My heart aches: reasons and what to do at home

There are times in every person's life when pain in the heart area becomes unbearable. Fear for life forces people to look for an answer to the question of what to do if their heart hurts badly?

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• Symptoms of heart pain

• Pressing pain in the heart: effective treatment

• Aching pain in the heart area: causes and treatment

• Stitching pain in the heart area: causes and treatment

The first signs of pain, what to do in this case

When pain in the heart appears, the symptoms will not take long to appear. Let's look at the most common ones.

Sharp pain

First of all, you need to not panic. If sharp pain appears in the heart area, try to relax all the muscles of the body as much as possible. To do this, you need to find an opportunity to lie down or sit down so that nothing is constricting or squeezing. Begin to breathe slowly and deeply, inhaling and exhaling air at a level where pain is not yet felt. If the pain does not go away within 5-10 minutes, take Corvalol or Corvaldin (your age is equal to the number of drops).

If a sharp pain in the heart is caused by worries or a stressful situation, then take valerian tincture, it is available at the pharmacy and is effective. After the pain subsides a little, be sure to contact a medical facility, but if the discomfort does not go away, call an ambulance.

It is important to know that there are many diseases that manifest as pain in the area of ​​the left side of the ribs. For example, intercostal neuralgia can manifest itself as acute pain when inhaling, numbness in the fingers, and shortness of breath. Therefore, you need to calm down and call a doctor.

Important! The success of treatment depends on a reliable diagnosis. If you have pain in the heart area, you need to undergo an examination.

What to do if your heart hurts a lot, but you can’t call a doctor? There are various methods and recipes that can neutralize pain at home. Let's look at different situations and what measures need to be taken.

My heart hurts

In this case, it is advisable to know the diagnosis. Fresh air is necessary under any circumstances. If the reason is unknown, do not be nervous, remain calm. It is necessary to take heart medications such as Corvalol, Valocordin or Validol.

What to do if your heart aches, what to do first? You need to take one aspirin tablet with a glass of water. If after a quarter of an hour the pain has not subsided, call an ambulance. But painkillers only relieve discomfort. After getting rid of the symptoms, you should visit a doctor, get a consultation and determine a diagnosis.

Important! If your heart hurts and burns, there is pressure behind the sternum, call an ambulance immediately!

First aid

In case of unexpected pain in the heart, at home, first of all, call an ambulance. Provide yourself with fresh air and the opportunity to breathe deeply (remove tight clothes, open windows and doors if you are indoors). Take a position in which you are comfortable. Take 40 drops of Valocordin, Corvalol. If you are alone, then inform someone close to you about the condition. After a painful attack, make an appointment with a doctor, let him examine you and tell you about further actions.

My heart hurts and it's hard to breathe

Your heart hurts, it’s difficult to breathe - pull yourself together and don’t panic. Find a comfortable position (change the one you are in). Free yourself from clothes, unfasten buttons and belts. Be sure to take heart and sedative medications. Take deep breaths and exhales. If after a few minutes it does not improve, take a nitroglycerin tablet under your tongue (not possible at low blood pressure!), wrap yourself in a warm blanket and call an ambulance. If such symptoms occur, do not let things take their course. Perhaps these are the first signs of a serious illness that needs to be treated so that it does not develop into a serious form.

Important! If your heart hurts in the heat, then urgently take measures to get out of the sun and keep yourself cool.

It is recommended to go into an air-conditioned room or room, take a comfortable position, and calm your breathing. The main thing is not to panic! If it doesn't feel better after 30 minutes, call an ambulance or ask someone to do it.

Heart hurts and left hand goes numb

If you experience these symptoms, try changing your position. You need to take a deep breath and exhale. Check your blood pressure, take your pulse. Call a doctor. Place a nitroglycerin tablet under your tongue. Inform your loved ones about the current situation who can come quickly. Leave the door open.

