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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Left Sided Chest Pain?

My husbands left side of chest has been hurting for about a month now. He said it was moving up to his shoulder and to his back. The left side of chest about 2 inches or so below his colar bone looks swollen. He can hardly use his left arm to lift anything. Could this have something to do with his heart? Onset of a heart attack? Why would it be swollen? And if it was heart attack, then why would it be hurting for so long? Im trying to get my husband to go to the dr to get checked out but I need some answers first to help talk him in to it. He does not think it could be a heart attack because it has been hurting for so long. At first he just thought it was a pulled muscle and doesnt want to go to the dr and they say its a pulled muscle and he feel silly.
Tue, 5 Apr 2016
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Cardiologist,  's  Response
Hello and thank you for using HCM.I carefully read your question and I understand your concern.
I will try to explain you something and give you my opinion.

You should know that typical heart pains have some characteristics. They usually are retro-sternal pains like squizzing , tightness or heaviness. They may irradiate to both arms, neck and jaw and last from 5-20 minutes.

In cases of a heart attack the pain is very strong and it lasts more than 30 minutes.It might be associated with nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, profuse sweat. A heart attack is a dramatic and acute situation for the heart.It can not last for months.
There are rare cases when a person might experience a heart attack without knowing it.

The pains that you describe for several days, related to arm movement, associated with swollen are not related whith a heart problem. It has to do whith a musculoskeletal problem whith possible inflammation.

Even though my opinion is that you should meat a doctor. It is important to treat this problem and not leave it becouse it might cause other problems if it is an inflammatory process in the meadle.

Hope I was helpfull.Wish your husband good health.
Best regards.
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What Causes Left Sided Chest Pain?

Hello and thank you for using HCM.I carefully read your question and I understand your concern. I will try to explain you something and give you my opinion. You should know that typical heart pains have some characteristics. They usually are retro-sternal pains like squizzing , tightness or heaviness. They may irradiate to both arms, neck and jaw and last from 5-20 minutes. In cases of a heart attack the pain is very strong and it lasts more than 30 minutes.It might be associated with nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, profuse sweat. A heart attack is a dramatic and acute situation for the heart.It can not last for months. There are rare cases when a person might experience a heart attack without knowing it. The pains that you describe for several days, related to arm movement, associated with swollen are not related whith a heart problem. It has to do whith a musculoskeletal problem whith possible inflammation. Even though my opinion is that you should meat a doctor. It is important to treat this problem and not leave it becouse it might cause other problems if it is an inflammatory process in the meadle. Hope I was helpfull.Wish your husband good health. Best regards.