Right Side Chest Pain

In some cases, heart attacks can cause right side chest pain, or pains in the middle of the chest or back. Any time you have pain, it can be frightening. Often, when someone has chest pain, the first thing they think is that they are having a heart attack. However, there can be other less serious causes for the chest pain.

Many people who are having heart attacks relate their chest pains to indigestion. For that reason, chest pain is not something to ignore. It is best to seek medical attention to find out what is the cause. The most concerning condition is, of course, a heart attack. Most commonly, heart attack pain is associated with the left chest and left arm. Don't assume that pains on your right side are not associated with your heart because they could be and the only way to know for sure is to consult a doctor.


Causes

Lung conditions can also cause this kind of chest pain. Pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, pleurisy, and asthma can all cause pain. Pain from lung conditions might also be associated with wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Even the muscles and tendons surrounding your ribs can cause chest pain if they become inflamed like it happens with costochondritis.

Medical conditions like shingles can cause sharp tingling right side chest pain. Even anxiety and panic attacks can trigger chest pains that mimic a heart attack or strike the right side and arm. Since your digestive organs partially occupy your chest cavity, they can cause pain there also. A stomach ulcer can cause burning pain that may be associated with meals. Gallbladder disease in particular can cause intense chest pain on the side that radiates up the arm and back.

When you have chest pain is necessary to be examinated. Your doctor will consider all of the symptoms that you are experiencing and run tests such as a chest x-ray and ECG to find out what is going on with your body. With children, this pain is rarely caused by heart problems. With adults, heart disease is always a concern and needs to be ruled out.


General Treatment

Treatment for right side chest pain will depend upon the cause. If gallbladder disease is the culprit, the treatment most often recommended is surgical removal of the organ and gallstones. Lung conditions may require clearing up the infection and other medical treatments. Chest pain caused by heart disease is treated in a number of ways depending upon the severity of your condition. If you are diagnosed with angina, your doctor may prescribe medication. If you have blocked arteries, you may require surgery.

Since the causes of right side chest pain are so varied and some of the causes can be life threatening, it is important to take the pains seriously and not brush them off as mere indigestion. A good number of people having heart attacks go into denial that anything serious is wrong and that can cost valuable time. When it comes to heart attacks, the sooner you are treated, the better your chances of recovery. It is always better to go to the emergency room and find out you didn't need to than it is to ignore chest pain.






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