Heartache - causes and therapy

As a vital hollow muscle organ, the heart secures the blood circulation and sufficient blood circulation of all organs through rhythmic contractions. The contraction of the heart muscle can be measured as a pulse. Disturbances of the heart function, which can express itself among other things in heart pains, have often serious to life-threatening health consequences.

contents

Different shapes
Causes of heartache
Cardiovascular disease as a cause
Heartache due to mental stress
diagnosis
Risk factors of heart discomfort
Mental causes of heartache
Heartache in young people
Naturopathy treatment

Various forms of heartache

Heart pain is often a sign of serious health risks and should therefore be examined urgently by a doctor. A cardiologist can usually determine the causes of the complaints relatively clearly and initiate appropriate countermeasures. The colloquially referred to as heartache mental suffering, for example, after a separation or with lovesickness should be addressed at this point only marginally, although the mental stress may well cause physical problems. The focus of this paper is on the heartache as an expression of physical ailments, possible causes, the diagnosis and treatment approaches for pain in the heart.

Heartache usually manifests as a pull, painful pressure, burning or stinging in the chest. Since the symptoms can certainly be signs of a serious illness, a doctor should be consulted at the latest at repeated occurrence urgently. In any case, most sufferers are sensitized to pain in the heart and ready for an early visit to the doctor because they fear a heart attack or similar serious health problems.

Heartache, however, may not be related to the heart. Often there are also muscular tensions behind it. (Image: freshidea / fotolia)

Breast-pulling, however, does not always have to be accompanied by illnesses directly at the heart. Thus, the chest pain can also indicate a disturbance of the lung function and occasionally diaphragmatic convulsions are also perceived by those affected as a kind of heart piercing. Also, the so-called reflux - in which gastric acid flows back into the esophagus - is often perceived as a stinging in the chest, so that those affected think easily here of a disease of the heart. In addition, the more superficially perceived pain in a rib fracture occasionally be confused with heart pain. The same applies to nerve irritation, muscle tension and the so-called Tietze syndrome - a painful swelling in the area of ​​the sternum neck of the ribs. With the help of medical support, however, such causes of the supposed heart pain can usually be identified relatively quickly.

causes

The original cardiac pain is due to disease of the heart or cardiovascular system, which in most cases require medical care of those affected. For example, specialist literature includes coronary heart disease (CHD), heart muscle inflammation, angina pectoris (heart failure) and heart attacks as the causes of heart pain. The direct cardiac pains are clearly distinguishable from the general thoracic pain, the cause of which also includes other diseases such as pulmonary dysfunction, pulmonary embolism, muscle tension, diaphragmatic spasms, oesophageal disorders (eg, reflux or movement disorders of the esophagus), gastritis, spinal or joint discomfort could be. Although the distinction is often difficult for the affected, as in pulling, stabbing or pressure in the chest inevitably heart complaints is thought, but with medical support, the actual heart pain can usually be relatively clearly differentiate against other chest pain.

Due to the subjective perception of the heart pain, however, the determination of the diagnosis is sometimes considerably more difficult. If there are no physical illnesses as the cause of the cardiac pain, although the patients obviously suffer from severe symptoms and fear a heart attack, a so-called cardiac neurosis (cardiophobia) may be the cause of the cardiac pain. Here, the fear of a threatening heart disease or a heart attack itself functional disorders of the cardiovascular and respiratory system, which may manifest as pain in the chest area.

Cardiovascular disease as a cause

The physical causes of cardiac pain include many cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), coronary artery disease with angina pectoris or cardiac arrhythmias. Heartache can also be caused by inflammation of the heart's lining (endocarditis), pericarditis (pericarditis),
Heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis), heart valve defects, aneurysms (arterial dilations) and heart failure are triggered. In addition, an acutely life-threatening heart attack can be the cause of heart pain, in which case often occur at the same time considerable inner restlessness, massive nausea, sweating and respiratory distress. Heart pain should always be examined by a specialist and if a heart attack is suspected, urgently notify an emergency physician.

Heartache due to mental stress

Afflicted the heart pain feel this often with special physical or mental stress. The pulling, stinging and tightness of the chest may also radiate into the back, stomach, arms and shoulders (usually left). In addition, heart pains are often accompanied by heart stuttering, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath. Not infrequently, sufferers feel dreadful in the face of the symptoms, with the symptoms often increasing in the wake of the panic-like anxiety. If patients are already aware of diseases such as angina pectoris, the appropriate emergency medications should be taken immediately to avoid spreading the symptoms. In the case of angina pectoris, these would be nitroglycerin sprays or capsules prescribed by their doctors to patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

As emergency medications, the nitroglycerine preparations of the CHD patients should always be carried. However, if the drugs have no effect, this condition is referred to as unstable angina pectoris, which is also to be considered as a possible indication of myocardial infarction. The complaints should therefore be taken very seriously and promptly alerted an ambulance. Symptoms that may indicate an unstable angina or a heart attack, in addition to the ineffectiveness of nitroglycerin preparations, for example, heart pain that first appear under stress, getting worse / more frequent, even in the resting state and not in their intensity or localization distinguish from already known heartache.

