Does frequent chest pain mean you have lung cancer? Doctor: These four major diseases may cause chest pain

The occurrence of chest pain is caused by a variety of diseases. It does not mean that you have lung cancer. It is necessary to determine what kind of disease it is based on the characteristics of the pain and related examinations. In fact, most chest pains are not lung cancer.

Many people have chest pain. In our chest, the main organs and tissues include the lungs, heart, great blood vessels, ribs, thoracic spine, etc. The cause of chest pain is often caused by problems with certain organs. Today we will talk about the more common causes of chest pain.

chest pain patients

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1. Lung disease.

Many lung diseases can cause varying degrees of chest pain in patients.

1. Lung cancer. I believe everyone is very familiar with lung cancer. It is the cancer with the highest morbidity and mortality in China. Many people have chest pain, and the first thing they think of is lung cancer. Although I said at the beginning of the article that most chest pains are not lung cancer, but lung cancer is Can cause chest pain. Early-stage lung cancer generally does not have any symptoms, but in advanced stage lung cancer, various symptoms will appear, including chest pain, and its chest pain is often characterized by dull or dull pain, often without obvious location, in deep breathing, coughing. Or it gets worse when you laugh. At the same time, advanced lung cancer often has other symptoms in addition to chest pain, such as hemoptysis, cough, shortness of breath, etc., generally not just chest pain alone.

If the above symptoms appear, it is suspected that it may be lung cancer. It is recommended to go to the hospital to screen for the possibility of lung cancer. The best way to screen for lung cancer is chest CT examination. Chest CT examination can detect early microscopic lung cancers as small as 5mm and is the best method for diagnosis and screening of lung cancer. For CT suspected lung cancer, but less certain lesions, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, CT-guided puncture and other examinations can be used to confirm the diagnosis.

Once diagnosed with lung cancer, surgical resection must be performed in a timely manner, while for those who cannot be surgically removed, other treatment methods such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy can be selected.

lung cancer

2. Infectious diseases of the lungs. In addition to lung cancer, some pulmonary infectious lesions can also cause chest pain, such as lung abscess; when the inflammation of the abscess accumulates in the parietal pleura, it can cause chest pain; and its pain is often characterized by persistent pain, and in addition to pain, Lung abscesses also have symptoms such as chills, high fever, cough, and expectoration.

For lung abscesses and other pulmonary infectious lesions, the best examination method is still lung CT examination. At the same time, combined with laboratory blood tests, the diagnosis can often be confirmed.

After a clear diagnosis, the main treatment method for pulmonary infectious lesions is drug therapy, such as anti-infection, anti-fungal, anti-tuberculosis and other treatments, and surgery is generally not required.

lung infection

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2. Heart disease.

Many heart diseases can also cause chest pain symptoms.

1. Coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is believed to be very familiar to everyone, and the most common symptom of coronary heart disease is chest pain or chest tightness. It often occurs after strenuous activity, emotional agitation, and a full meal, and is often located on the left front chest or behind the sternum, with a squeezing, squeezing, burning, or stuffy pain. It usually improves with rest, usually within 5 minutes, and if it persists, a more serious myocardial infarction may have occurred.

If you have symptoms similar to the above, it is recommended to screen for the possibility of coronary heart disease in time. The main methods of screening for coronary heart disease include blood test (CRP), coronary CT angiography, echocardiography and coronary angiography. Coronary angiography is the gold standard for diagnosing coronary heart disease.

Once diagnosed with coronary heart disease, the main treatment methods include drug therapy, interventional therapy and bypass therapy, and the specific treatment method should be based on the specific condition and find a specialist to formulate a specific treatment plan.

coronary heart disease

2, myocardial infarction. Acute myocardial infarction generally presents with severe angina pectoris symptoms, mainly including chest compression, and often accompanied by pain in the arms, neck, or shoulders and back. The pain can be diffuse, and it is difficult to pinpoint the specific location of the pain. Another characteristic feature of myocardial infarction is that rest cannot relieve symptoms, and nitroglycerin treatment is ineffective.

For acute myocardial infarction, the general combination of symptoms, electrocardiogram can be diagnosed.

Once diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction, it generally requires urgent interventional treatment, otherwise it may endanger the patient's life.

myocardial infarction

3. Other diseases of the heart. Other heart diseases such as heart failure, congenital heart disease, acquired valve disease, etc. may also have different degrees of chest pain symptoms, but the probability of chest pain caused by these diseases is generally relatively low, and the pain characteristics are not specific; so chest pain, Such diseases are generally not considered. At the same time, these diseases can be screened by examination methods such as echocardiography; once diagnosed, they also need prompt treatment.

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3. Macrovascular disease.

4. Thoracic aortic aneurysm. Thoracic aortic aneurysm often presents clinical symptoms when it compresses or invades adjacent organs, and its main symptom is also chest pain. Chest pain is often characterized by oppressive persistent pain. If the trachea, bronchi, etc. are compressed, irritating cough may occur, the recurrent laryngeal nerve is compressed, and hoarseness may also be caused.

If a thoracic aortic aneurysm is suspected, it is recommended to choose chest CT angiography, which can effectively determine the condition of the aorta and other large vessels, so as to make an accurate diagnosis.

For the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm, it is generally recommended to operate as soon as possible, as surgery can avoid possible subsequent complications.

Aortic Aneurysm Surgery

2. Aortic dissection. Aortic dissection is a serious and critical condition, and its main symptoms are persistent, unbearable tearing or knife-like pain in the chest, back, or extending to the abdomen. Pain can also lead to collapse, coma, blindness, difficulty breathing, and numbness in both lower extremities.

Aortic dissection is a critical condition. Generally, the onset is sudden and the symptoms are severe. It needs to be sent to the hospital for treatment in time. The main diagnostic methods include blood examination and CT angiography. Specific circumstances, etc., is an essential auxiliary inspection.

Whether aortic dissection is generally dangerous or not, once it is diagnosed, it must be monitored and treated immediately, and then a specialist needs to evaluate whether to perform surgical treatment.

aortic dissection

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Fourth, rib or thoracic spine lesions.

1. Rib or thoracic spine trauma. If a rib or thoracic vertebra is fractured after trauma, chest pain is often also present. This type of chest pain is usually persistent and can be exacerbated by deep breathing, coughing, or turning. Of course, this type of chest pain often has a history of trauma, so the initial screening can generally be combined with the medical history.

For the diagnosis of fractures, X-rays or CT scans are usually done. CT examination can generally detect relatively subtle rib fractures, while for some occult vertebral fractures, MRI examination is required.

After the fracture is diagnosed, conservative treatment or surgical treatment is generally required according to the specific condition.

Rib imaging

2. Rib or thoracic spine metastatic bone tumor. Metastatic bone tumors can also cause chest pain, which is often characterized by bouts of pain that gradually turn into persistent, prolonged pain. At the same time, it is often combined with other signs of cancer patients such as weight loss and fatigue.

For metastatic bone tumors, CT, MRI, or bone scan can be used to confirm the diagnosis.

MRI examination

Summary: There are many diseases that cause chest pain. The above is an introduction to the common diseases that cause chest pain. Here, Dr. Liu would like to remind everyone that for chest pain, do not take painkillers at will to relieve pain. If the pain persists for a long time, It is recommended to go to the hospital in time to complete the relevant examinations, exclude related diseases, and carry out targeted treatment.

Of course, there are also some rare diseases that may cause chest pain, so I won't introduce them to you here; if you have any accidents, you can leave a message below and let's discuss together.

I'm Dr. Liu, and it's not easy to code words. If you agree with my point of view, please help to follow me, follow me, and learn more about health and medicine.

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