Is Heart strain symptoms after exercise serious? All people , including people who are in excellent shape, can experience pain in their chest during exercise.
The Main causes of heart strain symptoms after exercise range from benign to potentially life-threatening.
All people who exercise regularly should recognize the symptoms that can accompany chest pain when the underlying issue is serious.
In the article you will find everything related to Heart strain symptoms after exercise keep reading.
what you will read next :
What are the causes of Heart strain symptoms after exercise?
Some serious conditions, like heart attacks, and less serious issues, like muscle strains and asthma, can lead to chest pain or we can say heart strain during or after exercise. Heart strain symptoms after exercise may be caused by heart attack, angina , asthma, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), or gastrointestinal issues.
- Heart attack:
People can experience chest pain or heart strain during exercise or even after it which can be a symptom of heart attack.
The medical term for a heart attack is myocardial infraction.
Heart attack happens when the coronary arteries become blocked. This blockage leads to lose of oxygen in the heart . If a person does not get immediate treatment, the heart muscle dies. Heart attack can cause pain in the upper part of body mostly in back, chest, jaw and in other parts .
The pain can go away and return, or it can last for more than few minutes.
Few more symptoms of a heart attack include following:
- pain in the chest or rightness in the chest
- sweating
- nausea
- Feeling dizziness
- Having anxiety
- shortness of breath
Heart attack symptoms can be different for all people. Both men and women are likely to report chest pain as a symptom but women are more likely to experience these :
- back pain
- nausea
- vomiting
- jaw pain
- shortness of breath
If anyone experiences any symptoms of a heart attack, they should seek emergency medical attention.
- Angina pectoris:
Angina pectoris also called angina, is a pain that stems from heart. The main reason of angina is lack of blood flow to the area. When angina occurs, a person might feel tightness, pain, or even pressure in their chest.
Some additional symptoms of angina include following:
- tightness in the arms or jaw or chest
- shortness of breath
- fatigue
- nausea
Mostly Exercise and stress can cause angina, and people often mistake it with heart attack. A person must seek immediate medical attention if they experience any kind of symptoms of a heart attack. Women can also experience sharper pain, while men on the other side are more likely to experience feelings of pressure associated with angina.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM):
HCM is a very common condition that can affect nearly anyone so no specifics there .HCM occurs when the cells of the heart muscle enlarge that is Myocytes , leading to the thickening of the walls of the ventricles. HCM can also be caused if the wall dividing the left and right sides of the heart grows to the level that it puts pressure on the ventricles. In both cases, , the heart has to work harder to pump blood, and a person may experience following:
- dizziness
- shortness of breath
- chest pain
- fainting
In some people, HCM presents with no symptoms at all. In very rare cases, a person may experience sudden cardiac arrest during physical activities or during exercise leading to heart strain.
- Asthma:
People who have asthma can experience heart strain after exercise. Asthma can lead to coughing and chest tightness. Asthma is a very common condition which affects the airways in the lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways which tighten in response to triggers, including exercise leading to heart strain.
The medical term used to describe this is exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. A person with a family history of asthma is most or we can say more likely to develop it , so people who have family history if asthma need to take precautions before doing exercise. People with asthma can experience following:
- wheezing
- Severe coughing
- Heart strain
- chest tightness
- shortness of breath
- Muscle strain:
Common cause of muscle strain is overuse of muscles. Mostly people who regularly exercise the chest muscles are more likely to experience heart strain or even a tear.
risk of developing chest muscle strains varies from age group:
Older adults are more likely to develop this type of strain . Children are least likely to develop any kind of strain on the other side adults are most likely to develop this strain from exercise and sports.
- Gastrointestinal problems:
People who do intense workouts and athletes are at increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) issues that cause chest pains Or we can say heart strain. This can be related to the way these people eat , what they eat, and how they exercise.
For instance, athletes Or people who do intense workouts often put themselves through periods of fasting and feasting, which can lead to upset stomach .
What’s more interesting to see is , gastroesophageal reflux disease or heartburn is common among athletes and people who do workouts quite often and is easy to be mistaken for heart strains or pains.
That’s because when a person is training, food moves more slowly from the stomach into the intestines.
Also, in response to workout and training, the small muscular band which is present around the bottom of the esophagus can relax, allowing food and acid in your stomach to rise into the esophagus and create a burning sensation.
Also, tensing the abdominal muscles during exercise increases the pressure in the stomach as well, thereby forcing the stomach contents up into the esophagus. Medications one takes for pain like ibuprofen, naproxen, can irritate the lining of the stomach, which can contribute to upset GI and chest pains or we can say heart strain.
- Lung problems:
When chest pain or heart strain strikes during or immediately after exercise, one of the common causes is spasm of the lungs’ small airways called exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), it can lead to sharp chest pains and can make breathing difficult.
This can even be worse at specific times of the year or when working out in certain environments. One may need to visit a pulmonologist for adequate testing to determine if EIB is the cause of chest pain or not.
Rarely more serious lung issues can cause chest pain or heart strain including pneumothorax, that is when air leaks into the space between the lungs and the chest wall, and pulmonary embolism, blood clots in one or more of the lungs’ arteries, which can happen after orthopedic surgery or after prolonged periods of rest .
In athletes who train or who travel outside, exposure to certain elements can increase the risk of viral and bacterial lung infections, which can result in either pneumonia or in pleurisy, inflammation of the tissues that line the lungs and chest cavity. The inflammation feels like a very sharp pain which is most severe while breathing in.
When to see a doctor for Heart strain symptoms after exercise?
- Speak to a doctor if any new, unidentified, or worsening chest pain takes place or any heart strain symptom is experienced. Doctor can help in determining the underlying cause and recommend a treatment plan, which can include lifestyle changes or medications or further tests.
- Seek emergency medical treatment for any symptoms of a heart attack no matter if even it’s a minor symptom. Chest pain is the most common symptom, and certain other symptoms, like nausea, are more common in females than in males.
- Person with workout or training induced asthma should seek specific treatment. Doctor can prescribe medication and suggest other ways to reduce the asthma symptoms. This may enable a person to continue the exercising or even participating in sports.
How to prevent heart strain symptoms after workout?
Not all heart strain symptoms are preventable. However, there are some general tips for preventing some causes of heart strains or pain, such as heart attacks, strains, and asthma. A person may be able to prevent heart strain symptoms by:
- Eating a balanced diet or a healthy diet.
- Exercising regularly.
- Avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol
- Managing high blood pressure with medications for sure.
- Avoiding activities that can increase the risk of physical injury.
- Controlling asthma with medications as prescribed by doctor.
Outlook
Several conditions, from muscle strains to heart attacks, can cause chest pain or heart strain during or after exercise. Anyone who experiences this pain doesn’t matter which age or gender should consult a healthcare provider about the best course of treatment. Some causes of chest pain can be serious some can be minor but we should always consider red flags. Many people can prevent these symptoms by making lifestyle changes and by following a doctor’s treatment plan for specific symptoms.