Sharp pain when breathing… It feels like thousands of needles are sticking in your chest and restricting your breathing. What is the reason for that? Is it a sign of something more serious? First relax calmly and see the course of the pain and how it changes. Most times, chasing chest pain is due to stress or anxiety. We will tell you more in this article.

Sharp, chasing chest pain!

Many describe them as small stabbing pains, direct rush to the heart that comes suddenly and restricts breathing. It is a relatively common phenomenon that we have all experienced at one time or another, but just because it is common does not mean that it should be ignored. When experiencing one of these attacks, doctors recommend following these guidelines:

• Sit comfortably and do your best to calm down.
• Remember that it will pass within a few moments.
• Relax and try to breathe calmly and slowly as you exhale through your mouth.
• Take your heart rate if you can. If you notice that it is high and accompanied by rapid breathing and pain extending into the neck or arms, seek medical attention immediately. But as I said, almost 70% of these seizures are due to anxiety or stress.

Cause 1: Anxiety or stress

Anxiety and stress are the most common causes, but you should still not take them lightly. In some cases, they may be a sign of something more serious. Did you know that anxiety symptoms do not always appear right away? It is possible to work in a  stressful and anxious environment and still function well during the day. The symptoms come later after you are taken home.

When you get home, you get a headache, feel dizzy… Or maybe the symptoms come the next morning when you get dressed for work.

Experts state that the highest number of heart attacks and other heart problems occur during holidays and weekends, at the times when we try to relax but where the body is not able to. The cortisol level in the body is too high and the symptoms like chasing chest pain start to appear.

It can come when you sit down for dinner, watch TV or talk on the phone, and then you suddenly feel like you can not breathe. Check out some of the most common causes of chest pain:

• Flexed muscles. The tension gets so bad that it becomes a problem and suddenly we can not breathe properly.
• Vegetative hyperactivity (dizziness, rapid heartbeat, sweating, classic tachypnoea, characterized by rapid, intense breathing that can lead to excruciating chest pain).

What can we do to relieve the symptoms?

What you need to do first is try to relax and start breathing from the diaphragm. This allows the lungs to be filled with air. How do you do? Follow these steps:

• Sit comfortably.
• Place one hand on your  abdomen, just above the navel.
• Breathe slowly through your nostrils. Notice the movement of your hand and your abdomen rising.
• Hold your breath for 2 seconds.
• Round your lips as if you are blowing out a candle.
• Exhale (slowly) for four seconds.

Cause 2: E t heart problem

There are several risk factors we should be aware of:

• Usually, the incidence of heart problems increases at 50 to 55 years of age.

• Previous symptoms: High blood pressure,  high cholesterol, and a family history of heart disease.

The first thing we need to do when we feel a rush in our chest is to sit down and follow these guidelines:

• Take it easy and follow the breathing pattern described above.
• How is your heart rate? Is it fast? Irregular, short-lived fast and then slow?
• If the pain does not stop after 5 minutes and becomes more intense, seek medical attention.
• Also seek medical attention immediately if the  pain extends to your neck, jaw or arms.
• If you notice pain accompanied by a strong pressure on the chest that restricts breathing, you should seek medical attention immediately.

It is important to make sure that the discomfort does not get too bad and above all leads to the symptoms described above.  Reassure yourself that anxiety is the most likely cause, but there is still something to be aware of.  Take care of yourself!