Causes of cardialgia

If the only cause of anginal pain is acute coronary heart disease, which can manifest itself in the form of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction, then there are many more reasons for the occurrence of cardialgia. In some cases, the etiological factor influences the choice of treatment method, so you need to know what causes pain in the heart.

Most often, these may be the following pathological conditions:

• neurosis: pain in the heart, which is a kind of signal in response to a large number of negative emotions and psychogenic stimuli;
• inflammatory diseases of the membranes of the heart: myocarditis, endocarditis, pericarditis;
• myocardiopathy and myocardial dystrophy - diseases manifested by gradual expansion and increase in the mass of the heart muscle;
• heart damage due to systemic diseases: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney or thyroid dysfunction;
• rheumatic diseases;
• congenital or acquired heart valve defects;
• benign heart tumors.

Medications

Most drugs are sold without a prescription and should be taken at home. You can find out more about the types of medications in the article:

1. Validol. It has a calming effect and is useful for eliminating stress. In the fight against angina pectoris, the drug is ineffective; to enhance the effect, simultaneous use of nitroglycerin is recommended. Both products are placed under the tongue and dissolve. The drugs can dramatically lower blood pressure.
2. Corvalol. It has a calming effect, but does not help with intercostal neuralgia. Available in tincture and tablet form.

Attention! It has been proven that abuse of Corvalol negatively affects liver function. Before use, consult a doctor.

1. Acetylsalicylic acid. The familiar Aspirin can cope with heart pain; one tablet is enough. The drug must be chewed well.
2. Cardiomagnyl. Thins the blood and is used to prevent heart attack and stroke. One-time dose of one tablet.

These remedies will help when your heart hurts at home.

Important! Any drug must be approved by a specialist.

Types of heart pain

According to the mechanism of occurrence of pain in the heart, it can be divided into two characteristic types:

• Anginal (ischemic) pain. In this case, symptoms develop when blood flow in one of the arteries that supplies the heart muscle is narrowed or completely blocked. Under this condition, angina pectoris develops, and subsequently myocardial infarction. Such pain is very dangerous for humans and has a poor prognostic outcome. It is strictly forbidden to self-medicate with them, as this is associated with the most dangerous complications.
• Cardialgia. This type of pain occurs in all other cases that do not fall under ischemic disorders. Cardialgia can be of inflammatory, neurotic or rheumatic origin. If a person knows his diagnosis and suffers from similar pain for a certain time, he can use various acceptable methods to relieve it.

Treatment with folk remedies

In ancient times, when there were no modern medical treatments, people successfully treated heart diseases with the gifts of nature. How to help a sick heart? Many recipes have survived to this day and help when the heart hurts and the hand goes numb.

Garlic

According to healers, eating two cloves of garlic daily will help prevent heart pain. But doctors deny the effectiveness of this method.

Attention! Garlic should not be eaten if you have diseases of the stomach or pancreas.

Hawthorn

An infusion of berries will help treat heart pain. To prepare you need:

• take red hawthorn berries – 20 g and lemon balm herb – 15 g;
• put in a glass, add boiling water and place in a water bath;
• cook for 20 minutes, then cool and strain through cheesecloth.

You can drink 20 ml of the infusion before each meal. The course of treatment is two days.

You can also make a hawthorn tincture: the berries are poured not with water, but with vodka and infused for 14 days in a dark place.

Herbal collection

To prepare the dosage form, you will need herbs of succession, motherwort, lingonberry leaves and chamomile flowers with hawthorn; take 20 g of them and mix thoroughly. Now take 25 g of the composition, place it in a glass and pour boiling water over it. Leave for 4 hours, then strain through cheesecloth, squeezing out the infusion. Drink 50 ml at a time, morning, afternoon and evening. The duration of treatment is 14 days.

