What Is Mitral Valve Prolapse

The mitral valve is a valve that lets blood flow from one chamber of the heart, the left atrium, to another called the left ventricle. In mitral valve prolapse, part of the mitral valve slips backward loosely into the chamber called the left atrium. This happens when the main heart muscle, called the left ventricle, squeezes during each heartbeat. Mitral valve prolapse differs from mitral valve stenosis. In mitral valve stenosis, the mitral valve is stiff and constricted.

In mitral valve prolapse, the valve slips backward due to the abnormal size of or damage to the mitral valve tissues. For most people with mitral valve prolapse, the cause is unknown.

Mitral valve prolapse can run in families. It can also be caused by conditions in which cartilage is abnormal . Nearly 8 million people in the U.S. have mitral valve prolapse.

Diagnosis Of Chest Pain

Before medical treatment can begin, the cause of the pain must be found. You may a have a lot of tests done including:

• Electrocardiogram electrical tracing of the heart activity.
• Blood tests to measure markers from the heart and other organs.
• Chest x-ray to look at the lungs, heart and major blood vessels of the chest.

If your healthcare professional thinks you may have angina, they may order further tests to check the state of the blood vessels that supply your heart. They may also arrange an exercise stress test or other tests such as an angiogram or CT scan of your chest.

It is not always easy to diagnose the cause of chest pain. Your doctor may need to see you more than once to be sure, and further tests may be needed, or you may be referred to a cardiologist .

Facts About Chest Pain

Have you ever felt a sharp pain in your chest and were convinced you were having a heart attack? Maybe you even went to the emergency room or called your doctor only to find out that your “heart attack” was actually a strained muscle. Or maybe you were absolutely positive your chest pain was just heartburn, but it turned out to be a heart attack after all.

The truth is, it’s not easy to tell what’s behind your chest pain and whether the cause is life-threatening or just a nuisance. So we spoke to interventional cardiologist Gary Schaer, MD, from Rush who shared five things everyone should know about chest pain.

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Is Walking Good For Chest Pain

I dont know what type of exercise I should do. Aerobic exercises make your heart beat faster and you breathe more quickly. You could work out in the living room. You will burn more calories than you would if you did not exercise at all.

This is because your body uses oxygen to produce energy. The more you exercise, the more oxygen you use, and the faster you burn calories. Your heart rate will go up and your blood pressure will drop, which will help you lose weight.

What Are The Most Common Causes Of Chest Pain

Although most people think of chest pain as a sign of a heart issue/heart attack, many things can cause it. Chest pain can be a symptom of:

Heart and vascular problems

Heart attack

Heart muscle dies when it cant get enough oxygen because of a blockage in the coronary artery supplying its blood.

Coronary artery disease

Cholesterol buildup can narrow and block the blood vessels that carry blood to your heart. Its typically worse with exercise because you cant get enough blood to the heart muscle and clogged coronary arteries.

Coronary artery dissection

A coronary artery wall can rip, create a bulge and block your artery. This causes pressure or pain in your chest, and it could lead to a heart attack.

Pericarditis

An infection or other cause can start inflammation in the lining around your heart, causing a sharp pain in your chest. The pain can spread to your left shoulder and arm. The pain can be worse when youre lying down and worse when taking deep breaths.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The muscle walls of your pumping ventricles become thick and stiff. With this issue, you cant get enough blood into or out of your hearts chambers, and your heart has a harder time getting oxygen-rich blood. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy usually happens because of a problem in the genes you got from your parents.

Aortic dissection

Aortic aneurysm

Mitral valve prolapse

Digestive issues

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Ulcer

Muscle spasms in your esophagus

Esophagitis

Digestive issues

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Do Your Symptoms Appear After Eating

If you have overindulged or eaten greasy or spicy foods, you may experience a scorching feeling in your chest. This could be heartburn, which is a symptom of acid reflux and is caused by GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease.

30%-40% of patients presenting to ER with chest pain have chest pain due to acid reflux, or GERD, says Caitlin Houghton, MD, a general surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC and assistant professor of clinical surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Although, heartburn can be due to heart problems and should be checked by an ER or local doctor, she adds.

Worried About Your Chest Pain Head Into A Complete Care 24/7 Freestanding Er Near You

So, what does COVID chest pain feel like? COVID chest pain specifically can be described as a tightness, heaviness, or constricted feeling in the chest. If you are experiencing chest pain and suspect it may be a result of COVID-19, call your doctor or head directly into one of Complete Cares 24/7 emergency care COVID testing sites.

Each one of our ER locations throughout Texas and Colorado offer in-house rapid antigen testing, send-out PCR testing, or a molecular testing panel that looks at 20+ different respiratory targets including COVID-19 for symptomatic individuals.

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Symptoms Of Mitral Valve Prolapse

Most people with mitral valve prolapse have no symptoms. They also never experience any health problems due to mitral valve prolapse.

