Why do I feel chest tightness sometimes?

Chest tightness is a subjective feeling of our human body. To put it simply, breathing becomes very difficult, as if there is not enough oxygen outside, and every breath requires tremendous effort. To put it another way, the chest tightness feels like a huge rock pressing on your chest. In fact, chest tightness is often related to some diseases and requires timely treatment. So what is the reason for chest tightness sometimes?

Causes and common diseases

1. Respiratory tract

Obstructed tracheobronchial tumors, tracheal stenosis, tracheal external compression (thyroid enlargement, mediastinal tumors);

2. Lung disease

Emphysema, bronchitis, asthma, atelectasis, pulmonary infarction, pneumothorax;

3. Heart disease

Certain congenital heart diseases, rheumatic heart valve disease, coronary heart disease, myocardial insufficiency, heart tumors, cor pulmonale, etc.;

4. Diaphragmatic disease

Diaphragmatic bulging, diaphragmatic paralysis;

5. Others

(1) Disturbance of body fluid metabolism and acid-base balance, etc.

(2) Smoking can also cause chest tightness.

"Chest tightness" can be mild or severe. It can be caused by minor general illnesses such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and respiratory tract infection; or severe and potentially fatal illnesses such as myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, and upper gastrointestinal tract rupture. The diagnosis of these diseases can be preliminarily differentiated after a detailed medical history, but the final diagnosis still requires the help of Western medical examinations, so extreme caution must be exercised in clinical practice. The anatomical structure of the entire chest cavity includes three major parts: the first part is the cardiovascular system; the second part is the trachea, bronchi, and lungs of the respiratory system; the third part is the esophagus and stomach of the gastrointestinal system. If the chest tightness attacks are often aggravated during activities, climbing stairs, and straining to defecate, and are accompanied by a feeling of pressure, chest pain, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, and cold sweats, and the symptoms are relieved after rest, it is often related to cardiovascular system diseases. If chest tightness is accompanied by symptoms of cold and respiratory infection, such as cough, yellow sputum, chest pain, fever, wheezing, etc., it is mostly a respiratory system problem.

If chest tightness often occurs after meals, sometimes there is also a burning sensation, acid vomiting, and a stuffy and painful feeling in the upper abdomen. After the gastrointestinal disease is treated, the chest tightness will usually be relieved. If the chest has been injured or hit, or a foreign object has been swallowed accidentally, it may cause pneumothorax or even esophageal rupture, which requires immediate treatment.