis. Osteochondrosis is the destruction of intervertebral discs, in which the vertebrae rub against each other and affect the nerve endings. The result may be pain or burning in various parts of the chest or intercostal neuralgia.

Heaviness, squeezing and burning in the chest, difficulty breathing: symptoms of what disease?

Compression and burning in the chest
Many of us associate pneumonia with a strong cough, so if we begin to feel heaviness in the chest, which causes breathing problems, we most often begin to look for the cause in the cardiovascular system. Of course, the heart can also react in a similar way to pathological processes, but as practice shows, most often these problems are provoked by pneumonia.

It’s just that while the body is still trying to fight the disease, we feel only indirect symptoms, that is, burning and heaviness in the chest. But as soon as our body gives up, a cough, fever and very severe weakness in the limbs immediately appear. I would like to say right away that it is absolutely impossible to treat this disease with folk remedies.

Pneumonia is a rather serious disease that requires properly selected treatment. If you miss the right moment, you will definitely have complications, and then the treatment will last a very long time. Most often, patients with this pathology are prescribed antibiotics and drugs that can remove phlegm as quickly as possible.

Burning and pain when eating food

Pain and burning between the chest in the middle
Most often, pain in the middle of the chest is caused by problems with the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, if such a symptom occurs to you quite often (especially if you are at rest), then you should definitely consult a specialist and at least get a cardiogram. In addition, the occurrence of this symptom can be caused by problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

In addition, pain in the middle of the chest can cause:

Cardiac ischemia
Pancreatitis
Intervertebral hernia.

Pain and burning in the left chest

A burning sensation on the left side of the chest can also cause heart problems. Typically, this symptom indicates that a person may be developing a myocardial infarction or angina. Other symptoms will indirectly confirm your guesses. If you really have heart problems, the burning sensation will intensify if you do heavy physical labor, walk against a strong wind, or climb stairs.

Causes and treatment of chest pain on the left:

Severe stress. Most often, this problem, in addition to burning, manifests itself as depression, tearfulness and excessive irritability. Getting enough sleep, regular walks in the fresh air, and communicating with people who love you very much can help you get rid of all these symptoms.
Problems with the pancreas. In this case, in addition to a burning sensation in the chest, the person will experience aching pain just above the stomach area. This pathology is very easy to treat (provided that you have not started the disease). In order for the pancreas to start working properly again, you will need to take Pancreatin, as well as eat exclusively healthy foods for a couple of weeks.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia. This disease is very insidious because for the time being it proceeds hidden. A burning sensation in the chest is an indirect symptom that appears exclusively at the initial stage of development of the pathology. As for the treatment of this disease, as a rule, in this case a person has to take medications for a long period that normalize the functioning of blood vessels and capillaries.

Other causes of pain and burning in the right side of the chest:

PMS. As strange as it may sound, premenstrual syndrome can also cause chest discomfort. During the period before menstruation, processes occur in a woman’s body that can cause overstrain of the mammary glands, thereby provoking pain. Against this background, pain most often appears in the chest area. There is no need to treat this deviation; as a rule, all problems disappear on their own after the end of menstruation.
Scoliosis. In this case, discomfort appears due to the fact that, due to the curvature of the spine, the nerve endings located in the chest area are pinched. In this case, you can improve your condition with massages and regular exercises.

Pain and burning in the upper chest

Pain and burning in the upper chest provoke diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Sometimes, against the background of a burning sensation, muscle pain also appears, which intensifies with the slightest movement. As a rule, such problems are provoked by the same scoliosis or kyphosis. It is clear that in this case, not a single pill or mixture can help you get rid of chest discomfort.

Burning sensation in the chest when walking

A burning sensation in the chest when walking directly indicates that a person has serious problems with the musculoskeletal system. As a rule, osteochondrosis and intercostal neuralgia manifest themselves in this way. In this case, discomfort can be felt both when moving and in a calm state.

Unpleasant sensations and burning sensations in the chest in men and women can be caused by a number of diseases. Let's look at the most common ones.

One of the most “popular” causes of burning in the chest is heartburn. It usually appears after an excessively large meal, as well as from spicy, smoked, overcooked foods (especially at night). Heartburn can also occur after drinking alcohol, strong coffee and tea. Burning and pain behind the sternum can appear along the entire line of the esophagus and spread from the throat to the stomach.

The duration of the pain syndrome most often ranges from 5-10 minutes to an hour and a half or longer, often accompanied by belching with a sour taste. A slight dry cough and a feeling as if the person has choked on something may also occur. About half an hour after eating, a symptom such as a sore throat is likely to appear, which intensifies when a person bends over or assumes a horizontal position.

A burning sensation in the chest also often means the presence of an inflammatory process in the esophageal mucosa - reflux esophagitis. When gastric juice enters the esophagus, its mucous membrane and walls are corroded. For this reason, inflammation occurs and a burning sensation occurs in the chest. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, belching, and discomfort during swallowing of food may appear.

In such a situation, a burning sensation is constantly felt in the lower chest area. To relieve symptoms, it is recommended to avoid fried, spicy, fatty foods, fast food, and alcoholic beverages, not to overeat or eat at night, and not to bend over or lie down for two hours after finishing a meal.

Burning sensation, pain and a feeling of constriction in the chest in the area of the heart may indicate pathologies of the cardiovascular system. In this case, you should put a nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue; the onset of relief will indicate a problem related to cardiac activity.

One of the most common syndromes that provokes a burning sensation in the chest is angina pectoris. This is due to impaired circulation in the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with oxygen and essential nutrients, as a result of the formation of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels.

Usually the pain is short-lived (about two to five minutes) and appears in the morning. A person has a feeling that there is a burning sensation inside the chest cavity on the left, and this can be combined with discomfort in the neck, jaw, shoulder blades, and spine. Attacks occur systematically and especially often after physical exertion.

Another pathology is myocardial infarction. It is characterized by the occurrence of sharp, severe pain in the heart area due to physical activity or severe stress, which does not disappear at rest and after taking nitroglycerin, even repeatedly. Pain sensations accumulate on the left side of the body - they can radiate under the shoulder blade, into the arm, into the jaw.

Causes of burning

Burning in the throat and chest with dry cough, colds: causes, treatment

Burning in the throat and chest.
Diseases of the log organs can provoke a burning sensation in the throat with a dry cough. Therefore, if you have similar symptoms, then be sure to ask someone in your household to look down your throat. If he sees all the signs of pharyngitis, tonsillitis or tonsillitis, then without delay, start treatment. If you develop a simple sore throat, then treat it with antibacterial drugs and rinses.

If you develop pharyngitis or tonsillitis, then in addition to antibiotics you may also need antitussives. Yes, and do not try to get rid of tracheitis and pharyngitis solely with the help of antibiotics. As practice shows, after taking them, patients increasingly have to take medicines that promote the discharge of sputum. In view of this, it will be better if you do not waste time, but immediately begin adequate treatment.

Associated symptoms

Anatomical location of the human liver

Pain and burning in the chest on the right side may indicate diseases not only of the sternum organs. In some cases, we are talking about pathological conditions occurring in other organs.

Quite often, pain and burning on the right side of the chest is caused by diseases of the liver and biliary tract. The anatomical position of the liver is the right lower hypochondrium, so the pain can radiate to the sternum.

The clinical picture is usually as follows:

burning and pain intensifies after eating, especially after eating fatty and unhealthy foods (carbonated drinks, fast foods, fried foods);
the lower part of the whites of the eyes can change their color, a predominantly yellowish tint predominates;
periodically there is a strong burning sensation, accompanied by dull pain;
In the morning, an unpleasant bitter taste may appear in the mouth;
Poor functioning of the biliary tract is indicated by a dense yellow coating on the tongue.

