Causes of pain under the left breast

Pain under left breast is not a specific symptom indicating a specific disease, although it is primarily alarming about possible cardiac problems. Truly painful manifestations in the left half of the chest require careful observation, timely consultation with a doctor and diagnosis, since pain under the left breast can signal serious pathologies associated not only with the heart, but also with the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, oncological processes in the gland itself or nearby organs.

Causes of pain under the left breast

The etiological causes of pain under the left breast are varied and can be associated with diseases of the stomach, intestines, heart, spleen or pancreas, with osteochondrosis, with pathological inflammatory or oncological processes in the gland itself.

The main causes of pain under the left breast:

• Diseases of the spleen, which are characterized by radiating pain to the left upper quadrant, located under the left gland:
  • A heart attack that develops due to thrombosis or occlusion (embolism) of the splenic artery, which is one of the largest arteries of the peritoneum. Also, a heart attack can be caused by rheumatism, coronary heart disease, endocarditis, and portal hypertension.
  • Abscess or cyst of the spleen.
  • Trauma and rupture of the spleen.
  • Torsion of the legs of the spleen (wandering spleen torsion).
  • Infectious mononucleosis and splenomegaly (enlarged spleen).
• Gastrointestinal diseases:
  • Diseases of the small intestine, which are characterized by aching, dull pain spreading to the upper left.
  • Peptic ulcer of the stomach, which is accompanied by acute pain radiating to the left.
  • Gastritis, accompanied by bursting pain, often radiating to the left upper quadrant.
  • Dyspepsia with nausea and pain that may radiate under the left breast.
  • Hernia is a hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm, which most often forms under the processus xiphoideus – the xiphoid process and is reflected by pain in the left side of the back, under the left breast.
  • Gastropathy of ischemic etiology with aching pain in the area of ​​the xiphoid process, upper left.
  • Oncological processes of the gastrointestinal tract.
• The causes of pain under the left breast may be associated with cardiac diseases:
  • Angina pectoris – angina pectoris, ischemia of the middle muscular layer of the heart, myocardium, characterized by pressing, substernal pain, often radiating to the left arm, under the chest.
  • AMI is an acute myocardial infarction accompanied by intense pain on the left side.
  • Аneurysma aortae – aortic aneurysm.
  • Pericarditis – pericarditis can manifest as pain under the left breast when it becomes acute.
  • Mitral valve prolapse, characterized by transient, aching, unexpressed pain in the left upper quadrant.
  • Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spinal column, causing pain masked as symptoms of angina pectoris.
  • Intercostal neuralgia, accompanied by severe, sharp pain spreading along the nn. Intercostales – intercostal nerves.
• VSD is vegetative-vascular dystonia, accompanied by pain similar to the clinical picture of angina or myocardial infarction.
• Bronchopulmonary diseases:
  • Left-sided lower lobe pneumonia, accompanied by dull, mild pain on the left side, in the back and under the chest.
  • Exudative left-sided pleurisy, manifested by increasing pain on the left side when coughing, often from the back or under the chest.
• Cyst, abscess, fibroadenoma of the mammary gland, accompanied by pain under the breast due to occlusion of the ducts, impaired lymphatic flow.
• Fibromyalgia.
• Mammary cancer.

Symptoms of pain under the left breast

Symptoms of pain under the left breast are nonspecific and can serve as a sign of a variety of diseases that require a careful, comprehensive diagnosis. This is due to the fact that under the left breast there are the spleen, pancreas, hearts, loops of the small intestine, and many other organs innervating the left side.

According to the mechanism of development and sensations of pain, pain is divided into the following types:

The following are signs of pain under the left breast:

• Acute, dagger-like pain under the left breast, rapidly growing, unbearable, most often signals a perforation of the stomach wall, perforation of the small intestine, renal pelvis, or rupture of the spleen. This symptom requires emergency medical attention.
• Acute pain under the left breast when taking a deep breath may indicate a violation of the integrity of nearby internal organs damaged due to injury or accident.
• An aching, dull pain in the upper left can be a signal of a chronic inflammatory process associated with the gastrointestinal tract – pancreatitis, gastritis, cholecystitis, duodenitis.
• Constant pressing, aching pain in the upper left quadrant is a symptom of angina pectoris, a pre-infarction condition.
• Intense pain on the left side, which does not go away after taking cardiac medications, spreading and radiating into the arm can be a sign of a developing myocardial infarction.

