Because chest pain has always been associated with the heart, when a child complains of chest pain, parents are seriously worried. However, there is nothing to worry about. Many children and teenagers are seen to encounter chest pain now-a-days, and this has nothing to do with any problem related to the heart. In fact, almost 90% of paediatric chest pain cases have nothing to do with the heart.
Children can have different forms of chest pain, like –
Chest wall pain – This includes sharp and stabbing pain, which is actually a pressure sensation that arises in the left or right chest or breastbone. This is often associated with breathing difficulty. But, this is not related to any problem of the heart, it is in fact pain in the bones, ribs, cartilage joints, diaphragm, and pectoral muscles.
Chest wall injury – In times of sports and play, when children get an injury in the chest, they encounter pain either instantly or after a few days. This is because children will very rarely break their ribs or damage their heart as they are mainly cartilage.
Chest wall deformity – If there is a deformity in the chest area, it can result in pain. Such condition does not cause any damage to the heart or lungs; but causes only pain.
Pain from overexertion – When children are over exerted from playing, exercising, or any other physical activity, it results in trouble breathing and aching sensation in the chest.
While none of the above mentioned cases can be a serious issue of the heart, children must definitely be taken to a paediatric doctor in Kota in such conditions. He will be able to better guide you as to how to alleviate the pain.
However, there could be certain rare but serious diseases that may result in chest pain, so you must always be alert and on the lookout for such conditions.
Coronary artery disease – Children born with congenital abnormalities of the coronary arteries may have heart pain that damages the coronary arteries.
Sickle cell disease – This ailment can cause severe episodes of pain, wherein a medical emergency is required.
Aortic dissection – Rare conditions like Marfan syndrome, Turner syndrome, and aortic dissection result in an enlarged aorta, which causes the tissue to tear, making it extremely painful in the chest and back.
Supraventricular tachycardia – Rapid racing heart rates that are abnormal, with rates above 200 bpm, can cause mild pain and discomfort in the chest.
Pulmonary embolus – Children with clothing disorders or teenage girls on birth control pills can experience this rare but serious disease, which is accompanied by dehydration or any other illness.
Pulmonary hypertension – An abnormal elevation of blood pressure on the right side of the heart and lungs can have episodes of fainting, breathing difficuly, and chest pain.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – This is a hereditary disease of the heart muscle that results in obstruction of blood flow from the heart, which may cause faint and fatigue.
Pericarditis – This is a rare condition where an autoimmune disease can cause inflammation in the heart’s lining, producing a fluid that compresses the heart. This results in constant chest pain, which is increased by lying down, and may sometimes lead to fever and decreased appetite.
Pneumothorax – Collapsed lungs can bring lot of chest pain and breathing difficulty in children.
While the above conditions are very rare, affecting only 1-6% of children, they could be disastrous if your child is experiencing them. Thus, it is always advisable to get in touch with Maitri Hospital’s paediatric doctor in Kota to keep a check on any such condition in advance. After all, prevention is always better than cure.
