[Quantumcat (OP)]

Is having a pain in your chest something bad or is it nothing to worry about?

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!

[neilep]

Erin, I'm no doctor but I would have thought a constant pain in the chest could indicate a number of things, Indigestion for example, trapped wind,however, is it you or someone else ?, if it's accompanied by an ache down an arm or two, it could be indicative of something else.......I don't want to worry you, but perhaps a visit to the doctor is worthwhile, especially if it won't go away......Hopefully, one of the medical chappys or chappess's will answer you here though. I wish you better. Chances are, you just got indigestion, have you taken any antacids ?

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'

[bezoar]

Generally, it's not much to worry about in a young person.  You have to know what type of pain -- sharp or dull, constant or intermittant, can it be reproduced by pressing on your breastbone, have you had a cold recently, been doing any extra exercise or heavy lifting?

Typically, the chest pain of a heart attack is rarely described as pain.  People tell you it feels like a pressure in their chest, like a band squeezing their chest, like a heaviness in the chest, etc.  Put that together with some or any of the following symptoms:  shortness of breath, cold sweats, pain radiating to the arm, shoulder or jaw, dizziness, nausea, feeling faint.  Those things point more to a heart attack.

[Quantumcat (OP)]

I guess I'm too young to have a heart attack, lol !!! But sometimes it comes and then it goes away. It feels kind of like someone's poking me hard with a blunt stick. I don't know, it's weird. I don't think I have any of the other symptoms though. I don't know, I'm such a worry wort !

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!

[Donnah]

Quantum, it could be your muscles complaining that you study and work on the computer so much.  Stand in a doorway and put your arms out level with your shoulders.  Now lean forward until you get a good stretch through your shoulders.  Remember to stretch your neck in all directions on a regular basis too.

[chris]

The differential diagnosis of chest pain is broad. Doctors are therefore guided by age, sex, symptoms, co-morbidity and current risk factors when reaching a sensible list of possibilities.

Working from outside in, culprit conditions include musculo-skeletal pain (including referred pain), costochondritis, trauma (including bruised and broken ribs), tumours, infection (empyema, pneumonia), pneumothorax (suspect this is tall thin men, asthmatics and people with emphysema), pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, cardiac ischaemia and MI (heart attack), aortic dissection, mitral valve prolapse (suspect this in anxious young women), oesophageal reflux and dyspepsia.

Not an exhaustive list, but certainly a list of the most common.

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[Quantumcat (OP)]

I don't spend all day on the computer ... usually once every two days or three days now. I think maybe it has something to do with exercise, because the last time it happened I went for a long bike ride with a lot of uphills and I was pretty exhausted when I got back.

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!

[OldMan]

Erin is it close to the collar bone and does the pain move around to your back or shoulders at all?

[Quantumcat (OP)]

no, never in the back or shoulders, it always seems to be a bit to the side of the breast bone, I can't remember which side or if it changes sides. It's a specific place, not a general pain. It doesn't happen very often, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!