Chest pain is the most frequent symptom in people who have symptoms with mitral valve prolapse. The chest pain may be very bothersome and frightening, but it does not increase the risk of heart attack, death, or other heart problems.

Mitral valve prolapse is a common cause of mitral regurgitation. That’s a condition in which some blood flows backward through the mitral valve with each heartbeat. Over years, moderate or severe mitral regurgitation can cause weakness of the heart muscle, known as congestive heart failure. Symptoms of congestive heart failure include:

• Shortness of breath with exertion
• Swelling in the legs and feet

Mitral valve prolapse has also been associated with other symptoms:

• Fluttering or rapid heartbeat called palpitations
• Shortness of breath, especially with exercise
• Panic and anxiety
• Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet

When these symptoms occur together, they are sometimes called mitral valve prolapse syndrome. However, experts don’t know if mitral valve prolapse itself causes these symptoms. Since these symptoms and mitral valve prolapse are so common, they could often occur together by chance.

When To Seek Medical Care

baby icon Talk to a healthcare professional right away if your child is under 3 months old with a fever of 100.4 °F or higher.

See a doctor if you have any of the following:

• Temperature of 100.4 °F or higher
• Cough with bloody mucus
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Symptoms that last more than 3 weeks
• Repeated episodes of bronchitis

This list is not all-inclusive. Please see a doctor for any symptom that is severe or concerning.

Acute bronchitis usually gets better on its ownwithout antibiotics. Antibiotics wont help you get better if you have acute bronchitis.

When antibiotics arent needed, they wont help you, and their side effects could still cause harm. Side effects can range from mild reactions, like a rash, to more serious health problems. These problems can include severe allergic reactions, antibiotic-resistant infections and C. diff infection. C. diff causes diarrhea that can lead to severe colon damage and death.

Other illnesses like whooping cough or pneumonia can have similar symptoms to acute bronchitis. If you have whooping cough or pneumonia, your doctor will most likely prescribe antibiotics.

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When To See The Doctor For Chest Pain

When in doubt, call your doctor about any chest pain you have, especially if it comes on suddenly or is not relieved by anti-inflammatory medications or other self-care steps, such as changing your diet.

• A sudden feeling of pressure, squeezing, tightness, or crushing under your breastbone
• Chest pain that spreads to your jaw, left arm, or back
• Sudden, sharp chest pain with shortness of breath, especially after a long period of inactivity
• Nausea, dizziness, rapid heart rate or rapid breathing, confusion, ashen color, or excessive sweating
• Very low blood pressure or very low heart rate

• Fever, chills, or coughing up yellow-green mucus
• Problems swallowing
• Severe chest pain that does not go away

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When To Worry When To Relax

Cardiologists are generally most worried when someone complains of chest pain during exertion, as well as feeling lightheaded. Assuming that someone is not profoundly anemic, there could be concern that a significant portion of the heart was not getting enough blood flow. Another thing that would be worrying is if the chest pain is coming on with less and less activity, or at rest which could signal a coronary artery blockage that’s progressing.

As for when you might not need to be concerned, chest pain can be caused by a muscle strain, costochondritis , esophageal spasms, acid reflux, or bronchitis. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you’re worried about your chest pain, see a healthcare provider or call 9-1-1.

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Anxiety And Panic Attacks

Some episodes of chest pain occur as part of an anxiety or panic attack.

In addition to chest pain and overwhelming feelings of anxiety, these attacks can cause symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, breathlessness and dizziness.

Most panic attacks last for 5 to 20 minutes. In the long-term, you may benefit from psychological therapy and medication, or both.

Chest Pain Symptoms Of A Heart Attack

Chest pain can be a warning sign of a heart attack. A heart attack happens when the blood supply to your heart becomes blocked and damages the heart muscle.

The longer a heart attack is left untreated more damage occurs. In some cases, a heart attack can be fatal. Many Australians die of heart attack, or suffer permanent damage to the heart because they dont know the signs or wait too long to act.

Symptoms of a heart attack may include:

• Severe crushing pain in the centre of your chest or behind the breastbone. You may feel this as a squeezing, tightening, choking or heavy pressure feeling.
• Pain spreading to the shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw or back.
• Feeling anxious, dizzy or unwell.
• A sick feeling in the stomach.
• Shortness of breath.
• Symptoms that often last 10 to 15 minutes or more.

Symptoms of a heart attack may vary from person to person, and some people have few symptoms or none at all.

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When To See A Doctor

You should always take chest pain seriously, as sometimes it may be an indicator of a serious health condition, like a heart attack.

Always seek emergency medical attention if you have unexplained or sudden chest pain, especially if you have difficulty breathing or the pain has spread to other areas like the arm or jaw.

You should also make a doctors appointment for any condition that isnt relieved using OTC medications or has symptoms that recur, are persistent, or begin to worsen.