Wild carrots for heart pain

The recipe is useful because it can be prepared at any time. The medicine is in the form of an infusion; to prepare it, you need to pour 60 g of wild carrot seeds into 250 ml of vodka. The product is infused for 20 days in a cool place protected from sunlight. To prevent pain, use 6 drops per 20 ml. water. Drink three times during the day. If severe pain occurs in the heart area, then drink 3 drops every 30 minutes.

Heather grass

An infusion is prepared based on the plant, which will help eliminate pain. During the preparation process, 10 g of dry plant is poured with 200 ml of boiling water and infused in a water bath for 5 minutes. Drink 50 ml every 4 hours.

May lily of the valley

This recipe is time-tested; it has reached our days from ancient times. How to cook:

• take a liter jar and fill three-quarters of the plants with flowers;
• pour vodka up to the neck and cover with a lid;
• leave for 20 days, then strain.

To use, you need to dissolve 20 ml of tincture in water. Take water in a ratio of 1:10. Drink no more than three times a day.

Attention! The plant is very poisonous and should be used with caution.

Mint and lemon balm

These plants will not cope with heart pain, but will calm the nerves, which will have a beneficial effect on treatment. The recipe is simple:

• 25 g of herbs are poured into 250 ml of boiling water;
• leave for an hour, then filter;
• drink 25 ml 20 minutes before meals.

Attention! Mint lowers blood pressure.

Cardiac ischemia

With such heart disease, there are symptoms that can be treated with traditional medicine. IHD is characterized by pressing pain in the chest area.

Garlic is used to reduce pain. It also helps to expand the lumen of blood vessels, increase the amplitude of contractions, and remove cholesterol, which, in turn, prevents the formation of plaques. Garlic must be crushed to a mushy consistency and mixed with honey in a 1:1 ratio. Infuse for a week in a place protected from sunlight. You need to stir the mixture periodically. It is recommended to take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day half an hour before eating.

To normalize blood circulation, it is recommended to prepare a mixture of chamomile, motherwort and hawthorn flowers. To do this, you need to grind these components. 50 grams of this mixture should be poured into half a liter of boiling water and left for 3 hours. Take 3-4 times a day before eating.

Questions for the doctor - what to do if your heart hurts?

Hungover

Answer: First of all, cleanse the intestines - drink activated charcoal (1 tablet per 10 kg of your weight), wash down with still water. Dilute the water with lemon juice. Replenish your body with vitamin C and mineral salts. Take 16 drops of valocordin and hawthorn tincture per 100 ml of water. Do not increase the dose. Open the windows, ventilate the apartment, lie down under the blanket, try not to think about bad things and go to sleep. Remember, alcohol is harmful to your health.

In a teenager

Answer: If a teenager experiences heart pain, it is necessary to visit a doctor. Be sure to follow general recommendations: do not overeat (especially at night), exclude coffee, spicy and fatty foods from your diet, give preference to dietary nutrition. Physical activity has a beneficial effect: morning exercises, walking at a calm pace, swimming, light running (starting with short distances and gradually increasing them).

It is worth taking a course of sedatives: valerian or motherwort. Before going to bed, take baths with added salt. Get a massage to help relieve pain.

If the heart suddenly hurts, help the child take a position in which it will be comfortable, wash his face with water, provide fresh air and give a sedative. Monitor your child’s health and make an appointment with a specialist.

When inhaling

Answer: The very first thing to do if you have pain in the heart while inhaling is to suddenly change the position you are in and take a deep breath. This syndrome is considered harmless; it can make itself felt several times a day. But it is still necessary to visit a doctor under such circumstances.

From worries

Answer: In stressful situations, adrenaline is released and heart spasms appear. To get rid of unpleasant sensations, you need to do some exercises and provide yourself with physical activity. You can do about 30 squats, push-ups, running in place will help. You can take a course of sedatives (tinctures of hawthorn and motherwort) so as not to react so sharply to situations that irritate you.