If deviations occur, you should consult a doctor.

A burning sensation behind the sternum on the right can be disturbing for one common reason - heartburn. When gastric juice penetrates the esophagus, it irritates its mucous membranes, causing discomfort.

The pathological condition develops against the background of pinching and inflammation of the nerves that are adjacent to the intercostal muscles. The clinical picture of the disease is accompanied by a strong burning sensation. You can find the location of the pain yourself by palpating.

Unpleasant manifestations intensify when trying to take a deep breath, coughing, turning and bending.

Pneumonia

If a feeling of burning and itching appears in the sternum, as if you want to scratch your lungs from the inside, this in most cases indicates the development of a pathology of the respiratory tract. Most often, pneumonia is diagnosed in this case.

The condition is accompanied by the following symptoms:

hard breath;
increased body temperature;
loss of strength, fatigue;
complete or partial lack of appetite;
rib pain;
nausea;
cough, which may be accompanied by the discharge of sputum mixed with blood.

Types of spinal curvature

A burning sensation can be caused by problems with the spine. One of the most common diseases is scoliosis.

Anatomically incorrect position of the vertebrae causes the development of pain. Intervertebral discs are gradually worn out and nerves are regularly pinched.

Any person can identify pronounced scoliosis; all you need to do is look closely at your back. With a deformed spine, a skewed pelvis and shoulders are observed.

If spinal pathology develops, you should not delay your visit to a physiotherapist. To prevent the development of scoliosis, it is recommended to regularly engage in swimming. Visiting the pool has a beneficial effect on the condition of the back. Water procedures relax the muscles of the back and chest and strengthen the spine.

The burning sensation is not always caused by abnormalities in the functioning of the internal organs. Sometimes the pain syndrome serves as an echo of nervous overstrain.

If a comprehensive examination of the body does not reveal any abnormalities in the functioning of internal organs and systems, the reason lies in psychological factors. This may be preceded by prolonged depression, stress and strong feelings. In this case, drug therapy will be useless. A patient with disorders of the nervous system needs the help of a psychotherapist. You can temporarily relieve discomfort with the help of analgesics and/or any sedatives.

Intercostal myositis

Myositis

Intercostal myositis is characterized by severe pain in the chest area. As a rule, this disease is confused with intercostal neuralgia. But pathological conditions have several differences.

Clinical picture of myositis development:

swelling of soft tissues in the affected area;
increased body temperature;
dry cough and red, sore throat;
sensitivity of the skin.

The severity of symptoms increases with pressure on the chest. The discomfort extends not only to the right side, but also to the entire chest. Aching pain can also radiate to the back.

Compression and burning in the chest

Many of us associate pneumonia with a strong cough, so if we begin to feel heaviness in the chest, which causes breathing problems, we most often begin to look for the cause in the cardiovascular system. Of course, the heart can also react in a similar way to pathological processes, but as practice shows, most often these problems are provoked by pneumonia.

It’s just that while the body is still trying to fight the disease, we feel only indirect symptoms, that is, burning and heaviness in the chest. But as soon as our body gives up, a cough, fever and very severe weakness in the limbs immediately appear. I would like to say right away that it is absolutely impossible to treat this disease with folk remedies.

Pleurisy

The burning sensation is usually not isolated. You should pay attention to other symptoms and features.

Localization of discomfort behind the sternum on the left is a sign of the development of cardiac pathology.
The connection of burning with breathing, the appearance of cough, shortness of breath, sputum, hemoptysis - there is probably a pathology of the lungs, bronchi or pleura.
The appearance or intensification of unpleasant sensations when walking or running - a symptom appears if osteochondrosis or other pathological processes occur in the thoracic spine.
Connection with food intake, the appearance of heartburn in the form of a burning sensation behind the sternum is a sign of damage to the organs of the digestive system, namely the esophagus and stomach.
Localization of burning in the area of the right chest is a manifestation of pathological processes in the liver and structures of the biliary tract.
The appearance of discomfort after physical or emotional stress, which may mean angina pectoris. “Pectoris pectoris” - as if it squeezes the heart, but can let go when it is alone.
The burning sensation is accompanied by general intoxication with increased body temperature, deterioration of health, weakness, loss of appetite - it may indicate an inflammatory process of infectious origin, which is localized in the lungs or soft tissues of the chest.

Additional clinical features that you should pay attention to help suspect the origin of discomfort and burning behind the sternum:

Burning and pressing pain that occurs after physical activity, increased blood pressure is a sign of ischemia and angina, which goes away with rest.
Heartburn, point pain in the stomach, belching of air, nausea, heaviness in the abdomen, which mainly occurs on an empty stomach or immediately after eating, pain in the upper abdomen on the left or right, as well as in the center, including the navel, dryness, bitterness in the mouth, difficulty swallowing - symptoms indicate the possible development of gastritis, peptic ulcer, esophagitis. Pregnant women may experience nausea due to the development of early toxicosis.
The appearance or intensification of discomfort during a low bend is a pathognomonic sign of the formation of a hiatal hernia. It happens to young people and children.
A burning sensation in the sternum is constantly accompanied by shortness of breath, which indicates the localization of the pathological process in the respiratory tract, and a dry or wet cough appears. If you knock on the chest wall, the discomfort intensifies. With bronchitis and pneumonia, it is difficult to breathe, fever or chilliness appears, and body temperature rises. The development of shortness of breath is provoked by smoking.
Bending, turning the body, walking, long inhalation or exhalation, provoke the appearance or intensification of discomfort, simultaneous localization of pain in the front, back in the back, in the area of the scapula during movement, which intensifies in the evening, at night - a characteristic sign of pathology of the structures of the musculoskeletal system . If the changes are localized high in the ridge, there is often a headache, dizziness, and yawning, which can complicate diagnosis.

The appearance of additional symptoms suggests the origin of the pathological process. To reliably establish the cause, an objective examination of the patient is prescribed.

Mild burning sensation in the chest: causes, treatment

A slight burning sensation in the chest
As you probably already understood, a burning sensation in the chest can be provoked by completely different diseases, therefore, if you do not want your condition to worsen even more, then start looking for the cause of your problems as soon as unpleasant sensations appear.

Causes of mild burning sensation in the chest:

Allergy. If you think that an allergic reaction is only a rash, tearing and redness of the eyes, then you are deeply mistaken. In particularly severe cases, this problem can also manifest itself as chest discomfort. This happens due to the fact that the body, trying to get rid of intoxication, is very tense and, as a result, unpleasant sensations appear. You can get rid of the burning sensation that occurs due to allergies with the help of antiallergic drugs.

Mental disorders. Sometimes, against the background of overwork or very strong stress, people begin to think that their heart hurts, although after an examination it turns out that everything is fine with it. With such unreasonable discomfort, the body forces a person to stop and rest. Most often, in this case, the patient is prescribed sedatives that help the nervous system relax and return to normal.

Physiological causes of burning in the chest

There are many reasons that can provoke a burning sensation in the chest, the most common is a diet violation. If the diet is dominated by fatty, spicy, salty foods, carbonated drinks, fast food, if the rhythm and mode of eating is disturbed, there is overeating, eating before bed, then the contents of the stomach are refluxed into the esophagus, which causes a burning sensation in the chest. In addition to a burning sensation behind the sternum, nausea, heartburn, belching, bitterness in the mouth, bloating, and a dry cough that appears in a horizontal position may appear. In this situation, it will be enough to change the quality of the food you eat and adjust your diet. Excessive intake of coffee, alcohol, and smoking can also provoke a burning sensation.

Severe burning sensation in the chest: causes, treatment

Severe burning sensation in the chest
A very strong and, most importantly, abruptly starting burning sensation should alert you. If your body reacts so violently to the processes occurring inside it, it is likely that this was caused by malignant tumors.

