My chest hurts when I breathe cold air

Sometimes, if we experience chest pain, we must not ignore it. Because although chest pain seems to be very common, and sometimes we even experience chest pain when we stretch, the cause of this symptom is more likely to be caused by serious diseases. For example, coronary heart disease, pleurisy and other diseases. If these diseases are not treated in time, they will be life-threatening.

Chest pain is extremely common in daily life. Some pains can be tolerated, but some can be fatal. The reason is that some people lack the most basic medical knowledge. What kind of chest pain should we pay attention to? Here are some common characteristics of chest pain:

1. Aortic dissection:

Most people with this disease suffer from hypertension, and their blood pressure is not well controlled. Some have never taken antihypertensive drugs, which keeps their blood pressure at a high level.

For most patients, when they experience chest pain during strenuous activity, the pain is severe at the beginning and may be accompanied by profuse sweating. If the site of dissection is very close to the heart, after severe chest pain occurs, the artery will rupture quickly, causing the patient to die immediately after the chest pain; if the site of dissection is far away from the heart, the severe chest pain will turn into chest tightness, and then abdominal pain and bloating will appear, which means that the dissection is continuing to extend downward, which is very dangerous. It is recommended that patients experiencing the above conditions should go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

2. Coronary heart disease:

The following risk factors often exist: obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood lipids, smoking, family history of coronary heart disease, women over 35 years old, and men over 30 years old. Except for age, if you have three or more of these risk factors, you are more likely to develop coronary heart disease.

Most chest pains are pain behind the sternum, radiating to the left shoulder and arm. They usually occur when you are active or encounter cold air in the morning. Angina pain lasts for several minutes each time and can be relieved by resting or eliminating the cause. After the chest pain is relieved, the patient will be the same as a normal person. If the chest pain is very severe and lasts for more than 30 minutes, accompanied by profuse sweating, chest tightness or even a feeling of suffocation, it means that it has developed into an acute myocardial infarction. Even if the chest pain is relieved and there is no discomfort, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible and at least have an electrocardiogram to determine whether it is an acute myocardial infarction.

3. Pulmonary embolism:

Most patients have the following causes: chronic cardiopulmonary disease, lower limb venous thrombosis, post-surgery, trauma (including soft tissue contusion), fracture, long-term bed rest, obesity, malignant tumors, pregnancy and oral contraceptives, etc. A few have no clear causes.

The symptoms of chest pain are not very obvious. Some patients will experience chest pain when they take a deep breath or cough, some patients will experience chest pain when they are active, and most patients will experience symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, and dry cough when they are active. Some patients may also experience hemoptysis or even syncope. Most patients will experience a drop in blood pressure, as well as increased breathing and heart rate. Because acute main trunk pulmonary embolism can lead to death, and pulmonary artery embolism can turn into chronic pulmonary infarction, if the above causes exist, you must go to the hospital for treatment after chest pain occurs, and do not miss the opportunity for treatment.

4. Spontaneous pneumothorax:

It often occurs in tall and healthy young people and patients with chronic lung diseases. They often feel sudden chest tightness and shortness of breath after lifting heavy objects, holding their breath, doing strenuous activities or coughing, and the pain is persistent. The chest pain on one side is not too severe and often occurs during activities or coughing, and is tolerable. There may be cough, but little sputum. A chest X-ray at the hospital can confirm the diagnosis. If a tall and thin young person experiences the above symptoms, he should go to the hospital for treatment in time to avoid delaying the condition.

5. Lung cancer:

Patients may experience chest pain that worsens when breathing or coughing. In addition to chest pain, patients may experience irritating coughs, chest tightness and shortness of breath, and even hemoptysis in the early stages, as well as gradual weight loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

6. Pneumonic pleurisy:

There will be a history of upper respiratory tract infection, chest pain occurs when coughing or taking a deep breath, often accompanied by fever, cough, sputum, and even chest tightness and shortness of breath. The above symptoms will be alleviated after taking anti-infection drugs.

7. Acute pericarditis:

Chest pain and fever occur at the same time. The location of chest pain is mostly in the precordial area or behind the sternum, and can radiate to the neck, left shoulder and left arm. The severity varies. In severe cases, it is sharp pain. The pain will worsen when inhaling and coughing, and sometimes occur or worsen when changing body position or swallowing. When there is a lot of pericardial effusion, dyspnea may occur, and the chest pain will be relieved at this time. In addition to chest pain, there are also symptoms such as dry cough.

8. Reflux esophagitis:

Chest pain manifests as a burning pain behind the sternum, which often occurs when lying down or bending over after a full meal. It may be accompanied by symptoms such as acid reflux, heartburn, and nausea. It can also occur when you are sleeping soundly.