The symptoms of left-sided pain localized under the breast require a thorough diagnostic examination; the sooner a person pays attention to the painful signs and consults a doctor, the more favorable the prognosis of the identified disease will be.

Aching pain under left breast

The nature of the aching pain in the upper left is most often due to chronic inflammatory processes. Aching pain under the left breast may be associated with sluggish, latent inflammation of the stomach, small intestine, and spleen. Often, aching pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting is a signal of a developing stomach ulcer. Also, dull, chronic pain can serve as a signal of coronary heart disease, angina. Often, diseases of the pancreas, which is located in the upper part of the abdominal region and directed to the left, can also manifest as aching, girdle pain. The aching sensations that appear after physical activity and psycho-emotional stress are associated with myocarditis and other cardiac pathologies. All subtle pain symptoms require consultation with a doctor and a comprehensive examination.

Sharp pain under left breast

Sharp painful sensations always require immediate relief, since delay can lead to serious, life-threatening consequences. Sharp pain under the left breast may be evidence of spasm of the coronary arteries due to coronary artery disease (coronary heart disease), aortic aneurysm, pulmonary embolism, acute myocardial infarction, perforation of the wall of the stomach or small intestine, or infarction pneumonia. Sharp pain, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and fever, can be a manifestation of acute pancreatitis, since part of the pancreas (tail) is located just on the left side. Such sensations are figuratively called “dagger”, they are impossible to tolerate, and often they are not relieved by conventional painkillers. In addition, sharp painful sensations spreading to the left, including under the chest, may be one of the clinical manifestations of mediastinal emphysema, which “starts” with chest pain and crepitus (a characteristic crunching sound inside the chest). Sharp pain requires relief and emergency medical care.

Severe pain under left breast

A severe painful symptom on the left in the upper quadrant, under the chest, is caused by irritation of the nerve endings in this area and is associated with pleurisy, acute dry pericarditis, acute left-sided pneumonia, and exacerbation of angina. Severe pain in the left breast often indicates intercostal neuralgia, which is a consequence of osteochondrosis.

In addition, severe pain under the left breast is often a symptom of PE – pulmonary embolism, which develops intensely, quickly and is characterized by retrosternal pain radiating forward. In terms of symptoms, the clinical picture of pulmonary embolism is very similar to myocardial infarction, however, thromboembolism is also accompanied by shortness of breath, hemoptysis, and loss of consciousness.

The most dangerous is severe pain under the left breast, which “starts” from the middle of the chest and spreads to the left side, under the chest, into the arm, and into the back. Most often, this is an acute myocardial infarction, which requires immediate relief and hospitalization.

Dull pain under left breast

Mild, dull pain under the left breast may be associated with osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine; also dull, spreading pain may indicate a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract – stomach, small intestine. Less commonly, aching, dull pain in the left side of the sternum (under the breast) manifests itself as pancreatitis, cholecystitis in an atypical form. In addition, the feeling of dull pain is inherent in prolonged cardialgia of the vegetative type (cardialgia of the vegetative crisis). This disease is manifested by palpitations, tremors of the limbs, shortness of breath, high blood pressure and is not relieved by validol or other cardiac drugs. Dull pain under the left breast with vegetative cardialgia is relieved with sedatives. The same symptoms are characteristic of false angina, in which aching sensations appear in the middle of the chest, dull pain under the left breast. These signs are aggravated by physical activity, emotional stress, and fatigue.

The most dangerous factor that can cause dull painful sensations in the area under the breasts is oncological processes of the mammary glands. As a rule, cancer in the first stage does not manifest itself clinically; the second and subsequent stages are accompanied by increasing, dull, aching painful sensations. Therefore, all women who notice the slightest signs of pain in the chest, under the breasts, should consult a doctor as soon as possible, undergo proper diagnosis and begin treatment.

Stitching pain under left breast

A stabbing sensation in the left upper part of the body is most often not associated with cardiac pathologies and is most likely caused by muscle inflammation, neuralgia, and less commonly, angina pectoris. However, not all patients can objectively describe the nature of pain symptoms, so often stabbing pain under the left breast can be a sign of perforation of the stomach wall or damage to internal organs associated with injury, accident (stabbing sensations intensify when inhaling, bending forward). In addition, if such symptoms appear, exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spinal column, radicular syndrome, lobar pneumonia, tuberculosis, or abscess of the left lung should be excluded. It is believed that stabbing, transient pain on the left or right, under the breast, is most often associated with a reflex syndrome with intercostal neuralgia. Pain sensations are caused by irritation and pressure on the intercostal nerve roots by deformed vertebrae.