This could be, for example, cancer of the lungs, esophagus, lymphatic system or bronchi. In order to get rid of these problems, you will need to undergo specific treatment with antitumor drugs.

Other causes of severe burning in the chest:

Mastopathy . In this case, a burning sensation appears if the disease has become very worse. Almost always, in addition to discomfort, a woman experiences changes in her breasts and discharge of fluid from the nipples. Depending on the type of mastopathy, the woman undergoes surgery or is prescribed hormonal therapy. Also, sick representatives of the fairer sex are required to be prescribed drugs like Mastodionone.
Pathologies of the aorta and pulmonary artery . Both of these diseases are very serious, so if you do not start treating them on time, it can even be fatal. I would like to say right away that treating these pathologies at home is undesirable. Therefore, no matter how much you want it, still contact a specialist and undergo treatment in a hospital.

Probable diseases

Pathologies that can cause burning in the chest include:

development of mastitis or abscess - an inflammatory or purulent process in the mammary gland;

various types of mastopathy - when compactions form in the tissues in the form of benign neoplasms and cysts (cavities), usually before and during menstruation these compactions increase in size due to the influence of the corresponding sex hormones, so during these periods women begin to feel a burning sensation in the right or left mammary gland, if formations and cysts have reached a significant size, then a burning sensation in the chest may be accompanied by nagging pain, redness of the skin, swelling and tenderness of the lymph nodes in the armpit area;

the appearance of a malignant tumor - cancer, lymphosarcoma, Paget's cancer;

severe trauma to the chest, resulting in the formation of hematomas, ruptures in tissues, ducts and milk lobes;

complications after surgery in the form of inflammation or compression of nerves due to implants, postoperative scars;

development of sclerotic changes in the mammary glands - sclerosing adenosis, reactive sclerosis of connective tissue;

the occurrence of intercostal neuralgia;

development of osteochondrosis;

the presence of inflammatory diseases in the chest organs;

the appearance of myositis.

Many pathologies in the chest that cause burning sensation are hormonal in origin. Most often, this is an imbalance of the normal ratio in the production of the most important female sex hormones - estrogen, progesterone and prolactin. A burning sensation in the mammary gland means that the effect of hormones on this organ and its tissues is abnormal. Endocrinologists characterize these phenomena as dishormonal diseases associated with the mammary glands.

Burning sensation in the chest and thoracic spine: causes, treatment

Burning in the chest and thoracic spine
Some people feel a burning sensation not only in the chest and in the thoracic spine. Most often, this problem is provoked by osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine. The most unpleasant thing is that such pain can be paroxysmal in nature and intensify after heavy exertion.

If you want to get rid of this disease as quickly as possible, then in addition to painkillers, also take B vitamins, muscle relaxants (they should be used together with diuretic tablets) and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Also, the cause of this problem can be injury to the thoracic spine. If the injury is not very serious (no fractures, cracks or displacements), then you can get rid of the discomfort with the help of pain-relieving gels or ointments.

How is the diagnosis carried out?

It should be recognized that the same symptom can warn of completely different diseases. If ARVI diseases and influenza can be cured and thereby eliminate the painful symptom, then oncological diseases and heart attacks require a quick response and correct treatment tactics. Therefore, if alarming symptoms appear, it is important to go for a diagnosis.

basic diagnostics includes collecting material for detailed studies. The basic complex also includes radiography, fluorography, ultrasound, and electrocardiogram. The listed examinations are carried out to find out the exact cause of a burning sensation in the chest area. If doubt arises, the patient may be sent for special diagnostics;
special diagnostics include tomography (computer, magnetic) and fibrogastroscopy.

The final diagnosis is made by the doctor, after which, taking into account individual indicators, he determines the course of therapy. Based on the results of diagnostic procedures, the patient is sent to a specific specialist (oncologist, pulmonologist, therapist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist).

Causes of chest pain

Attention! Before the patient goes to a medical institution, he must independently try to assess the situation and, if necessary, provide himself with pre-medical care.

Burning sensation in the chest during pregnancy: causes, treatment

Burning sensation in the chest during pregnancy
Most often, the cause of burning in the chest during pregnancy is the processes occurring in the body of the expectant mother. For example, in this way the body can react to changes in hormonal levels. In addition, similar problems may appear during the preparation of the mammary glands for lactation. During this time period, discharge from the nipples may also begin and their sensitivity will greatly increase. If, despite all this, you do not experience any other deviations, then you can quite calmly wait until the body rebuilds itself.

If you have a similar problem in the second or third trimester, then this indicates that your spine cannot withstand the load. In this case, it is best not to ignore the discomfort, but to try to get rid of it. Since pregnant women and girls should not get carried away with taking medications, try helping yourself with a course of light massage or sign up for gymnastics for pregnant women.

Pain behind the sternum or on the left side of the body that has no obvious cause

Hormonal imbalance in the weaker sex often manifests itself in negative conditions. Tingling and burning in the left sternum in women often indicate latently developing mastopathy of the mammary glands. Many ladies experience severe discomfort before menstrual bleeding, which is regarded as a completely natural condition. Women often experience a burning sensation in their chests due to hormonal changes. Ladies during menopause are especially sensitive to this kind of manifestation.

The next reason could be smoking. Even if an x-ray examination showed that there are no violations, this addiction can lead to these uncomfortable sensations. If a person has a mild cold, then he is guaranteed a burning sensation in his chest. The reason for this will be a passion for tobacco.

Nervous tension and the occurrence of tumors will lead to pain. Overeating, hypothermia, and excessive physical activity will lead to an uncomfortable feeling.

It is worth noting that in some cases the pain will go away on its own, you just need to exclude the causes. If you conduct an extensive examination, you can identify minor disorders of the gastrointestinal tract or heart disease.

When the burning pain becomes dangerous

There are many pathological causes of burning in the chest. For example, neurosis, depression, respiratory disease, somatic pathologies. Each of them requires a special approach.

Diseases	Characteristics of sensations
Liver, biliary tract, biliary system	The unpleasant sensations are dull, occur in attacks, are not associated with movement, radiate under the shoulder blade, right arm, right half of the neck, intensify when eating, there is a yellowish coating on the tongue, bitterness in the mouth. A stone or tumor of the biliary system causes a violation of the outflow of bile with jaundice, the feces become lighter, and the urine becomes darker.
Digestive system diseases	These can be: ulcers, gastritis, intestinal colic, which manifest themselves as pain on the right side quite rarely, but are always associated with food intake.
Intercostal neuralgia	In essence, this is a reaction of the intercostal nerves to their compression by inflammation or pinching, for example, with herpes, chickenpox, shingles. A strong burning sensation occurs somewhere in the region of the heart, but it is strictly localized and can be felt. The pain intensifies with any movement, inhalation, coughing. Osteochondrosis also shows lumbago in the right arm and the right half of the neck.
PMS	It burns in the area of the heart and with engorgement of the mammary glands before menstruation, but not everyone knows that this is a sign of mastopathy. A distinctive feature is the obvious connection with the female cycle, the formation of several nodules in the gland.
Pneumonia	Right-sided pneumonia with pleural effusion is accompanied by a burning sensation in the chest, and specific symptoms of pneumonia are required: weakness; hyperthermia; cough; lack of appetite; symptoms of intoxication. Just before the heart starts to beat, shortness of breath appears.
Scoliosis	Thoracic scoliosis is extremely rare, but if it develops, it has a C or S-shaped configuration, with its convexity facing to the right. Any involvement of the intercostal nerves results in clearly localized pain, with symptoms of intoxication, aggravated by coughing and breathing (no cough!).
Intercostal myositis	Inflammation of the intercostal muscles also has a clear localization; at rest the person does not experience any unpleasant sensations, but when moving, coughing, or inhaling, a burning sensation appears in the chest.
Cardioneurosis, other diseases of the nervous system	Cardioneurosis imitates serious cardiac pathologies in terms of the type of pain and its intensity, while it does not have objective confirmation of organic damage to the heart, and is relieved by treatment of neurological pathology. A burning sensation in the heart area can be a symptom of VSD with changes in blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances, intolerance to stuffy rooms, migraine
Psychosomatics	The main manifestation is pathological shortness of breath, in the absence of fever, cough, or connection with breathing or eating. Itching may occur; the cause is severe emotional shock. A complete examination does not reveal somatic organic matter. Consultation with a psychiatrist is required.
Endocrinological problems	Most often, retrosternal discomfort accompanies hyperthyroidism, then it is combined with shortness of breath, irritability, decreased libido in men and women, and hot flashes. Similar symptoms occur during menopause.

