Doctor explains what those random chest pains really are

Most of us have experienced chest pain at one point or another, and our sensitivity to the common ailment was heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, one doctor has taken to TikTok to reveal what's really going on when you experience seemingly random chest pain.

The revelation was made by the medic, who goes under the handle @lifeofadoctor, last month and was captioned: "One cause of chest pain to ease your mind."

The video began with a woman clutching her chest and the caption: "When you get that random chest pain every 6 months since you were a child where you feel a stabbing pain in your heart and have to breathe tiny breaths until it goes away."

The doctor began by explaining that this pain isn't caused by the heart.

"If you've ever had random chest pain, listen closely," he explained. "Not all chest pain comes from the heart. In fact, one of the most common causes of chest pain is something known as pre-cordial catch syndrome.

"This is usually described as sudden onset sharp chest pain that's located in this area. Now this pain lasts for a few seconds, two minutes and it's worse with deep breathing.

"And this is believed to be due to a pinched nerve that runs across a chest wall and is not life threatening."

The doctor's revelation did not go unnoticed on TikTok, and at the time of writing, it's been liked by a whopping 1.2 million people and counting.

One viewer joked: "The amount of time I thought I was getting a heart attack and thinking I am wayyy to young to go out this way lmao [sic]."

"I thought I was dying for YEARS," added a second, while a third wrote: "I honestly thought I was dying. Thanks bro."

"I literally went for x rays for this as a kid and they were really bad but they said it was fine, so I guess it was this," revealed a third.

A fifth advised: "I have this... and if you can force yourself to take one large deep breath it disappears instantly."

Meanwhile, a sixth remarked: "I'll probably die from a heart attack because I think it's a pinched nerve again."

On that note, if you're experiencing chest pain, while it might be innocuous, don't always put it down to a pinched nerve.

Further advice on the possible causes is available from the NHS.

Featured Image Credit: TikTok/lifeofadoctor/Khosrow Rajab Kordi/Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Health

Emma Guinness

@guinness_emma