I'm worried about chest pain and nausea - what to do?

Chest pain can be not only a key symptom indicating a dysfunction of the cardiovascular system, but also indicate the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, musculoskeletal system, and mental disorders.

Most often, this symptom is not associated with a life-threatening condition, for example, a heart attack (myocardial infarction). It can be caused by infection, acid reflux, chest injury, or emotional instability.

Chest pain may be accompanied by heartburn, sour taste in the mouth, bloating, difficulty swallowing, symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections, painful burning sensations, discomfort, squeezing in the chest, difficulty breathing, weakness, dizziness, increased sweating, nausea, vomiting, pain spreading to jaw, neck, arm, shoulders, back.

Description of the problem

The combination of symptoms such as nausea and chest pain causes discomfort and limits mobility. Depending on the root cause, pain can be:

• intense, without irradiation;
• aching, aggravated by coughing, laughing, changing body position;
• muted moderate;
• burning;
• continuous;
• piercing, radiating to the shoulder blade or arm.

Pain in the chest does not always indicate damage to the organs located in this area - the heart and lungs. A similar symptom occurs with pathologies of organs located in the abdominal cavity. In this case, the pain radiates to the chest cavity.

If your heart hurts and you feel sick, you need to undergo a series of diagnostic measures: the complex of these manifestations is not specific and can be associated with various diseases.

Drug treatment of tracheitis

The drug treatment regimen for acute tracheitis is drawn up taking into account the nature of the disease and the severity of the patient’s symptoms.

Impact on the cause

If the causative agent is a particular virus, antiviral agents are usually used, as well as immunostimulants (for example, preparations based on echinacea). For severe and protracted tracheitis of a bacterial nature, the doctor may introduce antibiotics into the treatment regimen. If the disease proceeds without complications, it is usually possible to cope with it without these remedies. But the decision on the rationality and duration of antibiotic therapy should be made only by a doctor. In some cases, with tracheitis, a bacteriological examination of sputum is carried out before starting treatment with antimicrobial agents. It is sown on nutrient media to determine the type of pathogen and its sensitivity to the main groups of drugs. This will help you choose the most suitable antibiotic.

Treating coughs and clearing the airways

When treating acute tracheitis, great attention should be paid, of course, to cough, the main symptom of the disease. For a dry, debilitating, nonproductive cough, medications that suppress the cough reflex are used. This measure may be necessary in the first days of tracheitis. At the next stage of the disease, the main goal of treatment is to clear the airways of the mucus that forms. To do this, it is necessary to facilitate its passage with the help of mucolytic and expectorant agents. But they cannot be used simultaneously with antitussive drugs. It is also unacceptable to suppress a wet cough. This is fraught with stagnation of sputum and the transition of inflammation to the underlying parts of the respiratory system, up to the development of bronchopneumonia.

Maintenance therapy

Herbal remedies may be helpful to relieve the symptoms of tracheitis. For tracheitis, they can be used in the form of decoctions and infusions. But a more convenient and reliable method of treatment is the use of ready-made herbal products with a carefully selected and balanced composition. For example, in a complex treatment regimen for tracheitis, you can include Doctor MOM® cough syrup, which contains extracts of licorice, elecampane, Vasiki adatodes, Indian nightshade and other medicinal plants - 10 medicinal plants in total. It is suitable for both adults and children over 3 years old. This remedy helps thin mucus and helps remove it from the respiratory tract, and also relieves inflammation. For adults, there are also herbal cough lozenges Doctor MOM® based on extracts of licorice, ginger and Emblica officinalis. They also soften coughs and have anti-inflammatory and expectorant effects. Such lozenges can be used as an aid in the treatment of tracheitis. They help cope with coughing attacks and ease the course of the disease.

Causes

Chest pain and nausea occur with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, some infectious lesions, bruises and fractures of the ribs and chest.

Possible gastrointestinal pathologies:

1. ulcerative lesions of the stomach or duodenum;
2. pancreatitis in the acute stage;
3. diaphragmatic hernia;
4. esophageal rupture;
5. cholecystitis;
6. aerophagia (a functional disorder of the stomach in which spontaneous swallowing of large amounts of air occurs when eating);
7. esophagitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus).

Diseases of the heart muscle and blood vessels, in which there is pain in the chest area and nausea:

• angina pectoris;
• dissecting aortic aneurysm;
• myocardial infarction;
• pulmonary embolism;
• pericarditis.

If your heart hurts and nausea occurs, the cause may be one of the diseases of the respiratory system. This:

1. pneumonia;
2. bronchitis;
3. inflammation of the pleura;
4. pneumothorax;
5. tuberculosis;
6. tracheitis.

