Waking Up with Chest Pain — How is it Related to Your Heart?
Waking up with chest pain can be quite alarming. Many times it is due to minor issues like indigestion. However, it can also signify severe health conditions that require immediate medical attention. For instance, did you know morning chest pain can indicate heart-related problems? Below, we have discussed what chest pain can mean for cardiovascular health.
Reasons Why You Are Waking Up with Chest Pain
You should immediately contact your doctor when you feel heart pain, especially if it lasts more than a few minutes. Some causes for your chest pain after you wake up might be:
- Heart Attack
The artery supplying oxygen to your heart muscles can get blocked, usually due to a blood clot, resulting in a heart attack. If you have a burning sensation and tightness in your chest, waste no time in contacting a doctor. You might also experience nausea and shortness of breath. People with high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes and those who use drugs illegally are at risk for heart attack. It is a severe condition that can lead to heart failure or death.
- Angina
You might be waking up with chest pain if your heart receives an insufficient amount of oxygen-rich blood. This type of chest pain is named angina, which indicates that you have a high chance of getting a heart attack, stroke, or coronary artery disease. It can cause tightness or heaviness in the chest and sometimes even the neck, jaw, arms, and shoulders.
On the other hand, a burning feeling right behind your breast bone indicates heartburn. Usually, it occurs at night after you have eaten, getting worse when you lie down. Heartburn signifies GERD and acid reflux. The burning sensation occurs because of the corrosive stomach acids that go back toward your throat. Heartburn can cause chest pain that comes and goes. Although heartburn doesn’t have anything to do with your heart, many people confuse it with angina due to chest pain.
- Myocarditis
If you have chest pain while sleeping on the left side, it can indicate myocarditis. It is a heart condition that results from inflammation of the heart muscle. If you have myocarditis, you might also notice an abnormal heartbeat. Fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling of ankles, legs, and feet also occur with myocarditis. Factors like viruses, bacteria, and medications are possible reasons behind the inflammation of your heart muscle.
Is There Any Other Reason I Wake Up with Chest Pain?
Heart problems are not always why you are waking up with chest pain in the middle of the night. There are also other reasons for the pain in the middle of your chest, like:
- Inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Gallstones and inflammation of the gall bladder
- Swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
- A blood clot in an artery in the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
- High blood pressure in the arteries that supply blood to the lungs (pulmonary hypertension)
- Collapsed Lung
- Lung Cancer
- Panic Attack
- Injury
What’s The Takeaway?
Waking up with chest pain can be an indication of many health problems. If you have persistent pain in the chest, we suggest you visit a reputable doctor for a check-up.
This is an article brought to you by Octagos Health. We provide event monitoring services for our patients and healthcare providers. You can contact us at (281) 769-8733 for any queries.