DR SYLVESTER IKHISEMOJIE FROM PUNCH
Last week, we began to deal with the various factors that could cause chest pain and indicated that we would be continuing the exercise this week because of space constraints and other factors. Today, we will be looking at some of the features within the abdomen that can lead to an individual manifesting such a condition as chest pain. One of the most common problems that cause such chest pain to manifest is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux. This happens when the contents of the stomach move back into the throat after a meal has been taken. This often happens during sleep, and it will usually cause a sour taste in the mouth and a burning sensation in the chest or throat.
Many people know enough about this particular symptom to call it a heart burn. The factors that are often seen to trigger reactions like these are pregnancy, heavy cigarette smoking, obesity and the consumption of fatty and spicy foods. These two conditions of pain and heartburn resulting from acid reflux usually have a similar feeling because the heart and the oesophagus lie very close to each other and share a common nerve network. Furthermore, contraction disorders within the oesophagus and incidents of hypersensitivity when the pressure inside the gullet changes or it is exposed to acid can cause similar pain in the chest. The patients will have difficulty with swallowing, regurgitation and heart burn in addition to chest pain.
Besides, a sudden onset of chest pain following vomiting or a procedure carried out in the oesophagus indicates often that a perforation or rupture of the organ has occurred. Another common abdominal condition that often leads to having chest pain is pancreatitis. This is an inflammatory condition involving the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin and glucagon. We have discussed this organ in the past while talking on this page about diabetes. People who indulge in binge drinking and chronic intake of large volumes of alcohol are particularly prone to developing this condition and they will often manifest with a sharp, persistent pain in the lower aspect of the chest that worsens when they lie down flat but gets better when they lean forward.
At other times, the specific cause of this inflammation involving the pancreas may not be determined easily, but the pain is usually severe. However, the patients will often notice that they have a fever as well as a swollen and painful abdomen. The pain spreads to the back and it can range from mild to moderate to severe. Each attack like this can last for several days. Problems in the gallbladder can similarly cause chest pain. Such pain is usually felt in the right lower aspect of the chest or the right upper side of the abdomen. The pain is typically worse when someone has consumed a fat-rich food such as fried eggs or fried plantain and there may then be associated nausea or even vomiting.
