Breast pain can have a lot of causes and is not always associated with breast cancer. A pulled chest muscle may be due to angina, gall stones, costochondritis, and other things. Read more: Can a Pulled Chest Muscle Cause Breast Pain? Article
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Costochondritis: Treatment for Sternum Pain
Do you have sternum pain or rib pain? What is costochondritis? Learn about costochondritis symptoms such as chest wall pain and...
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Gallstones: Test Your Medical IQ
What are gallstones? Take this quiz to learn why they form and what you may be able to do to prevent them.
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Chest Pain Quiz
What causes chest pain? If you have chest pain, does it mean you're having a heart attack? Take the quiz to learn what diseases...
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Pain Management: One-Move Fixes for Pain and Stress
A quick stretch, yoga pose, or on-the-spot exercise can help fix sudden aches from head to toe. Learn how to quash pain with just...
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Exercises: Joint-Friendly Workouts See SlideshowRelated Disease Conditions
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What Does Chest Pain on the Left Side Above a Female Breast Mean?
Chest pain on the left side above a female breast can have a variety of causes. Learn the signs of chest pain on the left side, what may cause it, how doctors diagnose it, and what you can do to treat it.
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What Are the Best Foods To Eat When You Have Gallstones?
What Are Gallstones? Learn what foods you can eat to manage this condition. The bile contents in the bile may sometimes crystallize and form gallstones. The potential causes of gallstones include high cholesterol, high bilirubin and decreased bladder emptying. Risk factors for gallstones include female gender, age over 40, obesity, weight loss, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, family history, diabetes, liver disease, pregnancy, blood disorder and use of certain medications.
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Can a Chest Muscle Strain Feel Like a Heart Attack?
Chest muscle strains can cause sudden, acute pain that feels like a heart attack. Learn the signs of a chest muscle strain, what causes it, how doctors diagnose it, and what you can do to treat it. A panic attack is an intense wave of fear accompanied by symptoms like sweating, shaking, dizziness and others. A heart attack is a blockage in blood flow to the heart. The symptoms of a heart attack and panic attack are similar, but they have different outcomes.
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What Causes Costochondritis to Flare Up?
Costochondritis, sometimes called chest wall pain or costosternal syndrome, is a painful inflammation of the cartilage surrounding your sternum. The sternum, along with the ribs and cartilage, makes up your chest wall.
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Chest Pain
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
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Costochondritis and Tietze Syndrome
Costochondritis is inflammation of the cartilage where the ribs attach to the sternum. Tietze syndrome affects the same region of the chest and causes inflammation, tenderness, and swelling. Anti-inflammatory medications, rest, physical therapy, and cortisone injections are suitable methods of treatment for both costochondritis and Tietze syndrome.
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Gallstones
Gallstones are stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones (formed in the gallbladder) can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or any combination. The majority of gallstones do not cause signs or symptoms; however, when they do occur the primary sign is biliary colic. Symptoms of biliary colic are constant pain for 15 minutes to 4-5 hours, and it may vary in intensity; nausea, severe pain that does not worsen with movement; and pain beneath the sternum. Treatment of gallstones depends upon the patient and the clinical situation.
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Angina Symptoms
Angina is chest pain due to inadequate blood supply to the heart. Angina symptoms may include chest tightness, burning, squeezing, and aching. Coronary artery disease is the main cause of angina but there are other causes. Angina is diagnosed by taking the patient's medical history and performing tests such as an electrocardiogram (EKG), blood test, stress test, echocardiogram, cardiac CT scan, and heart catheterization. Treatment of angina usually includes lifestyle modification, medication, and sometimes, surgery. The risk of angina can be reduced by following a heart healthy lifestyle.
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Can Gallstones Go Away on Their Own?
The bile contents may sometimes crystallize and form gallstones. If there are no symptoms, a regular follow-up would suffice. Natural remedies and medical management may prevent worsening of the condition. Treatment is necessary if the stones cause pain or swelling of the gallbladder. Surgery may be required if nonsurgical treatments fail or there is a high risk of complications.
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What Are the Fastest Ways to Treat Angina?
Learn what medical treatments can help ease your angina symptoms and speed up your recover.
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33 Causes of Chest Pain: Signs and Symptoms
Chest pain may be caused by many conditions. Learn when chest discomfort, pressure, and tightness is a medical emergency. Find out the most likely causes of left-sided chest pain and chest pain when breathing. Read about potential underlying causes of chest pain including muscle pain, coronary artery disease, coronary artery dissection, esophageal conditions, gallbladder problems, GERD, heart attack, lung problems, and more. Discover how chest pain in women differs from that in men.
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When to Worry About Breast Pain
The easiest way to tell whether breast pain is something to worry about or not is to determine whether it is cyclic or noncyclic.
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How Do I Know if I Have Gallstones?
What are gallstones? Learn about how and why they form, signs and symptoms of a gallbladder attack and how they can be treated.
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How Long Does Costochondritis Last?
Costochondritis is an inflammation of the chest wall between the breastbone and ribs. Costochondritis usually goes away on its own although inflammation can last from weeks to months.
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What Can I Do to Relieve Angina Pain?
Learn what medical treatments can help ease your angina pain symptoms and help you manage this condition.
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Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Gallstones
Bile contents in the bile may sometimes crystallize and form gallstones. They may be as small as a grain of salt or as large as a tennis ball, causing serious complications. The treatment of gallstones usually involves surgical removal of the gallbladder.
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What Does an Angina Attack Feel Like?
Angina is chest pain caused by a lack of oxygen supply to the heart. Learn the signs of an angina attack, what causes it, how doctors diagnose it, and what you can do to treat it.
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What Triggers Costochondritis?
Costochondritis is the inflammation of the cartilages that attach your ribs to the breastbone (sternum). The condition is also known as costosternal syndrome, parasternal chondrodynia, or anterior chest wall syndrome. It is a self-limiting condition but needs to be differentiated from more serious causes of chest pain such as a heart attack.
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