After coffee

Answer: It is better to observe moderation in drinking the drink! You can change the brand, switch from custard to instant variety. If the case occurs repeatedly, eliminate coffee from your diet and be sure to consult a cardiologist until the cause is determined and a diagnosis is made. Next, follow the doctor's recommendations.

During pregnancy

Answer: Treatment of severe heart pain during pregnancy is complicated by the fact that not every drug can be used. Some medications can cause abortion, while other drugs have a detrimental effect on the baby's health. Treatment of the heart should only take place under the supervision of doctors; self-medication is unacceptable. You can strengthen your heart to avoid such troubles.

Treatment, what to do for heart pain

If pain occurs, it is recommended to make an appointment with a doctor and undergo the examination recommended by the doctor. Especially if the pain is regular and interferes with your usual lifestyle.

My heart hurts, what should I do? Treatment can be prescribed after examination. What to do if your heart hurts:

• drug therapy (the names of tablets for heart pain are specified by the doctor after the diagnosis is established);
• physiotherapeutic procedures;
• surgery.

Read also Myocardial infarction - causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

How to strengthen an organ

To prevent the onset of the disease, various techniques are used to strengthen the heart muscle.

Important! First of all, you need to stop smoking and drinking alcohol.

Exercise, walks in the fresh air, and light physical activity have a beneficial effect on the body's condition. You can provide additional help to your heart by consuming various formulations.

Chestnut

You need to take 6 fruits of the tree and pour a liter of vodka. Leave for a month, shaking occasionally. Drink 35 drops of tincture in the morning, lunch and evening, preferably before meals. The course of treatment lasts 11 days.

Natural honey

Scientists have proven that daily consumption of honey significantly strengthens the heart. It is enough to eat one spoon three times a day.

Attention! If you have a heart condition, you should not consume honey with hot drinks.

The nature of the pain

Pain in the heart area can vary in nature and intensity. Therefore, you should know what pain in the heart can be in order to prevent its complications. Next, let's look at their types.

• Compressive

Constant squeezing pain in the heart indicates a lack of oxygen in the myocardium - the heart muscle.
This symptom is characteristic of almost all forms of ischemia (ischemia is a decrease in blood supply to the myocardium when the flow of arterial blood is weakened or stopped). Angina pectoris is characterized by compressive discomfort behind the sternum, radiating under the shoulder blade and into the left arm. Discomfort almost always occurs after physical activity, and goes away at rest or after taking nitroglycerin medications.

Compressive sensations occur in people with various rhythm disturbances (bradycardia, tachycardia, arrhythmia). Often discomfort is accompanied by fear and shortness of breath. With such pathologies, compressive pain appears in the heart.

• Sharp

Sharp pain occurs suddenly. They are characterized by the following pathologies:

1. Angina pectoris. Prolonged angina attacks, accompanied by a feeling of constriction, indicate thrombosis, embolism, and severe stenosis of the coronary vessels. In such cases, nitroglycerin drugs do not help. If a person takes two tablets with an interval of 10 minutes, but the discomfort does not go away, you should definitely call an ambulance. Only professional medical techniques will help prevent the death of the myocardium - necrosis.
2. Myocardial infarction. This pathology is necrosis of the muscle wall. It is characterized by very pronounced, protracted sharp sensations that radiate to the stomach and are very similar to an attack of intestinal colic. It is not possible to relieve discomfort with nitro medications. It is accompanied by lack of air, severe sweating, trembling hands, attacks of nausea and vomiting, loss of consciousness, and arrhythmia. People suffering from a heart attack often experience convulsions and involuntary urination.
3. Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. The cause of acute, sharp discomfort in the chest is a perforation of a stomach ulcer. From a sudden attack, a person becomes ill, “spots” appear before the eyes, and the head begins to feel dizzy, even to the point of loss of consciousness.
4. Pulmonary artery thrombosis. The pathology is a blockage of the arterial bed of the lung with a thrombus. Sharp pain may be accompanied by tachycardia, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, increased body temperature, moist rales, and cough. Thrombosis is a medical emergency that requires emergency medical attention.
5. Aortic aneurysm (aorta is the largest artery). The pathology is characterized by unpleasant sensations in the upper part of the sternum. The discomfort lasts for 2-3 days, usually occurs after physical activity, is not observed in other parts of the body, and does not go away after nitroglycerin medications.
6. Aortic aneurysm dissection. A rupture of the aorta leads to blood flowing between the layers of the vessel walls. When the wall is broken through, rapid massive blood loss occurs. In simple words, a huge hematoma forms in the vessel. Often the pathology develops in older men. The condition, when blood accumulates between the layers of the aorta, is characterized by a sudden sharp tearing discomfort behind the breastbone or around the heart. Usually it goes under the shoulder blade.

