Chest pressure, please read and give input!?

Question

I have been having a very tight feeling in my sternal area on and off (more on) for two days. it used to come and go and now its not going away, i also have pain in my upper abdomen and back. my doc ordered a cat scan (at that time my chest didnt hurt) but i dont have the results. i dont have asthma and am breathing alright but the pressure is constant, i have taken prevacid and an anti spasm med to try to rule out indigestion, they did not help. could it be anything else? i mean im too young for a heart problem!

Answer 1

Too young? My oldest sister had open heart surgery at age 26 for a heart condition that started developing during her teenage years. She died at 35 mostly because of her own stupidity at not having her condition check for a few years. Have you never heard of teenage athletes dieing in the middle of a game from a heart condition they didn't know they had?

It does sound similar to shortness of breath, during which you can breath just fine, but pressure builds on in the chest and if bad enough causes dizziness shortly after from lack of oxygen in the blood. It is oxygen that a person is short of, not the ability to breath. And yes, it can cause that type of pain for a short time.  

But it does sound very different too. Shortness of breath occurs around events, such as physical activity like walking up steps. Unless you have a heart condition that is at a very bad level, it shouldn't cause this.

Answer 2

Everyone is right - you need to get to the ER. You're never too young. I had tachycardia for 4 years, starting when I was 17, before having an ablation procedure to correct it. Since then, I have had chronic pericarditis. It causes a lot of pressure in the chest that worsens when laying down or leaning over. No doctor can tell me why it keeps coming back because the cause is idiopathic. You never want to cheat yourself though - any sort of pain is a sign that something is wrong - get checked out!

Answer 3

You can develop heart  problems at any age......

Could be a Hernia problem?

Answer 4

Please go get this checked out now.  Go to the Emergency room. You are never to young for a heart problem. I had super ventricular tachycardia at age 20.  Rapid heart beat at 220 beats per minute with chest pain, and didn't go to the doctor until it was so bad I thought I was having a heart attack. The doctor said I had damaged my heart muscle by waiting so long. I did have it repaired and have been fine ever since. Never ignore chest pain.

Answer 5

You want to go to the ER to rule out everything. Even if you are too young for heart problems you don't want to take any chances,  

Answer 6

One time i had symptoms like that and it turned out to be pleurisy  in my lung. They gave an anti inflammatory injection and it got better.  Not saying that is what it is because i am no doctor.

Answer 7

There is no such thing as to young for a heart problem. You belong in the ER. Please go now. I have seen too many people assume it is not their heart and or that they are too young only to have a bad out come.