The internal organs located on the left and center of the sternum are innervated by the same nerves, so the causes of cardiac burning are common here.

Diseases	Characteristics of sensations
Respiratory system diseases: pneumonia, bronchitis, flu, accompanied by cough	It is the cough that causes chest discomfort: with pneumonia with pleural effusion, the localization of pain is on the left, but not exactly behind the sternum, and at the level of 3-5 intercostal spaces, it intensifies with breathing, is accompanied by weakness, fever, and sometimes dyspepsia; tuberculosis has similar manifestations; bronchitis gives a burning sensation in the chest just behind the sternum, in the center, where the trachea and bronchi are located, there is a fever, there is no appetite; influenza is a vasculitis, the basis of a retrosternal burning sensation is hemorrhagic permeation of the tracheal mucosa, it is also manifested by fever, arthralgia, and runny nose.
Overwork	Unpleasant sensations in the chest are a sign of VSD, especially hot flashes, frequent mood swings, but a complete absence of symptoms of intoxication and colds.
Physical hyperstress	Pain on the left side during overtraining or physical hyperstress is a symptom of cardiac pathology or physiological overstrain of the myocardium.
Acute pathologies: angina pectoris, heart attack, myocarditis	There are several of them: angina pectoris - pain radiates to the left up to the little finger, dull in nature, intensifies with exertion, excitement, goes away after rest, relieved with Nitroglycerin; myocardial infarction is preceded by angina pectoris, the pain is sharp, not relieved by rest, nitrates, radiates to the left arm, shoulder blade, jaw, often cold sweat, heart rhythm disturbances, dizziness, shortness of breath; myocarditis is a consequence of inflammation, intoxication, characterized by shortness of breath, cardiac discomfort, and edema.

There are several of them, including those that are significant for the patient’s life.

States	Characteristics of sensations
Eating process	This is how the heart burns with esophagitis, foreign bodies in the esophagus, esophageal cancer, gastritis, peptic ulcer, pancreatitis, intestinal colic, diaphragmatic hernia. Each disease has its own symptoms, but is always associated with eating and swallowing.
Horizontal position	This is gastroesophageal reflux, heartburn when food refluxes into the esophagus from the stomach.
Breathing: pericarditis, pleurisy, herpetic lesions of the upper respiratory tract	The essence is the contact of the organ shell with the inside of the ribs, which causes the presence of air or effusion during inflammation. There is always shortness of breath and symptoms of respiratory failure.
TELA	Severe chest pain with rusty sputum, shortness of breath, not relieved by Nitroglycerin, the cause is thrombosis due to a violation of the blood clotting system
Rheumatism, trauma, osteochondrosis	Here a person encounters referred pain, that is, radiating from the affected joints, injured ribs or sternum, spine

This is pain behind the sternum or on the left side of the chest, which is not associated with anything.

Diseases	Characteristics of sensations
Mitral valve prolapse, atrial fibrillation	Substernal discomfort may be one of the symptoms of these diseases; the sensations are erased and unrelated to anything: MA is life-threatening
Pathology of the great vessels: aorta, pulmonary artery	Dissection or rupture of an aortic aneurysm is characterized by severe pain behind the sternum with a shift to the left, requiring emergency care
Mediastinal tumors	The burning sensation is dull, increasing, uncontrollable
Mammary cancer	Gives retrosternal pain with metastases in the mediastinum (the gland itself is changed)

Cardiovascular causes

The presence of cardiac diseases can also explain why there is a burning sensation in the middle of the chest. Very often, burning and pain behind the sternum are harbingers of cardiac disasters such as myocardial infarction (death of an area) and others.

Myocardial ischemia

Myocardial infarction is an acute stage of coronary heart disease, which can be relatively asymptomatic for years, only sometimes manifesting itself with a slight burning sensation in the chest. Prolonged ischemia (lack of blood supply) of the heart muscle threatens to increase the frequency of angina attacks and heart attacks, requiring emergency medical care.

Most often, IHD develops as a result of atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary arteries, caused by excessive accumulation of cholesterol in the blood. It is believed that the greatest predisposition to myocardial ischemia is characterized by:

for men, regardless of age;
older people, regardless of gender (especially after 50 years);
smokers, especially heavy smokers;
hypertension and diabetics;
people who are overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle;
hereditarily predisposed people.

Distinctive signs of ischemia are a burning sensation in the chest in the middle and pain behind the sternum, radiating (radiating) to the back, under the shoulder blade, left shoulder, left hand, relieved by Nitroglycerin.

Aortic aneurysm

Another organ of the thoracic region that can cause a lump in the throat and a burning sensation in the chest, but patients rarely remember it, is the aorta, the largest artery in the human body.

Due to some reasons (high blood pressure, atherosclerosis), the walls of the aorta stretch, increasing its diameter, and at the site of stretching they become thinner or stratify, losing elasticity. This pathology is called an aortic aneurysm, and its presence threatens to rupture the wall of this vessel with subsequent bleeding, which is a life-threatening condition.

Unfortunately, the initial stages of the development of this pathology are usually asymptomatic, depriving a person of the opportunity to pay attention to the problem in time. This explains the low (no more than 30%) survival rate of patients taken to the hospital with obvious signs of this vascular pathology.

In addition to a burning sensation in the chest, an aneurysm is acutely manifested:

difficulty breathing, cough, hoarse voice;
tearing pain in the chest;
referred pain in the lower jaw, neck, middle of the back.

With an aneurysm, symptoms of heart failure often occur, which is explained by impaired blood supply to the heart (especially with aortic dissection).

TELA

If an artery in one of the lungs is blocked by an embolus (usually a thrombus), this can lead to the development of pulmonary embolism (PE). Cardiologists call thromboembolism an “exceptionally severe complication” of various diseases accompanied by thrombosis. Depending on the location of the blockage of the artery by thromboembolism, the patient notes a burning sensation in the left side of the chest (if PE of the left lung) or a burning sensation in the right side of the chest (if the right pulmonary artery is “clogged”).

The most common places for blockage of pulmonary vessels are the areas where the branching of the arteries begins, that is, points located closer to the middle of the chest, which is why the symptoms of pulmonary embolism are often perceived as chest pain due to myocardial ischemia. A serious complication of pulmonary embolism is pulmonary infarction, which develops 3–5 days from the onset of embolism. This is why early diagnosis of the disease based on additional clinical manifestations such as:

rapid breathing;
cyanosis (blue discoloration) of the upper body;
a sharp drop in blood pressure;
swelling of the neck veins.

The presence of at least two of the listed signs is sufficient to suspect the development of pulmonary embolism.

What to do when there is a “burning behind the sternum”

Since there are many reasons that cause a burning sensation in the chest, the elimination of each of them is individual. The doctor must do this. But there are situations when self-help is necessary.

