“Chest pain?”
For more than 2 weeks I've had a pain in my chest sometimes on the left or sometimes on the right, it is a pain that comes and goes, I am worried about this. Also, recently I felt swollen under my right armpit.
Female | 17 years old
Complaint duration: 18 days
3 Answers
Mark Rasak
Cardiologist
You need a thorough history and physical. Labs and ecg need to be done. A heart echo and chest x-ray should be done. Otherwise your symptoms and complaints are pretty broad and beyond the scope of this venue.
This sounds like an inflammatory process. You didn’t say whether the pain is sharp or dull. Try taking Aspirin 2 adult tabs. every 6 hours.
The usual cause for this kind of pain is "thoracic nerve root compression," which is where the nerves coming out of your spine in the area between your shoulder blades are being pinched by the spinal bones (vertebrae) getting slightly out of position. It is mostly caused by spending long periods sitting in a stooped position (typically using a computer). It can be relieved by sitting up very straight (with your computer screen at eye-level) and taking frequent breaks to get up and do something energetic. Even better, but not always practical, is to sit on a large ball (e.g., one used in yoga exercises) while working, which keeps your back muscles toned up and the vertebrae nicely in line. The feeling of swelling under your armpit may be just a sensation from the same nerves, but if you think it is really swollen, you should get a check-up with your doctor.
I hope this helps.
I hope this helps.
