Feeling of cold in the chest: causes

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Feeling of cold in the chest

The feeling of coldness in the chest is an unpleasant symptom that can intensify from time to time, thereby causing discomfort. Many people who experience such sensations often wonder how serious this manifestation can be and which doctor to contact to find out the cause of such discomfort.

In fact, the unpleasant feeling of cold in the chest area is not a single symptom. It affects many people and can be caused by a number of diseases.

Feeling of cold in the chest area: main causes

An unpleasant cold sensation in the sternum area can primarily be caused by nervous disorders or a depressive state. It is no secret that almost all diseases, like symptoms, are directly related to the nervous system.

With nervous disorders, symptoms characteristic of a variety of diseases are observed - general weakness of the whole body, a lump in the throat, a feeling of uncomfortable coldness in the sternum, throat, and possibly even in the limbs. A patient with this symptom can be treated by a variety of specialists, however, if the symptom is caused by a nervous disorder, treatment for other pathologies does not give a positive result.

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A fresh “menthol” chill may appear in the middle of the chest even if a person has been in stressful situations for a long time, is overtired, worried, or is in an anxious state. If it is cold outside, and after being in the cold, an unpleasant feeling of coldness appears in the chest area, this symptom may indicate the initial stage of a disease of the respiratory system (laryngitis, laryngotracheitis, etc.).

Coldness in the sternum can also occur in people suffering from chronic runny nose. After all, this is a very insidious disease, during which the nose is not always blocked, but mucus almost constantly flows down the walls of the larynx. When inhaling, this substance cools under the influence of cold air masses, which provokes an uncomfortable sensation not only in the sternum, but also in the larynx.

The patient can independently exclude a chronic runny nose from a number of possible causes of the presence of cold in the chest area. To do this, you just need to lie on your side and lie in your original position for a while. If the whole point is a hidden runny nose, namely mucus, then after a while the chill in the chest will move a little from the central part of the sternum to the side.

Other reasons

Rare causes of a feeling of coldness in the chest

A feeling of cold in the lower part of the chest can be one of the symptoms of a variety of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular quite serious pathologies of the pancreas. The thing is that if inflammatory processes begin to develop in the pancreas, it increases in size and pinches the gastric nerve.

It is also interesting that in some cases, a feeling of coldness in the sternum, namely in its lower part, is often practically the only symptom of inflammation of the pancreas, which may not in all cases be accompanied by pain.

Concomitant symptoms such as:

The menthol chill is complemented by a feeling of heartburn and a lump in the throat.
The coldness in the chest increases significantly immediately after a particularly heavy lunch or dinner.

Today, most people lead a sedentary lifestyle - they work and relax at the computer or TV. Lack of physical activity and weak back muscles are the main causes of osteochondrosis, one of the symptoms of which is a feeling of coldness in the chest. But this uncomfortable symptom is the least of the possible consequences that may appear against the background of osteochondrosis and possible other diseases of the spine. It is also worth noting that a feeling of menthol chill in the chest area of varying degrees of intensity in rare cases can be a sign of poor circulation in the body.

Chilliness

Atherosclerosis

Diabetes

Iron deficiency

14653 November 17

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Chilliness: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.

Definition

Chilliness is an unpleasant feeling of cold that causes significant discomfort in everyday life. Those who feel chilly avoid drafts and open windows, and constantly wrap themselves in warm clothes, despite the relatively high temperature outside and indoors. Most people do not attach importance to this, believing that they simply have increased sensitivity to cold.

However, a thorough examination can often reveal certain pathological processes in the body, the symptom of which is chilliness.

Elderly people, smokers, hypotensive patients, patients with diabetes mellitus, as well as patients with lipid (fat) metabolism disorders, high blood viscosity and chronic kidney disease often complain of chilliness.

Types of chilliness

Chilliness in cardiovascular diseases.
Chilliness due to endocrinopathies.
Chilliness due to neurological disorders.
Chilliness of another etiology.

Possible causes of chilliness
Most often, a feeling of chilliness appears when the functioning of the cardiovascular system is disrupted.

Various mechanisms of the pathological process are possible here, but they all lead to the same end result - the delivery of arterial blood, saturated with oxygen and nutrients, to peripheral tissues is disrupted. Among the diseases leading to chilliness, the group of diseases of the arteries of the lower extremities comes first. They are characterized by gradual pathological narrowing of the arteries and chronic ischemia (insufficient blood supply) of the tissues of the lower extremities.

Diseases, one of the symptoms of which is chilliness.

Atherosclerosis of the arteries
is the most common cause of the development of diseases of the arteries of the lower extremities and other vessels of the body. With atherosclerosis, the metabolic processes of proteins and fats in the body are disrupted, the vascular wall is damaged, the protein-cholesterol complex accumulates in its endothelial layer and atherosclerotic plaques are formed. Subsequently, the damaged vessel grows with connective tissue. The arteries become stiff (stiff). Conditions arise for disruption of local blood flow and the appearance of a feeling of chilliness.
Diseases caused by degenerative lesions of the arterial bed
often cause the appearance of vascular aneurysms. Vascular aneurysms are areas of abnormal expansion of veins and arteries. They develop as a result of weakening of the walls of blood vessels and represent their bulging, in the cavity of which a blood clot forms.

Systemic vasculitis
is the cause of multiple autoimmune vascular lesions throughout the body. One of the systemic vasculitis is thromboangiitis obliterans, or Buerger's disease, characterized by acute inflammation and thrombosis of arteries and veins. Often found in male smokers.
Diabetes
– an endocrine disease in which the balance of glucose delivery and its use in the body is disrupted.
With high levels of glucose in the blood, damage to the vascular wall occurs and the functioning of intracellular systems is disrupted.