The rules are simple, but they are correlated with the localization and nature of the unpleasant sensations:

a burning sensation on the left behind the sternum suggests a search for a comfortable position, rest, a Nitrong tablet under the tongue. Sharp pain is a reason to call an ambulance;
cough with chest discomfort requires an x-ray of the lungs and consultation with a pulmonologist;
asthenia after an infection or a serious illness with pain in the heart makes it mandatory to visit a cardiologist;
burning behind the sternum when walking is a sign of osteochondrosis, a reason to contact a chiropractor;
if your heart begins to heat while eating - a sign of esophagitis or gastritis, you need to visit a gastroenterologist (a weak solution of baking soda will quickly relieve the pain);
tachycardia with chest pain is a symptom of VSD, you need to consult a specialist on a healthy lifestyle;
itchy sternum is a symptom of allergies;
sudden coughing movements - bronchial asthma at the beginning of an attack.

Typically, such phenomena occur periodically, so patients already have a drug therapy regimen that can stop the attack.

A severe burning sensation behind the sternum, which appears after a person has eaten within half an hour before and then decides to lie down, is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux, that is, the reflux of food (water) from the stomach into the esophagus (see heartburn medications). Apart from a retrosternal burning sensation, the person has no loss of appetite, no fever, no weakness.

Tumors of the mediastinal organs

In the anatomical space of the middle part of the chest (mediastinum), where the heart, aorta and other important organs are located, neoplasms of both benign and malignant nature often arise, which at first can develop latently (asymptomatically). However, inevitably growing tumors begin to put pressure on nearby organs over time, and sometimes even grow into them, which leads to pain and a burning sensation in the chest.

The types of mediastinal tumors are so numerous that it is pointless to delve into their classification, especially since an accurate diagnosis can only be established after a thorough diagnosis. But the first visual display of the tumor process in the mediastinum is usually detected during a routine fluorographic examination, which once again confirms the need to regularly undergo this procedure.

Why does it burn in the chest in men and women?

To summarize, it is worth noting the non-specificity of such a symptom as a burning sensation in the middle of the chest. The reasons for such manifestations in men and women can be hidden in a variety of diseases of the heart, respiratory and digestive systems. And gender, in general, does not have much influence on the likelihood of the occurrence of a particular pathology in which there is a burning sensation in the left side of the chest, in the middle or on the right. Although some diseases still more often affect men, while others more often affect women.

For example, men are more predisposed to myocardial ischemia, and women are more predisposed to gallstone disease. However, it cannot be said that such a symptom as a burning sensation in the chest in the middle has different causes for women and men. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the individual’s body, and each of the above versions has the right to life. And the doctor must understand all these versions and choose the most reliable one.

Choosing a specialist

If you experience a burning sensation in your chest, you may need help from the following doctors:

Specialist	Direction
Cardiologist	Cardiovascular diseases
Gastroenterologist	Gastrointestinal problems
Neuropathologist	Pathologies of the nervous system
Gynecologist	Diseases of the female genital area

A therapist will help you decide on the choice of specialist. He will prescribe examinations, and based on their results, he will advise which specialized doctor to contact for further help.

Principles of therapy correlated with pain location

To relieve the burning behind the sternum, you need to cure the root cause. Then the burning sensation will not bother you:

coronary heart disease, angina pectoris requires normalization of blood cholesterol levels, drugs that improve heart function;
neuroses – sedative therapy;
hyperthyroidism – normalization of thyroid function;

In order to adequately treat a patient, an accurate diagnosis is needed, which is sometimes made by a whole council of doctors (the nature of the burning sensations and their localization are so diverse). It is considered that if:

pain on the left or in the middle of the chest - this is the heart “saying”, you need to stop, rest, take Nitroglycerin, open a window for air flow, with repeated attacks - a visit to a cardiologist is required;
if the burning sensation is diffuse, it is difficult to breathe, call an ambulance immediately, and before it arrives, take a couple of aspirin tablets to prevent a heart attack;
if the mammary gland hurts, it is associated with menstruation, accompanied by discharge from the nipples - you need to consult a mammologist so as not to miss mastopathy with transformation into cancer;
a cough always suggests an x-ray examination of the chest organs; what to do next is decided by the doctor;
a long period of recovery after a serious somatic illness with periodic burning in the chest requires an appointment with a cardiologist, a complete cardiological examination (perhaps we are talking about decompensation of the cardiovascular system);
a sudden, intense, chest-expanding burning sensation suggests calling an ambulance (suspicion of aortic dissection).

No matter how the situation develops, taking analgesics is prohibited until the doctor arrives.

Burning in the area of the heart - what is it?

In most cases, a burning sensation in the heart is accompanied by a feeling of constriction in the chest and lack of air. The patient may experience fever, darkening of the eyes, a surge in blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, headache and other symptoms. There are quite a few reasons for the development of this condition, both cardiac and non-cardiac. In addition to the effects of disease, a burning sensation in the heart area can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle:

physical inactivity (lack of physical activity);
unhealthy diet;
frequent exposure to stressful situations;
hyperdynamia (excessive physical activity);
abuse of bad habits;
lack of sleep.

The mentioned factors contribute to the development of pathologies and various malfunctions in the body, leading to unpleasant sensations in the chest area. However, the source of pain is not always the heart. Sometimes it radiates from other parts, which makes it difficult to differentiate the underlying pathological process.

Prevention measures

The rules are well known:

sanitation of all foci of chronic infection in the body;
strictly dosed physical activity agreed with the doctor;
balanced diet;
strong, full, eight-hour sleep, no stress;
year-round intake of vitamin and mineral complexes in addition to fresh vegetables and fruits;
clinical examination.

Compliance with these recommendations is a guarantee of your active longevity.

To avoid burning and discomfort in the chest area, it is necessary to promptly treat existing diseases. In addition, experts give the following recommendations:

systematically independently examine the breasts for the presence of formations and lumps;
regularly visit a gynecologist and endocrinologist;
avoid sunbathing too much;
use high-quality underwear;
adjust your nutritional diet.

Diagnostics

A burning sensation in the chest area occurs due to the influence of many factors, so you will have to undergo a comprehensive examination to identify the exact cause:

fibrogastroduodenoscopy;
computed and magnetic resonance imaging;
electrocardiogram;
blood and urine tests;
ultrasonography;
coronary angiography;
radiography.

Additionally, daily ECG monitoring and bicycle ergometry may be required, especially if cardiac pathology is suspected. A diagnosis is made after receiving all the examination results.

Literature

"Emergency Medical Care", ed. J.E. Tintinally, Rl. Kroma, E. Ruiz, Translation from English by Dr. med. Sciences V.I. Kandrora, MD M.V. Neverova, Dr. med. Sciences A.V. Suchkova, Ph.D. A.V. Nizovoy, Yu.L. Amchenkova; edited by Doctor of Medical Sciences V.T. Ivashkina, Doctor of Medical Sciences P.G. Bryusova; Moscow "Medicine" 2001.
Polyclinic therapy. Textbook (edited by G.I. Storozhakov, I.I. Chukaev and others, 2009).
Asadullin A.R., Yuldashev V.L., Asadullina G.M. and others. Efficacy and safety of using the drug alimemazine (Teraligen) for the relief of anxiety in patients with alcohol dependence syndrome // Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry named after. S.S. Korsakov. 2018
Van Beek MH, Oude Voshaar RC, Beek AM et al. A brief cognitive-behavioral intervention for treating depression and panic disorder in patients with noncardiac chest pain: a 24-week randomized controlled trial // Depress Anxiety. 2013

Lyudmila Zhavoronkova

Higher medical education. 30 years of working experience in practical medicine.

