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why right side chest pain
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Cardiac & Vascular Health
Question #22330
30 days ago
54

why right side chest pain - #22330

Swara

I am experiencing this weird sensation on my right side, kinda like a dull ache, but sometimes it gets sharper, especially when I take a deep breath or move around. It started a few weeks ago and honestly, at first, I thought it was just muscle strain from my workout routine. I mean, I had a pretty busy week at the gym and I pushed myself hard. But then this right-side chest pain just wouldn’t go away! I don’t have any trouble breathing, no shortness of breath or anything like that, but it’s kind of like this nagging reminder that something might be wrong. When I mentioned it to a friend, they freaked out a bit and said chest pain is serious, which made me panic a little. I ended up going to see my doc and they did an EKG and some blood tests, but everything came back normal. The doc mentioned sometimes it's just muscle or even anxiety, which seems a bit confusing. But seriously, why right side chest pain? Could it be something like acid reflux, or would I know if it were something more serious? I am kinda of stuck in my head with this and it’s frustrating not knowing. Help!

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Doctors' responses

Right-side chest pain can indeed be perplexing and can stem from several causes, particularly since you have an active lifestyle and a recent history of intense workouts. One possibility is that it genuinely could be musculoskeletal. Following participation in demanding physical activities, such as those you’ve described, muscle strain, costochondritis, or intercostal muscle spasms can emerge and lead to the symptoms you’re experiencing. These sorts of pain might intensify with movement or deep breaths, as you noted. If your doctor cleared any serious cardiovascular issues with normal EKG and blood test results, this reduces the likelihood of heart-related conditions, more often associated with left-side symptoms anyway.

Another probable cause to consider is acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Right-side chest discomfort can sometimes manifest if acid from the stomach irritates the esophagus. This might not always come with obvious heartburn or indigestion symptoms, but could fluctuate with eating habits or body positioning.

Yet, anxiety and stress are known to create almost any type of pain in the body, including chest discomfort. This can manifest even without noticeable signs of anxiety in other ways.

In terms of action steps, monitoring your body’s response to different movements or foods might help. You can try stretching exercises focused on the chest area, adjust your workout routines to allow muscles to heal, or use history with NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) to see if it eases the discomfort. For possible reflux, observe if certain foods make symptoms worse and consider over-the-counter antacids to see if there’s a benefit. However, should you notice any new symptoms like dizziness, fainting, or a drastic increase in pain intensity, follow up with medical care immediately. With symptoms that persist over weeks, consider asking for a referral to a specialist—either gastrenterologist or a physiatrist—depending on further patterns in your symptoms.

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