At the same time, pressure surges are observed - at first it increases significantly, then rapidly drops. Characteristic signs are asymmetry of the pulse in the hands, blue discoloration of the skin. The person sweats profusely, and at the same time faints, his breathing is disrupted, his voice becomes hoarse, and shortness of breath is observed. Hematoma leads to a lack of oxygen in the myocardium and coma.

• Pressing

Read also Blood pressure - low, normal and high

Sudden pain and pressure behind the breastbone develops with angina pectoris. The pain is paroxysmal and can be relieved by taking nitroglycerin medications. A distinctive feature between angina pectoris and a heart attack is that an attack of angina pectoris does not occur at rest or at night. Pressing sensations are almost always accompanied by surges in blood pressure.

Pressing pain in the heart area can be the cause, symptoms of neurocirculatory dystonia (heart neurosis). In addition, the person will feel dizziness and arrhythmia, which are most often observed after a severe stressful situation or excitement.

Another reason for the feeling of pressure and discomfort in the chest is myocarditis. Symptoms: severe compression in the chest, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, swelling of the lower extremities.

Myocardiopathy, myocardial dystrophy, neoplasms of a diseased heart also give pressing sensations. But in this case, discomfort does not arise from physical activity. It develops independently even at rest.

• Piercing

Many people perceive stabbing sensations as life-threatening pathologies. But such tingling sensations indicate neurosis. This condition is not life-threatening. It is associated with the intense pace of life and a heavy load on the psyche. Any cardiologist, having heard from a person that chest pain is sudden, short-lived and similar to an injection, will say that this is not a reason for concern. Such symptoms do not indicate serious pathologies.

The causes of such pain in the heart can be irritability or a nervous breakdown. Most often, people who are susceptible to such crises are emotional people who are strongly worried about any, even the smallest troubles.

With constant anxiety, fear, and emotional stress, adrenaline is reflexively released, which activates vital systems. In the process of evolution, the body has adapted to fight, for example, to attack or run away in the face of imminent danger. If adrenaline is not spent on muscle mass, it “tries to find” its implementation in other organs, provoking stabbing sensations in the chest area.

• Strong

Unbearable severe pain in the heart may indicate a heart attack, pulmonary artery thrombosis, or dissection of an aortic aneurysm. At the same time, the person is excited and rushes about. In addition to severe pain in the heart area, people experience a strong fear of death.

• Burning

Such pain in the heart has the following causes: myocardial infarction, pericarditis, neurocirculatory dystonia, heartburn due to gastroesophageal reflux (reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus).

• Pain in the sternum when inhaling

Shooting pain when inhaling from the heart may be a sign of temporary pinching of the spinal nerves. Aching sensations at the exit are a symptom of protrusion (a pathological process in the spine in which the intervertebral disc bulges into the spinal canal), intervertebral hernia. Constant discomfort and frequent pain when inhaling in the region of the heart are formed against the background of impaired muscle tone and are expressed in muscle overstrain, as well as spondylosis (pathology of the spinal column, which consists of the growth of vertebral tissue in the form of spikes, protrusions), osteochondrosis.