More about the author

Last updated: October 2, 2019

Diagnosis and treatment

If burning discomfort occurs, you should consult a mammologist as soon as possible. The doctor will determine the root cause of the problem and decide on suitable therapeutic methods. For this purpose he needs:

take anamnesis;
examine a blood test for biochemistry;
conduct a visual examination and palpation of the left and right breasts;
carefully study the results of the examination by a gynecologist;
do an ultrasound and mammography of the breast;
MRI may additionally be prescribed.

Features of treatment

Regardless of the intensity of the burning sensation in the heart area, the patient is advised to consult a doctor. Any disease is much easier to cure in the early stages, so there is no need to hesitate. The course of therapy depending on the causative factor is as follows:

Cardiac pathologies are eliminated with medication. The treatment regimen is supplemented with folk remedies. Severe cases will require surgery.
Gastrointestinal diseases are treated with medications and a strict diet. Diaphragmatic hernia often requires surgery.
They try to treat back pathologies with physical therapy, physiotherapy and medications with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
Hormonal imbalance is eliminated with hormonal drugs and sedatives.

A burning sensation in the chest can be both a sign of a dangerous disease of the cardiovascular system and a symptom of a malfunction in the hormonal balance or autonomic department. To draw up a treatment regimen, you will have to undergo a comprehensive examination. Based on the diagnostic results obtained, the doctor will select effective treatment methods.

Burning sensation during physiological changes in the female body

When there is a burning sensation in the chest area, this is always a cause for concern, especially since, due to the anatomical location, the resulting pain is most often associated with cardiac pathologies. The absence of gender and age contributes to panic: a burning sensation in the chest can occur at any age. But you can distinguish cardiac discomfort from any other based on several reliable criteria:

unpleasant sensations associated with the heart are stable and do not depend on body position;
they are not correlated with the depth of inspiration or time of day;
palpation of the sternum does not affect them;
Nitroglycerin relieves the severity of symptoms, but painkillers are useless.

This is not an absolute truth, since there are exceptions to every rule. A burning sensation in the heart area can be provoked by other reasons, which only a doctor can say after a full clinical and laboratory examination. However, it is reliably known that the heart begins to burn after overeating harmful, overly spicy food, when the contents of the stomach are retrogradely thrown into the esophagus, causing severe pain in the chest. In addition, if gluttony precedes sleep, a person experiences:

cough;
nausea;
bloating;
dyspnea.

Smoking or drinking alcohol can cause the same reaction. But such discomfort is physiological. A balanced diet will alleviate the situation. If the heart burns often, but there are no visible reasons for this, then the problem becomes dangerous.

Substernal discomfort during pregnancy has its own characteristics:

the growing fetus puts pressure on the diaphragm and chest, which causes discomfort even at rest;
a stressful situation associated with pregnancy provokes discomfort in the heart area;
enlargement of the mammary glands makes breathing difficult and can cause chest pain;
expansion of the thoracic region associated with stress during gestation causes shortness of breath and discomfort in the heart area.

All this requires constant monitoring by a doctor.

A burning sensation in the chest may be associated with pregnancy

Changes in the level of sex hormones occur in the following cases:

The period of puberty, when the active growth of the mammary glands in girls begins according to the female type. The amount of estrogen increases, which stimulates tissues and changes them. While the body adapts, various unpleasant symptoms are possible, including pain and burning in the mammary glands. Since the tissues of the right and left breasts have the same estrogen receptors, the process occurs symmetrically. At this moment, the girl’s chest is very vulnerable and sensitive, so you need to avoid various injuries and bruises so as not to provoke the appearance of a hematoma.
Pregnancy, especially in the first trimester.
In the woman’s body during this period, another hormonal restructuring occurs, where the leading hormone is progesterone; it usually causes swelling and pain in the second phase of the cycle, but during pregnancy it is produced several times more, since it is responsible for retaining the fertilized egg in the uterus . Painful and burning sensations are caused by an increasing amount of human chorionic gonadotropin, the pregnancy hormone. It stimulates the growth of alveoli, promotes the expansion of the milk ducts, preparing the body for lactation. During the first 2 months, breast tissue adapts to the new hormonal status, although even at this moment it is necessary to be on alert: hormone-dependent progesterone tumors most often appear during gestation, as mutated cells find themselves in favorable conditions. With the onset of menstruation, many women feel discomfort
Menstruation. Happens regularly every month. In the first half of the cycle, estrogen dominates and is responsible for ovulation and the release of the egg. After this, a corpus luteum is formed at the exit site, which produces progesterone. It is responsible for preparing for fertilization and preparing the uterine lining for pregnancy. Before menstruation, under the influence of progesterone, the breasts become engorged, sore, and a burning sensation may occur.
Menopause is the involution of sex hormones after 50 years, but the process begins much earlier. For some women, menopause can begin at 38 or even at 36 years old if menstruation began before the age of twelve. Menopause is a dangerous period in a woman’s life, since at this time most benign and malignant tumors appear, caused by an imbalance of hormones: estrogen becomes more, since its amount drops by only 25%, while the production of progesterone decreases by 75%. The dominant effects of estrogen can cause cells to change and divide at a rapid rate.

Mastodynia is a condition during menopause in which tissue transformations occur. The glandular component is replaced by the fatty component as a result of a gradual decrease in sex hormones.

Mitral valve prolapse and atrial fibrillation - may manifest as chest pain. In both cases, the pain is not pronounced, there is no visible connection with breathing, body position, or work performed. Atrial fibrillation requires prompt diagnosis and treatment, as it is a life-threatening condition.
Diseases of the aorta and pulmonary artery - diseases of large vessels passing through the chest cavity can manifest themselves in a similar way. Aortic dissection is an extremely life-threatening condition that requires emergency care, manifested by severe, tearing pain in the middle of the chest or with pain shifted to the left side.
Pulmonary embolism, if it leaves the person conscious, may present with severe chest pain that does not respond to nitroglycerin. In addition, there is shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, a cough when “rusty” sputum comes out.

Oncology:

Malignant neoplasms of the mediastinal organs - dull, pressing pain not associated with breathing, which increases very gradually; a tumor of one of the organs of the chest cavity may appear. This could be cancer of the lung, pleura, bronchi, myxedema of the heart, metastases to the lymph nodes located in the mediastinum.

A tumor in the left mammary gland, if it has grown into the chest, will also cause pain. In this case, the gland should be deformed, a seal may be detected in it, fused with the tissues, and there may be discharge from the nipples (see breast cancer).

A burning sensation may occur for physiological reasons that do not require medical intervention. It happens:

at the time of puberty;
during pregnancy;
during lactation;
in the period before menstruation;
during menopause.

Discomfort is associated with changes in hormone levels in the female body. In teenage girls, breasts are developing. The growth and development of the glands may be accompanied by mild pain and a burning sensation.

During pregnancy, a riot of hormones prepares the woman's breasts for feeding the baby, tissue sensitivity increases, a slight burning sensation and soreness appear.

During breastfeeding (breastfeeding), the burning sensation is periodic and is felt at the moment of the “influx” of milk. This feeling becomes especially noticeable if you drink warm tea with milk. The most severe burning and soreness is in the nipples.

In the middle of the cycle, the female body prepares for a possible pregnancy. A woman’s body contains a lot of estrogens, which causes fluid retention in the body. Blood flow in the chest becomes difficult and pain and burning may occur. Usually there is relief around the time of menstruation, but for some women the discomfort continues until the end of menstrual bleeding.

During menopause, approximately 10% experience severe pain (mastalgia). Mastalgia is intermittent, the pain is diffuse, characterized as a burning sensation or hot flashes.

Burning sensation in the chest with additional symptoms and their causes:

Pain behind the sternum in the center or on the left side of the body, which has no obvious cause - heart disease.
Spontaneous attacks – heart problems.
Burning sensation in the right side of the chest - diseases of the liver, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, intercostal neuralgia.
After overwork, physical activity and food - a sign of VSD or angina pectoris.
If burning and pain are associated with breathing - pneumonia or vascular dystonia.
If you have a cough – pneumonia, flu, bronchitis.
A burning sensation in the chest when walking - causes and treatment are associated with osteochondrosis.