You can connect to a physician in your area using the Healthline FindCare tool.

What Should I Do If I Have Chest Pain

Dont ignore any type of chest pain or avoid getting treatment.

If your chest pain is new, comes on suddenly, or lasts longer than five minutes after you rest or take medication, call 911 or have someone take you to the closest emergency room.

If your chest pain goes away or comes and goes, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible to find out whats causing the pain, even if its not severe.

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Feeling Lung Pain On One Side

Sometimes you may feel lung pain on only one side of your body.

If you are feeling lung pain on your right side, the underlying cause could be:

• Muscle strain
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Pneumothorax

If youre feeling pain on just the left side of your body, you could be experiencing one of the conditions that commonly affects the right lung.

However, its important to note that heart conditions, like heart attack and stroke, are more likely to cause pain on the left side of your body.

This is due to the hearts location, which lies slightly to the left and behind your breastbone.

Does Covid Cause Sharp Pain In Chest

A small percentage of people with COVID-19 can experience chestpains, which are brought on by breathing deeply, coughing or sneezing. The virus is likely to have caused this. If you experience these symptoms, its important to seek medical attention as soon as possible. If youre not sure if youve been infected, you should contact your doctor.

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Does Lung Pain Feel Like A Pulled Muscle

Inflammation of the lining of the lungs is called pleuritis. The most common cause is a disease. Pain that feels like a pulled chestmuscle can be caused by pliuritis. It is usually sharp, sudden, and increases in intensity over time. PED is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention.

Symptoms include pain in the chest, chestpain, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, confusion, loss of consciousness, weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both arms or legs, blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing, rapid heartbeat, seizures, coma or death. If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

When To Contact A Medical Professional

• You have sudden crushing, squeezing, tightening, or pressure in your chest.
• Pain spreads to your jaw, left arm, or between your shoulder blades.
• You have nausea, dizziness, sweating, a racing heart, or shortness of breath.
• You know you have angina and your chest discomfort is suddenly more intense, brought on by lighter activity, or lasts longer than usual.
• Your angina symptoms occur while you are at rest.
• You have sudden, sharp chest pain with shortness of breath, especially after a long trip, a stretch of bedrest , or other lack of movement, especially if one leg is swollen or more swollen than the other .
• You have been diagnosed with a serious condition, such as heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

Your risk of having a heart attack is greater if:

• You have a family history of heart disease.
• You smoke, use cocaine, or are overweight.
• You have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
• You already have heart disease.

• You have a fever or a cough that produces yellow-green phlegm.
• You have chest pain that is severe and does not go away.
• You are having problems swallowing.
• Chest pain lasts longer than 3 to 5 days.

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Your Lung Pain Is Likely General Chest Pain

Whenever you experience persistent chest or lung pain, you should see your doctor immediately.

Contact your doctor if your lung pain comes on suddenly, you experience lightheadedness or shortness of breath, or the pain radiates down your arm and to your jaw or back.

Remember that if you feel left lung pain, general chest pain is likely the problem.

A number of causes of this lung or chest pain include:

Seek Urgent Medical Help For Chest Pain

With chest pain, every minute counts. The faster you get to hospital for treatment, the better.

If any activity brings on chest pain, follow these steps:

1.Stop what you are doing and rest immediately.

2.Talk tell someone how you feel.

If you take angina medication:

• Wait 5 minutes. If you still have symptoms take another dose of your medicine.
• Wait 5 minutes. If your symptoms dont go away

3.Call 000 and chew on 300mg aspirin .

• Ask for an ambulance.
• Dont hang up.
• Wait for the operators instructions.

Do not take aspirin if you have an allergy to aspirin, or your doctor has told you not to take it.

Remember, if you have any doubt about your pain, call an ambulance anyway.

Do not drive yourself to hospital. Wait for the ambulance. It has specialised staff and equipment that may save your life.

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When To Get Immediate Help

It is important to try to identify if the cause is serious or life threatening. The information below should not be used to self-diagnose your condition.

It should give you an idea of what is causing your chest pain and whether you need to get emergency help or see your GP. It does not include every possible cause, but describes the most common reasons for chest pain.

You should call 999 for an ambulance immediately if you develop sudden severe chest pain, particularly if:

• the pain is central or band-like and feels heavy, pressing or tight
• the pain lasts longer than 15 minutes
• the pain spreads to other parts of your body, such as your arms, back or jaw
• you are at risk of coronary heart disease for example, you smoke, are obese, or have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol

If you think you could be having a heart attack, call 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance. Do not worry if you have any doubts about whether it is a heart attack. Paramedics would prefer to be called out to find that an honest mistake has been made than to be called out when it is too late to save a person’s life.

If the discomfort is not sudden and severe, or has resolved, it may be more appropriate to see your GP. If your own GP surgery is closed, you should contact your local out of hours service if you are concerned and need advice as to whether you need assessment or treatment.