I have had a pain in left side of chest for years. Can it be something serious?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a male. I have had long-term chest pain. It has been there for years; sometimes it is worse sometimes it is not. I am pretty scared of it when I think about it. I can feel the pain when I press against the upper left side of the chest (breast area). I cannot exactly pinpoint where the pain comes from, but it is the upper left side of the chest where my nipple is. It has been like this for about two or more years. I cannot say it has gotten worse; it has stayed the same, just on and off in pain's intensity, but always there, uncomfortable. Please note that my work has me in a seated position in front of my computer all the time. I do not know if it is the posture or something. I have not gotten it checked; my family has always been in a bad financial situation. So, I never bothered with it. Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

About your query, I need to determine what type of chest pain it could be.

Sharp, especially with breathing, that could be pleuritis, pericarditis, or pneumonia.
Burning, especially after a heavy meal, that could be gastric reflux or peptic ulcer.
A tight, squeezing, or crushing sensation that could be coronary artery disease The chest pain may spread to your arm, shoulder, jaw, or back. It may feel like a pressure or squeezing sensation. Angina can be triggered by exercise, excitement, or emotional distress and is relieved by rest. (This point is currently ruled out).
Muscle strain. Hard coughing can injure or inflame the muscles and tendons between the ribs and cause chest pain. The pain tends to persist and it worsens with activity.

I advise you to do a chest X-ray and ECG.