Constipation is a Possible Cause Of Chest Pain

Can constipation cause chest pain

Constipation is described as crooked bowel movements which cause discomfort in passing stool. Stool becomes hard, bumpy, congealed, and arduous to pass, due to which a feeling of pain, cramps, stomachache, or nausea may develop.

In constipation, a person cannot pass stool easily, and it becomes arduous for the suffering one. A person can hardly pass stool, or doesn’t pass it all, or may pass it but with pain, agony, or discomfort. The stool becomes parched or withered, resulting in stiff and lumpy stools.

Constipation is an infrequent bowel movement where the patient has fewer than three bowel movements per week.

Constipation could result in several consequences if not treated for a long time.

Before heading towards the causes and consequences of constipation, we must know about the links between constipation and various pains, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, hemorrhoids, etc. Readout our article to keep complete information about how constipation is a probable cause of chest pain and its different relations.

Constipation leads to gas:

Whenever you are suffering from constipation, you might experience tautness or rigidity in the chest, with a feeling of pain and spasm. You might also experience that this pain is diverging towards the abdomen, causing flatulence in that region. This is probably due to the pressure that develops inside the thoracic cavity that we usually call as Gas.

Now a question arises, is gas causing chest pain? So the answer is quite apparent because constipation causes a blockage in the passage of the stool in the form of lumpy stools in the colon, which develops and generates pressure throughout the chest. This pressure causes chest pain and emerges as an unpleasant sound with a stinky and irksome odor called Gas.

Gas pain can also result when someone eats something acidic or swallows air while eating, drinking, or talking. Foods like beans, lenticels, chickpeas, some cruciferous vegetables like ladyfinger or brinjal, lentils, etc., could also cause stomach sickness and gas pain.

How does a gas pain cause chest pain?

Gas pain is felt like an excruciating, whetted, stabbing pain, usually in the lower abdomen. Constipation causes excessive bloating and a nauseous state, giving a sense of acute gastric discomfort.

It causes trapped gas in your stomach, which causes sharp pain, but you can also feel that in your chest. The pain is usually felt on the left side of the chest, which may somehow resemble the pain during angina pectoris; it may also confuse you whether it is chest pain due to constipation or chest pain due to the heart.

It will be pretty ticklish to decrypt where the pain is radiating from. Therefore, it will be better to seek medical assistance immediately, as it could be risky.

As constipation causes bloating and nausea, it could also lead to shortness of breath.

Bloating and shortness of breath due to constipation:

Bloating is when your stomach feels full and taut, often due to gastric pain. This causes severe abdominal pain, which may cause hassles and trouble breathing. A person cannot breathe deeply and may experience shortness of breath.

Due to rigidity in stomach walls, the diaphragm is pressed against the thoracic wall, and its movement is restricted. A person cannot inspire deeply, and consequently, breathing is disturbed, leading to shortness of breath.

Hence, bloating is not directly but concomitantly related to breathing comfort.

Is it my heart or constipation?

Most of the time, it gets difficult to decide whether the chest pain is due to heart abnormality or constipation. Seeking medical advice immediately is the best solution, but you can still differentiate it independently.

If the chest pain is due to a heart attack, or angina pectoris, you might suffer the following discomforts:

1. Pain radiates towards the upper left side of the body.
2. Pain radiates from the arms to the fingers, neck, and back and may cause severe jaw pains.
3. A person might be unable to speak.
4. A person may become unconscious.
5. Pain will be acute and regular.
6. Pain might last for 15 minutes or maybe less or more, depending upon the state of the heart.
7. You might suffer from nausea or vomiting.
8. Pain usually starts with shortness of breath, making it vulnerable to breathe.
9. Recurrent sweating may occur.
10. Feeling of tautness or rigidity in the chest.