diagnosis

In addition to the immediate measures that must be taken, for example, in the case of cardiac pain from an unstable angina or a heart attack, those affected should undergo a long-term therapeutic treatment that addresses the causes of heart pain. However, this requires a precise medical diagnosis. The question of the intensity, localization and duration of the heart pain is at the beginning of the diagnosis. In addition, blood samples are taken from the affected persons for the laboratory examination, because in this way for example the typical enzymes for a heart attack (heart enzymes) and possible inflammations in the area of ​​the heart can be determined. In addition, those affected are usually examined by means of an electrocardiogram (ECG) in order to exclude or in the worst case confirm the diagnosis of a heart attack as the cause of cardiac pain. For example, the exercise ECG, which measures the cardiac parameters under stress, provides a long-term ECG and ultrasound examinations of the heart. Also, special methods of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to determine the causes of cardiac pain. In addition, X-ray examination of the coronary vessels and positron emission tomography (PET) offer further possibilities for diagnosing. Depending on the causes that are found in the course of the investigations as a trigger of cardiac pain, different therapeutic approaches are available to combat the symptoms.

Risk factors of heart discomfort

The first priority is to avoid risk factors for heart disease, such as alcohol or tobacco consumption, unhealthy diets and obesity. Patients are often encouraged to change their habits significantly in order to avoid long-term occurrence of heart pain. A balanced diet, abstinence from alcohol and tobacco as well as sufficient physical activity are recommended especially for patients in whom cardiovascular diseases are the cause of cardiac pain. Depending on the underlying diseases, medications are also used to treat heart pain, although these must be explicitly agreed by the physician on the respective symptoms. While, for example, in an angina pectoris the nitroglycerin preparations are used in cardiac arrhythmias frequency-regulating and -stabilisierende drugs such as adenosine, ajmaline, atropine, or so-called beta-blockers, but their use is not uncontroversial used. If inflammation in the area of ​​the heart, such as a bacterial endocarditis, is the cause of the pain, these are usually treated with antibiotics. Various other causes of cardiac pain such as heart valve defects, aneurysms or aortic dissection (aortic tear) may also involve heart surgery.

Mental causes

However, far from all causes of cardiac pain can be remedied by conventional therapeutic measures. This is especially true for mental disorders such as the so-called heart neuroses. Psychologically related heartaches often require a different approach to therapy. For example, in the so-called "Broken Heart Syndrome" anxiety and stress-reducing drugs are used because it is believed that an excess of stress hormones is responsible for the complaints. Typically, the Broken Heart syndrome occurs after special stress situations, such as the loss of a particularly close person and manifests itself on the ECG or the laboratory tests similar to a heart attack. The fact that lovesickness and emotional concern are often referred to as heartbreak seems to be justified. Because the psychological problems can actually bring organic complaints in the heart.

Image: Adam Gregor, fotolia

Heartache in young people

Overall, heart pains are not uncommon, but are not always associated with serious illnesses. Heart pain and underlying diseases such as cardiac arrhythmias are more common in younger people today. However, people over the age of 60 are significantly more likely to be affected. In addition, in the case of young patients, an excessive lifestyle with excessive consumption of alcohol, tobacco or drugs is usually the cause of the discomfort, while in the elderly, cardiovascular diseases, vascular diseases and diseases of the heart are the cause of cardiac pain. Sustained stress and emotional stress, regardless of age, are considered a general risk factor for heart disease. Stress avoidance or coping strategies can therefore also have a positive effect on the prevention of cardiac pain.

Naturopathy treatment

With the help of naturopathic procedures, it is above all possible to treat chest pain that is not due to an immediate disease of the heart. For example, by osteopathy and Rolfing on a mechanical level, the movement in the chest area can be improved, for example, to counteract muscle tension and the so-called Tietze syndrome. The entire body and its statics are included in the treatment. The thorax and its structures are related to the rest of the body as part of the therapy and analyzed the distribution of tension in the organism. At this point, for example, osteopathy also takes into account complaints that occur in addition to cardiac pain, such as temporomandibular joint discomfort, back pain, foot pain or other joint problems.

Cardiac pain caused by mental discomfort can in turn have a positive effect on the regular use of medicinal plant formulas that soothe the autonomic nervous system and at the same time have a cardiac effect. For example, herbal tea from hawthorn blossoms, valerian root, lemon balm, rosemary leaves and arnica blossoms will be used to combat the psychologically caused heart pain. But the ritual of preparation and the associated time-outs provide a calming of the nervous system. In addition, ointments are used with similar ingredients for external application, with the regular rubbing also develop a calming effect. Also homeopathic remedies are used in low potencies in the naturopathic treatment of mental heart pain, preferably Coffea (coffee), Convallaria (lily of the valley) or Valeriana (valerian) are used. In addition, naturopathy uses the method of so-called biofeedback to positively influence the mental disorders. It is addressed with the help of breathing techniques, imagination, meditation or inner suggestions against the complaints. If there is suspicion of underlying psychological problems as the cause of the heart pain, they can also be worked up with the help of modern hypnotherapy. (Fp)