Chest pain a little more info included

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Question

Posted by: R | 2012/11/28

Q. Chest pain - a little more info included

Hi DOC,
I sometimes experience chest pains, mostly when I get up in the morning I find I have a pain just above the left breast. Some mornings its very bad, some mornings just a dull pain.
I have a 1 year old who is quite heavy but I need to carry every so often and wonder if the pain could be result of this as I carry him on my left hip.
At times the pain seems to be across the left shoulder blade as well.
I am a 34 year old female. I smoke 4-6 cigarettes a day, only mornings and evenings and nothing during the day. Also have wine occasionally. 1-2 cups coffee per day.
I have been expereincing this for most of this year, we''''ve had a lot of stressful things to deal with.
Should I have this checked out?
Many thanks - R

Expert's Reply

A.

Cardiologist

Dear R

Thanks for your query. Even though you smoke, you are young and female and therefore at low risk for coronary disease. The pain you describe does not sound at all like heart pain. It sounds like musculo-skeletal pain, in other words pain from the structures in the ribcage such as muscles between the ribs or the cartilage where the ribs meet the breastbone. It could possibly be aggravated by stress.

If you are otherwise well I don’t think you need to have the pain checked out, but if in doubt - check it out!

Please stop smoking! It is by far the best thing you can do for your long term health.

Best wishes, JT

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user comments

Posted by: PTAGUY | 2013/01/20

Hi R,

I read your question as I have had the same symptom for the last couple of years. I am also hypertensive which makes the chest pain symptoms worrying at times. I''ve only once had a doc actually check to find " nothing wrong" .

But, I can add that I have recently given up smoking after smoking a pack a day for 12 years. Once you get going it''s really not that difficult. Give it a try!!

Reply to PTAGUY