Stitching pain in the left chest area, including under the breast, may be signs of the following diseases:

• Vegeto-vascular dystonia.
• Intercostal neuralgia.
• Panic, hysterical states, accompanied by pseudocardialgia.
• Thoracoalgia – pain associated with osteochondrosis.
• Dry left-sided pleurisy.
• Acute form of left-sided pneumonia.
• Less commonly, diaphragmatic hernia.

Burning pain under left breast

Burning pain under the left breast is a typical sign of a developing myocardial infarction, which begins with a severe pain symptom in the chest, spreading to the back, into the shoulder blade, into the left arm, into the neck, under the left breast. In addition to burning pain, a heart attack is characterized by profuse, increased sweating, nausea, difficulty breathing, and a state close to fainting. Such signs require calling an ambulance and resuscitation measures.

In addition, burning pain under the left breast often indicates an advanced cancer process in the lungs (in the left lung). The pain in this disease is felt as constant, pressing, burning, dull, and may spread to the relatively healthy side – the right.

Diagnosis of pain under the left breast

Diagnostic measures that are suggested for nonspecific pain symptoms are always complex. Diagnosis of pain under the left breast includes the following actions by the doctor:

• Collection of anamnesis, including hereditary history.
• Examination – palpation of the sternum, measurement of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, checking reflexes.
• X-ray of the chest (skeletal system, organs).
• ECG (electrocardiogram), ultrasound of the heart.
• Scintiography.
• Pulmonary angiography.
• Tomogram – CT, MRI.
• Laboratory tests of blood, urine, and possibly exudate.

Diagnosis of pain under the left breast is impossible without the presence of a doctor; patients often try to independently differentiate the symptoms and relieve the pain symptom, this can lead to quite serious consequences, even death. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis after all the necessary examinations is the prerogative of a therapist, cardiologist, neurologist or gastroenterologist.

Treatment of pain under the left breast

Treatment of pain under the left breast depends on the diagnosis, that is, the identified disease. If a pain symptom manifests itself as acute and life-threatening, it is stopped, and then diagnostic measures and basic therapy begin.

Treatment of acute pain under the left breast also involves the following actions:

• Exclusion of life-threatening pathology – splenic rupture, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm.
• All patients over 40 years of age with complaints of severe left-sided pain are subject to hospitalization to reduce the risk of acute conditions.
• Strong anesthetic analgesics (precursors, narcotic drugs) are contraindicated in cases of suspected gastrointestinal pathologies, since relief of an acute symptom can distort the overall clinical picture.
• Strong analgesics are allowed in cases of suspected cardiac pathology, pulmonary disease, or injury.

First aid, treatment of pain under the left breast for suspected cardiac pathology consists of the following steps:

• It is necessary to take a cardiac drug – validol, nitroglycerin (sublingual).
• Take a horizontal position, ensure peace and quiet.
• Observe the nature of the pain, if it does not subside, immediately call an ambulance.

Treatment for pain under the left breast associated with gastrointestinal diseases is to stop eating, then call a doctor and undergo a full gastroenterological examination. Severe, girdling, dagger-like pain on the left side requires emergency medical attention; self-medication can aggravate the course of the disease and provoke serious complications.

If the pain under the left breast is associated with neuralgia, rest and consultation with a doctor who will prescribe adequate symptomatic therapy are also indicated.

How to prevent pain under your left breast

Prevention of pain under the left breast involves standard clinical examinations that should be carried out at least once a year. It is known that it is easier to prevent illness and pain symptoms than to treat them later; this fully applies to preventive measures for painful sensations, wherever they develop.

Prevention of pain under the left breast is carried out in accordance with preventive measures regarding the identified disease.

If this is cardiopathy, you must regularly perform the following actions:

Prevention of pain under the left breast does not involve specific recommendations, since the symptom is nonspecific and is often a sign of serious, life-threatening conditions. That is why preventive measures are more likely to call a doctor in a timely manner, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.