The combination of these symptoms also occurs in infectious processes such as herpes zoster or epidemic myalgia.

There are a number of non-life-threatening conditions in which chest pain and vomiting are observed. This:

• mechanical damage to the structures of the chest (bruises, rib fractures, inflammation of the costal cartilages);
• anxiety disorders;
• diseases of the thoracic and cervical spine.

Another reason why chest pain occurs in combination with nausea is cardioneurosis. This is a dysfunction of cardiac activity, which is expressed in psychosomatic disorders. Correction of deviations is carried out not only by a cardiologist, but also by a psychiatrist and a neurologist.

Why does acute tracheitis occur?

Infection

The development of the disease is most often caused by viral infections - influenza and other viruses that affect the respiratory tract and respiratory system. Bacteria can also be causative agents: pneumo-, strepto-, staphylococci and others. Often there is a so-called mixed infection, when inflammation is caused by several different pathogens at once. In this case, most often the bacterial infection is secondary; it complicates the course of ARVI.

Non-infectious factors

Acute tracheitis in an adult can also be non-infectious in nature, although this is less common.

• Mechanical injuries

  . Traumatic tracheitis is possible when foreign bodies enter the respiratory tract, for example, as a result of insufficiently careful endoscopic examination of the bronchial system and tracheal intubation during surgical anesthesia.

• Thermal effects - inhalation of cold or (less often) very dry hot air

  . In this case, the key point in the development of inflammation is not irritation of the walls of the trachea, but the vascular spasm that occurs in them. This leads to disruption of the functioning of the glands in the walls of the trachea and a decrease in the protective function of its mucous membrane.

• Chemical burns that occur when inhaling fumes from alkaline or acidic products

  . These can be aggressive household chemicals, industrial waste, paint and varnish products, petroleum products, chemical reagents. This type of tracheitis is especially difficult.

• Irritation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract by polluted, dusty or excessively dry air

  . Tobacco smoke, including passive smoking, is of particular importance.

• An allergic reaction in response to the entry of individually significant allergens into the respiratory tract

  . In this case, tracheitis is usually combined with laryngitis, obstructive bronchitis (complete obstruction of the bronchial tubes) or even pulmonary edema.

Sometimes tracheitis becomes an occupational disease, that is, its occurrence is associated with harmful factors at work. Therefore, workers in hot shops, farms, chemical and oil refineries, as well as miners and stonemasons are at risk.

Associated symptoms

In addition to chest pain and nausea, additional symptoms arise depending on the disease.

In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract the following are observed:

1. heartburn;
2. vomit;
3. bloating and heaviness in the stomach;
4. loss of appetite;
5. bloating;
6. the appearance of a gray or white dense coating on the tongue;
7. irradiation of pain to the back;
8. bitterness in the mouth (typical of gallbladder damage).

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels, in addition to chest pain and nausea, are accompanied by the following symptoms:

• general weakness;
• cardiopalmus;
• sudden jumps in blood pressure;
• severe shortness of breath;
• burning sensation in the chest area;
• an unreasonable feeling of fear and anxiety;
• paleness of the skin;
• profuse cold sweat.

Pathologies of the respiratory system are characterized by:

1. increased body temperature;
2. sputum production, sometimes with blood streaks;
3. chest pain when inhaling;
4. cough;
5. chills;
6. runny nose.

Shingles causes headaches, a burning sensation under the skin, and enlarged and painful lymph nodes. Afterwards, swollen pink spots form, which then form blisters.

Epidemic myalgia at the initial stage is expressed in symptoms characteristic of ARVI. Then the cervical lymph nodes enlarge, sore throat and sore throat begin, and paroxysmal muscle pain occurs.

With cardiac neurosis, sensations of suffocation and lack of air are observed, blood pressure fluctuates, and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. Patients complain of a feeling of coldness and emptiness in the chest, and the occurrence of bad premonitions.

The first signs of vascular complications and disasters

• hypertensive crisis;
• heart attack;
• transistor ischemic attack (TIA);
• stroke.

Symptoms of a hypertensive crisis:

• sudden onset within minutes or 1-3 hours;
• the blood pressure level is individually high (in one patient it is 240/120, in another – 130/90). This depends on the initial blood pressure level. If a patient has persistently low blood pressure, even a slight increase can cause a hypertensive crisis;
• presence of cardiac complaints (heart pain, palpitations);
• presence of complaints from the brain (headaches, dizziness, various visual impairments);
• the presence of complaints from the autonomic nervous system (chills, trembling, sweating, a feeling of a rush of blood to the head, a feeling of lack of air, etc.).