If the chest pain is due to constipation, you can easily differentiate it as follows:

1. Gas pain will occur before that.
2. Tautness in the chest.
3. Irregular pain.
4. Any specific movements may trigger it.
5. Pain becomes sharp and acute before it disappears.
6. Frustrating and uncomfortable occurrence.
7. Abdominal cramps will accompany chest pains.
8. Bloating will be observed.
9. It Might result in shortness of breath due to bloating indirectly.
10. You might feel pain in the anal regions while sitting or lying down.

Causes of constipation:

Constipation occurs due to a low intake of dietary fibers or water uptake. Chronic constipation may be caused due to following scenarios:

1. Bowel incontinence, where there is frequent leakage of liquid stools.
2. Abdominal cancers that press the colon.
3. Rectal cancer.
4. Bowel stricture, where the colon gets narrow.
5. Bowel obstruction, where the intestine gets blocked.
6. Rectocele, where rectal bulge occurs through the vaginal wall.
7. Colon cancer

Consequences of constipation on the body:

Mild constipation is normal, but chronic constipation can cause significant harm if not treated immediately. It can also strain the person excessively to have a bowel movement.  It can lead to the following conditions:

1. Fecal impaction, where stool cannot be expelled through the anus.
2. Anal fissures, where the skin around the anus gets torn.
3. Piles or hemorrhoids, where veins around the anal region get swollen.
4. Rectal prolapse, where the intestine protrudes through the anus.
5. Obesity

Can you get rid of constipation?

Constipation is such an annoying occurrence, but fortunately, we have brought you the best measures and remedies to get rid of it.

Tips:

FREQUENT UPTAKE OF WATER

Drink as much water as you can. It helps to soften your stool to be passed out quickly.

INTAKE OF DIET WITH ROUGHAGE, FIBERS

Roughage is an integral part of the diet. If it is missing, try to take as many fibers as possible. Eat starch and cellulose, as these things will support roughage fibers.

USE OF DIETARY FIBER SUPPLEMENTS

Take dietary fiber supplements when natural ones do not work out in severe chronic constipation.

USE OF ANTI-HEMORRHOIDAL TABLETS OR SYRUPS:

Use anti-hemorrhoidal medicines. They help to pass bowel more frequently and soften your stool.

AVOID STRESS OR ANXIETY, STAY TENSION FREE

Constipation could also be a result of stress. Avoid stress and stay tension free, with a pleasant environment and surroundings.

DO NOT IGNORE THE URGE TO PASS STOOL

Ignoring the urge to pass stool can also cause constipation. Never do that.

EAT PLENTY OF VEGETABLES

Leafy green vegetables contain plenty of fibers, the best cure for constipation.

AVOID LOW FIBER DIETS

Avoid low fiber diets. Use lentils, vegetables, starches, carbohydrates, and fibers as much as possible. Try to take a completely balanced diet.

BOTTOM LINE:

The symptoms of constipation are not very common, but it can be a severe condition. You may notice that your stools have become less frequent, or they’re hard to pass instead of coming out with ease; there’s also an increased risk for painful conditions like hemorrhoids due to the pressure put on them while standing up over time.

Therefore, it is essential to know about most minor details of constipation, its relation to the chest pain, its causes, consequences, and prevention.

PEOPLE ALSO ASK FOR:

1. Can constipation cause headaches?

Yes, it can cause headaches indirectly due to the stress of being constipated for a long time. The anxiety of having bowel movements may also trigger headaches.

2. Why does the chest get heavy after eating?

Chest heaviness usually occurs after eating, when you have taken extra oily or spicy foods, or when you have done overeating. It could lead to bloating, can cause heartburn and flatulence, and other GIT disorders.

3. Can constipation cause high blood pressure?

Age factor is one of the causes of constipation. Therefore, blood pressure rise is indirectly linked with it. Straining stool can cause high blood pressure, with other risks of cardiovascular dysfunctions.

4. Does tramadol cause constipation?

Tramadol is a narcotic medicine and a painkiller. It can cause constipation in up to 45% of the patients, as it is used for opioid pain treatment, and constipation is a well-known side effect.

We hope that our article has fulfilled your demands and come up with the best materials and knowledge. We are looking forward to guiding you further.