Does the heart cause pain in the left arm?

summary

Pain in the left arm can be caused by many conditions, from muscle pain to a severe heart attack. Skin abnormalities, soft tissue, nerves, bones, joints and arms can all cause painful blood vessels. Many factors need to be considered to determine if your left arm pain is related to the heart.

Does the heart cause pain in the left arm?

Assess the quality of your pain. Pain associated with a heart attack usually feels like pressure or squeezing. It can be mild pain, or no pain at all (in the so-called silent heart attack), or it can be a total pain that people rank 10 out of 10 in intensity. Pain usually occurs in the chest and may radiate down from the left arm, jaw or back.

A series of diagnostic tests were performed. If you suspect that you may have a heart disease, your doctor will perform a number of tests to confirm the diagnosis. You will receive an electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess your heart rhythm; Abnormal conditions can occur during a heart attack. You will also have a blood test, mainly to check for elevated myocardial enzymes in the blood stream, which indicates that the heart is under pressure.

Pay attention to the duration. If your left arm pain lasts very short (seconds), it is unlikely to be caused by the heart. Similarly, if the pain lasts for a long time (days or even weeks), it is unlikely to be related to the heart. But if it lasts in the range of minutes to hours, it could be a heart attack. If your pain relapses in a short period of time, write down the duration and intensity of the pain on a piece of paper for your doctor. It may also be related to the heart and requires immediate medical attention.

matters needing attention

Consider that your left arm pain may be related to angina. Angina pectoris is a kind of pain, which occurs when the heart lacks blood flow. Angina pectoris is usually a feeling of squeezing or pressure; You may feel pain in your shoulders, chest, arms, back or neck. It may also feel like indigestion.