Symptoms of myocardial infarction:

• most common: pain and pressure in the chest,

Patients suffering from heart attacks may experience a variety of symptoms, such as:

• pain, feeling of fullness and/or squeezing in the chest;
• jaw pain, toothache, headache;
• shortness of breath;
• nausea, vomiting, general feeling of pressure in the pit of the stomach (upper center of the abdomen);
• sweating;
• heartburn and/or indigestion;
• pain in the arm (most often in the left, but can be in any arm);
• upper back pain;
• general painful sensation (vague feeling of malaise).

Symptoms of transistor ischemic as well as (TIA):

Typically, symptoms of transient ischemic attacks can last from a few minutes to an hour and include:

• feeling of weakness, numbness, tingling sensation in one half of the body;
• paralysis of arms or legs;
• visual disturbances (darkening of the eyes);
• loss of speech clarity;

These symptoms usually disappear completely within 24 hours, but may recur.

Symptoms of a stroke:

• sudden numbness or weakness of a certain part of the face, arm, leg (especially one-sided);
• sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes;
• sudden paralysis (usually one-sided);
• sudden dizziness or headache with nausea and vomiting;
• sudden difficulty speaking;
• difficulty swallowing;
• dizziness, loss of balance and coordination;
• loss of consciousness.

You can talk about an increased risk of stroke if:

• one or more of your blood relatives has had a stroke or myocardial infarction;
• you have been diagnosed with a tendency to microthrombosis;
• You suffer from arterial hypertension, angina pectoris, dyscirculatory encephalopathy;
• you have diabetes;
• you smoke or abuse alcohol;
• your lipid metabolism is disturbed (increased blood sugar and cholesterol levels), your body weight is significantly higher than normal;
• You have already had or currently have cerebrovascular accidents: neurocirculatory dystonia, transient ischemic attacks, hypertensive cerebral crisis.

How to prevent a stroke?

About half of strokes can be prevented. This is possible because many risk factors for stroke can be controlled. Here are these risk factors that can be prevented:

• High blood pressure (above 140/90 mmHg),
• Atrial fibrillation (a disease in which there is rapid chaotic contraction of the atria, resulting in blood clots in their cavities),
• Diabetes mellitus without adequate treatment,
• Increased cholesterol levels
• Smoking,
• Alcohol abuse
• Obesity,
• Disease of the carotid or coronary arteries.

To avoid vascular accidents, pay attention to your well-being in a timely manner. Get rid of risk factors (smoking, alcohol abuse, excess weight, physical inactivity). Monitor your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

AND REMEMBER!

Regardless of the presence of complaints, once a year it is mandatory for everyone:

• undergo a fluorographic examination;
• measure blood pressure;
• visit an examination room (for women) and a urologist (for men);
• if you are over 40 years old, measure intraocular pressure, determine cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and undergo an ECG.

We wish you health and a long, interesting life!!!

Narab L.V.

Treatment approaches

Depending on the cause that caused the described set of symptoms, the patient will need the help of one or more doctors:

1. neurologist;
2. cardiac surgeon;
3. cardiologist;
4. gastroenterologist;
5. endocrinologist.

Treatment depends on the identified disease. For cardiac pathologies, complex therapy is prescribed: taking antihypertensive, blood thinning, and lipid-lowering drugs.

For respiratory diseases, antibiotics or antiviral drugs are prescribed, depending on the origin of the pathology, and mucolytic drugs.

For the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, antibiotics, gastric secretion blockers, and drugs with enveloping properties are used.

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Treatment of acute tracheitis

Acute tracheitis must be treated under the supervision of a specialist. In some cases, additional examination is required to clarify the cause and nature of the disease.

The main objectives are:

• impact on the cause of the disease. This includes stopping an allergic reaction, eliminating an infection, removing a foreign body, avoiding the action of provoking factors;
• relief of coughing, transformation of a dry cough into a wet one;
• reducing the severity of inflammation;
• elimination of background and aggravating conditions of tracheitis: lack of vitamins, exhaustion, weakened immunity;
• reducing the severity of intoxication and (if necessary) lowering body temperature. It is important to remember that fever is a natural mechanism to fight infection. Therefore, you should not abuse antipyretics. They can improve your well-being, but do not affect the course of the disease.

Uncomplicated forms of tracheitis can be treated on an outpatient basis. But severe cases of the disease may require hospitalization. Particular attention is paid to the treatment of weakened and elderly patients, especially if they are unable to move independently for health reasons, because tracheitis in them quite easily turns into tracheobronchitis and even pneumonia. Treatment is carried out comprehensively, using medications and non-drug methods. You should not interrupt therapy after the condition improves; you must follow the time limits for taking medications recommended by your doctor.