Common cause of chest pain nowadays is anxiety. The pain may be psychogenic in origin that is an individual tends to perceive the pain but it cannot be attributed to any physiological disorder. However pain may be attributed to intestinal cramps, stomach cramps, acid reflux, hyperacidity or muscle strain. But if a person who is at high risk of heart disease may experience pain due to myocardial infarction and angina at times of anxiety.
Chest pain is one of the most common problem why individuals are rush to an emergency or a medical clinic. For the record about 80% of patients have no heart problems background. Recent research shows that panic disorder a type of anxiety is the common cause of chest pain in patients (J Clin Psychiatry 1990).
At some point of your life, you will experience fear, apprehension or a feeling of worry and that is what we call anxiety. This often occurs when you are at stress and is only gone when the stress is gone or an individual is able to adjust to the stressful situation. Anxiety disorders often occurs frequently and it is even unrelated to any stressful situation and it mostly happens for a period of six months or even more. In most cases depression is also present and sometimes anxiety is also related to substance abuse.
Symptoms that are associated with anxiety aside from chest pain are abdominal discomfort, nauseas, dizziness and shortness of breath. These symptoms often occurs when one experience strong emotional or mental stress.
What are the causes of Anxiety Chest Pain?
Acid Reflux
Hyperacidity is a result from increase gastric acid and this is often seen with anxiety along with the increase stomach muscle activity and disturbance in LES or lower esophageal sphincter. This can cause burning chest pain or known as heartburn.
Gastritis and Peptic Ulcer
Anxiety can bring on hyperacidity which can irritate the stomach lining especially for those people who suffers from gastritis or further worsens those who have peptic ulcer. This can cause pain in the lower chest area and is usually found in the left side and middle.
Muscle Strain
When you are stress you tend to experience rapid breathing as well as hyperventilation which may strain the respiratory as well as the accessory respiratory muscles. When these muscles are strain it can result to chest muscle pain.
Stomach and Intestinal Cramps
Anxiety can raise the activity of the smooth muscle in the wall of the stomach and intestine which can result to intestinal or stomach cramps. This is most likely to happen to individuals who suffers or has a history of inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
Stress
When you are under severe stress then you usually feel sense of pressure in the chest part which they often call as stress anxiety chest pain. This often brings abnormal breathing in an individual. This stress anxiety chest pain may be experience for several seconds or can be long lasting.
This cause of anxiety chest pain is harmless but one should not be over confident. One should always consult a doctor for you to really know the cause of your chest pain to rule out any serious problem. At least when you know that it is just anxiety chest pain then you do not have to be afraid for a heart attack.