Chest Pain While Running

Many people experience chest pain while running. While some of the causes for this pain can be insignificant and harnessless, some causes can be indications of serious underlying maladies. On several occasions, a runner may also feel chest discomfort and difficulty in breathing along with the chest pain. Chest pain while running can arise from acid reflux, lung diseases, anxiety, stress, anemia etc. While nominal chest pain while running can be harmless and goes off by resting adequately, some sharp and distinct pains and chest discomfort can be signs of life threatening diseases like angina, etc. If you too have a history of chest pain, and experience sharp chest pain often while running, then consult a physician as soon as possible. In most cases, early treatment can help alleviate your condition. Read the following sections to learn more about the different causes of chest pain that can arise while running or doing other strenuous household tasks. 

Causes Of Chest Pain While Running

Angina
Angina is a serious heart disease where the myocardium or the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygenated blood. While running, the heart muscle gets limited blood supply and this in turn can cause a sharp pain in the chest. Angina can be a warning sign of heart diseases including an enlarged heart and uncontrolled high blood pressure. If you are experience pain while running or doing exercises, it could be due to angina. Consult your physician immediately and start treatment as soon as possible to avoid any life threatening situations.

Heart Attack
A sharp radiating pain in the chest just after running can be due to a heart attack. Such pains can be identified by the nature of the pain. If the pain originates in the left portion of the chest and then radiates backwards or towards the neck along with dizziness, sweating, it can be a sign of a heart attack. Consult a physician immediately if you experience such pain.

Precordial Catch Syndrome
‘Precordial catch syndrome’ is a condition that involves chest pains that worsen while breathing. Strenuous activities like running and heavy workouts can aggravate the situation. Chest pain due to precordial catch syndrome can last between thirty seconds and three minutes. Patients suffering from this syndrome experience sharp chest pain and shallow breathing.

The Weather
Many people also suffer from chest pain while running particularly during winter or spring. This happens because the cold air inhaled during breathing irritates the lungs. Many people, especially those who are allergic to cold may experience this type of chest pain. However, the condition is not life threatening and subsides when the temperature rises.

Aortic Dysfunction
The aorta is one of the major arteries that carries blood from the heart to the branch arteries. Any dysfunction in the aorta can lead to chest pain. There can be several reasons for aortic dysfunction including smoking, high blood pressure, old age, pregnancy, congenital disorders, etc.

• Watch the weather before going out to exercise. If the weather is not favorable, use the indoor gym to workout.
• Chest pain can also be due to a strained muscle. Always start with a brief warm up exercise to relax your muscles and avoid muscle strain.