In addition to the reasons mentioned, a burning sensation in the chest may occur for the following reasons:

Fetal pressure. As the baby grows larger, it begins to put pressure on the diaphragm and chest, which can cause discomfort even at rest.
Stress. Changes in the body, habitual way of life and fear of childbirth provoke stress and depression. This fact can cause discomfort in the sternum area.
Breast enlargement can cause difficulty breathing and unpleasant pain that gets worse as the breast grows.
The expansion of the thoracic region as pregnancy progresses causes shortness of breath, accompanied by a feeling of tension.

Actions everyone should know about

A burning sensation in the chest after coughing or as an independent symptom cannot be ignored. If a person complains of discomfort and severe pain, it is necessary to act quickly and correctly:

You should not touch the patient if the person lost consciousness during a bronchospasm. It is possible that a painful shock has occurred; you must immediately call an ambulance;
if the attack affects the jaw or arm, or the limbs go numb, then you need to urgently go to the hospital;
You should not tolerate chest pain for more than fifteen minutes. Losing time during a heart attack can be fatal;
vomiting and dizziness along with pain in the middle of the chest indicate that you need to call the clinic, the person needs hospitalization.

If there is pain in the chest immediately after eating, then you need to take a horizontal position. A weak soda solution will neutralize the increased acidity that causes heartburn.

A burning sensation in the chest is a symptom that indicates a number of different ailments in the body. If you ignore these sensations, serious health problems may arise. According to statistics, in every tenth case, death occurs during chest burning.

As a preventive measure, you should do daily exercises, do not drink alcohol and do not abuse smoking. Junk food should appear on the table as rarely as possible, especially when there are children in the family. It is easier to prevent serious illnesses than to carry out long-term rehabilitation therapy later.

Emergency measures

A burning sensation in the heart manifests itself for certain reasons, knowing which you can try to prevent the development of the pathological process and know what to do to stop the attack. First aid measures are selected depending on the clinical picture:

An attack of vegetative-vascular dystonia and hot flashes characteristic of menopause can be stopped by taking a sedative (Negrustin, Deprim).
For high blood pressure and heart rhythm disturbances, medications with hypotensive and antiarrhythmic properties are used (Quinidine, Ritmonorm). Treatment can be supplemented with sedatives.
Discomfort caused by spinal pathology is relieved with tablets with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects (Movalis, Diclofenac).
An attack of angina is relieved by taking Nitroglycerin. The drug dilates the coronary vessels and reduces the myocardium's need for oxygen.

Heartburn can be eliminated by taking a drug from the antacid group (Almagel, Rennie). They are created on the basis of substances (aluminum, magnesium), with the help of which hydrochloric acid is neutralized.

After taking medications, the patient needs to rest. The room should be well ventilated, and the neck and chest should be free of constricting clothing. Calling an ambulance is necessary in case of a pronounced burning sensation that cannot be relieved by the means mentioned above. The visiting medical team should be told about the disturbing symptoms and the actions taken at home.

Diagnosis of pain

If burning pain appears in the chest, you should consult a doctor (first a therapist). The doctor will collect an anamnesis, listen to complaints about where it hurts (on the left, on the right side or in the middle) and conduct a visual examination, after which he will prescribe a diagnosis or send you for a consultation with a specialist.

X-ray (abdominal cavity, spinal cord);
MRI;
CT;
heart diagnostics (for example, echocardiography);
ultrasonography;
blood biochemistry;
general blood and urine analysis;
fibrogastroduodenoscopy, etc.

Treatment of the disease depends on the final diagnosis. Perhaps the cause of the burning sensation was heartburn, the treatment of which requires treatment for gastrointestinal disease (which caused heartburn), including antacids, which reduce the acidity of gastric contents. For neuralgia, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory muscle relaxants are needed. Calculous cholecystitis is treated with pharmaceuticals or surgery.

If the burning sensation in the sternum practically does not bother you, you should consult a doctor and not self-medicate due to the wide differentiation of possible causes.

A burning sensation on the right side of the chest always causes panic in men and women. Examinations are prescribed by a therapist if it is difficult to make a diagnosis by listening to the patient. You will have to undergo tests and undergo a number of procedures:

Clinical blood test - it allows you to see that an inflammatory process is not developing in the body. Infectious diseases can always be considered by examining these indicators.
Urinalysis - it is necessary to study the functioning of the kidneys.
The level of diastase in the urine is a necessary analysis if a patient is suspected of having pancreatic pathology. During this illness, an increase in temperature may be observed.
Sputum analysis - performed if the patient has a wet rather than a dry cough. This test must be done on a child if bronchospasm lasts more than three weeks.
Electrocardiogram – allows you to study the heart rate.
Chest X-ray - the procedure allows you to study the size of the heart and make sure that the structure of the lung tissue is not damaged.
Electrocardiogram monitoring – prescribed if a heart attack is suspected.
Echocardiography - gives an accurate picture of functional changes in the heart and arteries.

A burning sensation in the chest can be the cause of gastrointestinal diseases. In this case, the therapist will refer you to a gastroenterologist. This specialist will conduct an accurate diagnosis:

Ultrasound of organs located in the abdominal cavity;
PH - metry - analysis is necessary to determine the acidity in the stomach. If deviations from the norm are detected, then special dietary nutrition is prescribed;
X-ray of the esophagus and stomach - the image will show whether the patient has tumors or a hernia. Treatment will be surgical.

If you have any current heart symptoms, you should consult a doctor. No matter how old a person is, serious illnesses can develop at a young age.

The symptoms of all diseases that are accompanied by chest heat are approximately similar. If the diagnosis is incorrectly determined and therapy is incompetent, severe consequences can occur, even death. A doctor will help you find out why your chest is burning.

He must conduct a complete examination of the patient, which includes:

blood chemistry,
Analysis of urine,
examination and palpation of the mammary glands,
x-ray,
ultrasound examination,
examination of the gastrointestinal tract,
referral to a gynecologist.

If lumps are detected, they are checked for good quality by examining a sample taken during a biopsy.

One of the examination methods is chest x-ray

Features of clinical symptoms make it possible to suspect the nature and localization of the pathological process. To make a reliable diagnosis, the doctor prescribes an additional objective examination, including the following methods:

X-ray of the chest organs and spinal column, allowing to identify gross changes in tissues.
Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are modern techniques for layer-by-layer scanning of tissues with high resolution. The examination should be done in order to identify small changes.
Ultrasound of the heart (echocardioscopy) – visualization is carried out using an ultrasound wave, the study is aimed at identifying structural changes.
Ultrasound of the abdominal organs, including the liver and bile ducts.
ECG or electrocardiography is a functional study of the heart with determination of electrical activity and the ability to diagnose a large number of diseases. To control treatment, the study is repeated 2-3 times.
Fibrogastroduodenoscopy procedure
– insertion of an optical tube with illumination into the cavity of the upper gastrointestinal tract, followed by direct visual assessment of the condition of the mucous membrane. The study makes it possible to conduct a biopsy for histological examination under a microscope, which is very important for diagnosing oncological processes.
Laboratory tests - clinical analysis of blood, urine, biochemical tests allow us to assess the functional state of various systems and organs.

Inflammatory processes in the respiratory system

When there is a burning sensation in the chest, a person immediately imagines problems associated with the respiratory system. What kind of respiratory diseases are characterized by a burning sensation in the chest area?

Tracheitis

The trachea is a hollow tube made of cartilage tissue that connects the larynx with the large bronchi. This is the main large channel through which air inhaled by a person enters the lower respiratory tract.

