If you also have pain in the right side of your chest, you are not alone. Usually this does not happen when there is a heart attack, but it can still be a matter of concern. The chest contains not only the heart, but also many other organs. The pain in this can also be due to muscle strain, gas, anxiety, stress or an infection.
We spoke to Dr. Manoj Singh, Senior Consultant Chest and Critical Care, Apollo Hospital Ahmedabad, to understand the causes of right chest pain.
Question: Is pain in right side of chest a matter of concern?
Answer: Yes. If there is pain in any part of the chest, then it should not be ignored. This can be a signal coming from the heart, lungs or stomach.
Question: What are the causes of pain in right side of chest?
Answer: There are some important reasons for this.
1. Heart attack starts from the right side or back wall of the heart. In such a situation, there may be problems like pain in the right side of the chest, rapid heartbeat, nervousness, difficulty in breathing and low blood pressure.
2. Lung infection. When this happens, along with pain in the right side of the chest, there may be difficulty in breathing and fever.
3. Damage to the lining of the lungs in an accident. Chest pain can be a sign of damage to the lining of the pleura. The pleura protects the lungs by covering them on both sides.
4. Pain in the right side of the chest can also occur due to stones in the gall bladder.
5. Severe acidity can also cause chest pain. It mostly happens after eating or on fasting.
6. Fluid collection in the pleura. It is also called pleural fusion. This may require immediate hospitalization.
Question: When should I go to the doctor?
Answer: Patients who have sudden right side chest pain, which persists for a few hours and is not cured by home remedies, they should go to the hospital for a checkup. Apart from this, if you have trouble breathing, cough, abnormal blood pressure, vomiting and nausea, contact the doctor immediately.
