Wierd chest pain.. Anyone know what it could be?

Question

for the last few years ive been getting random chest pains. TOday i had one but it wont go away and if I breathe in too deeply it hearts more. its only on the left side and is a very sharp pain. Earlier it also made my left arm hurt. My mum thinks its anxiety and stress but i've had it for years and i dont understand how i could have been woth anxiety for so long. It hurts even now and im worried as i am only 16... please help

Answer 1

Chest pains should be evaluated by a medical professional.  If it is anxiety, that can be treated.  Being only 16 doesn't discount that you are experiencing a problem that needs to be addressed.  A doctor can determine if there is something going on.  Anxiety and panic attacks can indeed cause chest pains, but you need to be sure nothing else is going on.  

If you do not have access to a doctor, or if it will take some time to get an appointment...try doing some deep breathing when you are experiencing these random pains.  Get in a comfortable position (laying down or sitting back in a chair), raise your arms over your head (to open up the ribcage and expand the lungs) and breathe in slowly and deeply to a count of  eight.  Hold the breath for a count of four.  Then slowly breathe out to a count of twelve.  Repeat this pattern for at least three minutes, five minutes is even better.  Focus on your breath as you do this.

Answer 2

this exact thing happened to me, feels like your having a heart attack yeah? its the joint that connects your ribs together in the middle, the muscles haven't developed properly and causes you pain, nothin to worry about, you will grow out of it, i was 15 when it happened, 24 now and all is good, trapped burbs also don't help cause it puts pressure on your chest so try and force them up before pain kicks in, hope this put ya mind at rest.

Answer 3

It could be anxiety, stress, depression or any other amount of things.  I would discuss it with your doctor.  At your age I wouldn't think that it would be the heart, but you never know if there was some sort of birth defect.  When it involves your left arm hurting, it could even have stroke warnings.  Anyway, I wouldn't dismiss it.  

Answer 4

What you describe is actually quite common in teens.  It happened to me a lot between 12-17 or so.  And as a HS health teacher, lots of my students have had it too.  The best explanation I've found it that it is simply some of the chest wall muscles getting temporarily pinched, or just a nerve mis-firing.  It causes that sharp, stabbing pain, but it gone in a second or two.

People tend to get anxious b/c of the pain, but the pain isn't generally caused by anxiety.   By all mean consult your doctor if you want, but what you describe is very normal and you are probably just fine.