That is why this organ is so susceptible to changes in weather and temperature conditions, the quality of the surrounding atmosphere and, of course, infections. The inflammatory process on the tracheal mucosa, in which a burning sensation is felt in the middle of the chest, is called tracheitis, and this disease can be either independent or accompanying other inflammations:

nasal cavity (rhinitis);
pharynx (pharyngitis);
larynx (laryngitis).

The common cold and bronchitis can also be complicated by tracheitis (one of the first symptoms is a burning sensation in the middle of the chest), that is, this disease is mostly of an infectious nature. If it occurs on its own, it is most often due to:

hypothermia - under the influence of low temperatures, the vessels of the mucous membrane spasm and protective mechanisms are weakened;
foreign bodies entering the organ - even the smallest foreign bodies, once on the tracheal mucosa, cause inflammation in it;
inhalation of polluted air - the trachea is irritated by steam, dust and chemical compounds sprayed in the air;
contact with allergens - the tendency to allergic manifestations in the form of coughing and burning in the upper chest is often hereditary;
smoking - cigarette combustion products not only irritate the respiratory tract, but also increase sensitivity to respiratory diseases;
weakening of the immune system - frequent infections, strict diets, vitamin deficiency and bad habits significantly reduce immunity.

There are cases of tracheitis with a strong burning sensation in the middle of the chest, the causes of which are hidden in problems of the kidneys and heart (due to impaired blood flow in the respiratory tract) or pulmonary emphysema (due to impaired ventilation).

Associated symptoms of tracheitis are a dry cough, difficulty breathing, and sometimes fever. Treatment of tracheitis is based on the destruction of infectious agents that have entered the body. It can be:

bacteria (Haemophilus influenzae, staphylococci);
viruses (influenza, parainfluenza, adenoviruses);
fungi (pathogens of candidiasis, actinomycosis, etc.).

In the treatment of infectious types of tracheitis, antibiotics, immunostimulants, antiviral and antifungal agents are used. Tracheitis of allergic origin, manifested by a burning sensation in the middle of the chest and cough, is more difficult to treat; in addition, it is necessary to completely avoid contact with the allergen.

Bronchitis

Another disease that can cause a burning sensation in the middle of the chest is bronchitis, an inflammatory lesion of the bronchial mucosa, usually developing against the background of acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections. In addition to a burning sensation in the chest, bronchitis manifests itself as a wet cough for 1–4 weeks in acute bronchitis and a dry cough that lasts more than 1 month and constantly recurs in chronic bronchitis.

The risk of chronic bronchitis is increased in people who work in unfavorable conditions and are forced to come into contact with dust, toxic gases, tobacco smoke and other harmful substances. Children of smoking parents are especially at risk; they have an increased likelihood of complications of bronchitis such as pneumonia and bronchial asthma.

When treating bronchitis, it is advisable to combine drug therapy with other effective methods:

physiotherapeutic procedures;
drinking plenty of water;
inhalations;
physical therapy.

The greatest effectiveness in the treatment of bronchitis with this complex of therapeutic measures can be achieved if it is used at the initial stage of the pathology.

Tracheobronchial tuberculosis

There are other factors that provoke a burning sensation in the middle of the chest. These reasons pose a serious threat to the future life of the patient when it comes to tuberculous lesions of the bronchi and trachea, united by one name - tracheobronchial tuberculosis.

This disease almost never occurs on its own, but most often develops in parallel with tuberculosis of the lungs and lymph nodes of the thoracic region.

The causative agents of tuberculosis are mycobacteria (MBT), also called Koch bacilli. The disease most often occurs in a chronic form, requiring the use of complex antibacterial therapy, more intensive than for pulmonary tuberculosis, with a duration of 3 to 10 months. The intensity of therapy depends on the type of tracheobronchial tuberculosis:

chronic productive infiltrative or ulcerative;
acute or subacute ulcerative or infiltrative;
fistula.

The latter is the most dangerous and intractable type of tracheobronchial tuberculosis and requires the longest treatment. A distinctive feature of the tuberculosis in question is a cough, which is usually productive, although cases of asymptomatic disease are known.

Pneumonia

The cause of a burning sensation in the chest is often an acute infectious disease of a viral, bacterial or fungal nature - pneumonia. The inflammatory process affecting the pulmonary and pleural areas is manifested by a burning sensation in the left side of the chest or a burning sensation in the chest on the right with - respectively - left-sided or right-sided pneumonia.

In uncomplicated pneumonia, the effectiveness of treatment of the disease is achieved by 10–14 days, provided that it is detected in a timely manner. Pneumonia can be either primary (occurring as an independent disease) or secondary (developing as a complication after a cold, flu, bronchitis and other diseases that do not necessarily affect the respiratory system). The classic set of clinical manifestations of pneumonia includes:

a sharp rise in temperature to febrile levels;
general deterioration of health, signs of intoxication;
pain and burning in the chest on the right, left or both sides;
difficulty breathing, sometimes audible wheezing;
the appearance on days 4–5 of a dry cough, giving way to a wet cough, with thick sputum, often rusty in color, and smelling unpleasant.

With extensive damage to the lung and the development of respiratory failure, shortness of breath appears with an increasing frequency of respiratory movements.

With atypical pneumonia, the clinical picture may be blurred or significantly different from the standard course of the disease, which makes its diagnosis difficult. Only consultation with a doctor and timely measures taken will protect the patient from life-threatening developments.

Pain and burning between the chest in the middle: causes, treatment

Symptomatic treatment of burning sensation in the chest

Pain and burning in the chest on the left: causes, treatment

Diseases that cause burning in the chest

Pain and burning in the chest on the right: causes, treatment

Hurts on the right

Diseases of the liver and biliary tract

Other gastrointestinal diseases

Intercostal neuralgia

Pneumonia

Pain during premenstrual syndrome

Intercostal myositis

Scoliosis

Mental illness

Pain and burning in the upper chest: causes, treatment

Pain behind the sternum or on the left side of the body that has no obvious cause

Gastrointestinal diseases

Pneumonia

Scoliosis

Intercostal myositis

Angina pectoris

Myocardial infarction

Myocarditis

Other reasons

Burning sensation in the chest when inhaling: causes, treatment

Which doctor should I contact if I have a burning sensation in my chest?

Burning sensation in the chest when walking: causes, treatment

Pathological conditions requiring treatment

Mastopathy

Mastitis

Breast cancer

Pituitary gland and endocrine system

Heaviness, squeezing and burning in the chest, difficulty breathing: symptoms of what disease?

Burning and pain when eating food

Causes of burning

Burning in the throat and chest with dry cough, colds: causes, treatment

Associated symptoms

Pneumonia

Intercostal myositis

Mild burning sensation in the chest: causes, treatment

Physiological causes of burning in the chest

Severe burning sensation in the chest: causes, treatment

Probable diseases

Burning sensation in the chest and thoracic spine: causes, treatment

How is the diagnosis carried out?

Burning sensation in the chest during pregnancy: causes, treatment

Pain behind the sternum or on the left side of the body that has no obvious cause

When the burning pain becomes dangerous

Cardiovascular causes

Myocardial ischemia

Aortic aneurysm

TELA

What to do when there is a “burning behind the sternum”

Tumors of the mediastinal organs

Why does it burn in the chest in men and women?

Choosing a specialist

Principles of therapy correlated with pain location

Burning in the area of ​​the heart - what is it?

Prevention measures

Diagnostics

Literature

Diagnosis and treatment

Features of treatment

Burning sensation during physiological changes in the female body

Actions everyone should know about

Emergency measures

Diagnosis of pain

Inflammatory processes in the respiratory system

Tracheitis

Bronchitis

Tracheobronchial tuberculosis

Pneumonia

Burning in the area of the heart - what is it?