All of these pathologies lead to chronic arterial insufficiency.
A blockage of the main artery occurs, and the entire volume of blood is redistributed to other vessels, which cannot always cope with the load. When the pressure in the vessels decreases due to the narrowing of their lumen, the process of blood microcirculation in the tissues changes. This leads to local disruption of metabolism and heat transfer. Chronic heart failure

- a common cause of feeling chilly, especially in old age.

In chronic heart failure, the pumping function of the heart is impaired and cardiac output decreases.

As a result, the movement of arterial blood through the vascular bed and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues are reduced.

Hypothyroidism

. With hypothyroidism, there is a slowdown in basal metabolism, fluid retention, and an increase in the volume of adipose tissue, which leads to insufficiency of peripheral blood flow, disruption of thermoregulation and tissue nutrition. These processes explain the constant feeling of chilliness.

People suffering from hypothyroidism often have a low body temperature due to a slow metabolism.
The menopausal period
may be accompanied by a feeling of chilliness, alternating with hot flashes against the background of a decrease in estrogen levels.

Anemia

. Iron plays an important role in providing tissues with oxygen. With iron deficiency, disruptions in thermoregulation occur, resulting in a person feeling cold all the time.

Chilliness can be a symptom of a neurological disease or a consequence of traumatic brain injury or some mental disorders.
Which doctors should you contact if you feel chilly?
If you regularly feel chilly, you should seek advice from. After the examination, the doctor will prescribe the necessary set of laboratory and instrumental examinations. A consultation with a rheumatologist may also be required.

Diagnosis and examinations for chilliness

To make a diagnosis of a disease that causes a feeling of chilliness, the following tests may be required:

hormonal blood test: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, testosterone, estradiol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH);

Which doctor should I contact if I have a feeling of coldness in my chest?

A doctor who will provide assistance and prescribe treatment

Since a feeling of coldness in the chest is most often observed against the background of nervous disorders and diseases of the spine, at the first manifestation of discomfort, you should consult a neurologist. This specialist will confirm (or refute) suspicions of problems with the spine or the presence of possible neurological diseases.

Often patients who feel a chill in the chest area suffer from “unconscious depression.” This term is increasingly used today by psychotherapists if a person is not aware of his bad mood or depressed state. In this case, you should seek advice from a good psychotherapist.

If the patient suspects that discomfort in the chest area is the cause of possible diseases of the respiratory system, it is worth consulting with an ENT specialist or pulmonologist. It is also worth considering that if menthol cold in the chest area appears (or intensifies) after a walk in the cold, it is necessary to undergo a fluorographic examination. In addition, if an unpleasant chill is felt in the heart area, it makes sense to consult a cardiologist.

A gastroenterologist is a specialist who is consulted if discomfort in the chest is most likely associated with problems of the gastrointestinal tract. Indeed, sometimes inflammation of the pancreas, not only in its initial stages, can only manifest itself as coldness in the throat and chest, without any additional pronounced symptoms.

Pathologies of the pancreas can be diagnosed by performing an ultrasound examination. In this case, to treat this type of symptom, an integrated approach is used - drug therapy along with diet. The duration of treatment directly depends on the severity of the pathology.

However, it is worth considering that in some cases, in order to obtain a complete clinical picture of the patient’s health condition, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination by several specialists at once.

Signs of cardiovascular diseases

There are a number of clinical manifestations that suggest pathology associated with the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Pain and discomfort in the chest

Pain is the most common symptom indicating a disorder in the normal functioning of the heart. The nature of chest pain varies: from mild squeezing (numbness, burning) to severe acute squeezing.

Angina is characterized by compressive pain in the heart radiating to the arm, neck, and shoulder blade with a gradually increasing amplitude. The attack is provoked by physical activity, emotional stress, and resolves after taking nitrosorbide.

Severe intense chest pain that does not go away after taking nitroglycerin, accompanied by sweating, palpitations and fear of death, may indicate the development of acute myocardial infarction. One of the causes of a heart attack is damage to the coronary arteries by atherosclerosis. The pain of a heart attack can be so sharp that a person may lose consciousness with the development of painful shock: blood pressure drops, pale skin appears, and cold sweat appears.

Excruciating pain in the chest, radiating to the back of the head, back, and sometimes to the groin area, is a symptom indicating an aortic dissection or aneurysm.

A dull aching pain in the heart area without a tendency to radiate, against a background of elevated temperature, of varying intensity: sometimes intensifies, sometimes weakens - indicates inflammation of the heart sac - pericarditis. The pain intensifies with movement, coughing, or pressing on the chest.

Signs of pulmonary embolism depend on the location and size of the clot. A person experiences chest pain that radiates to the jaw, shoulder, neck, and arm. Weakness, tachycardia, cough, shortness of breath occur. Hemoptysis may occur.

A short stabbing or dull pain in the heart area, occurring regardless of physical activity, without disturbance of breathing or heartbeat, is typical for patients suffering from cardiac neurosis. In the clinical picture of neurosis, in addition to cardiovascular disorders, signs appear that indicate a functional disorder of the nervous system: weakness, increased fatigue, absent-mindedness, poor sleep, tremors of the extremities.

Palpitations and a feeling of irregular heartbeat

Rapid heartbeat is not always a sign of heart disease; it can be physiological in nature, for example, after exercise, emotional excitement or after eating a large amount of food.

On the other hand, tachycardia as a symptom appears in the early stages of the disease. When there are heart rhythm disturbances - arrhythmias, a person has a feeling that the heart either “jumps out” of the chest or freezes for a certain period of time.

A disruption of the heart rhythm can occur in the form of a sharp non-simultaneous excitation of different muscle fibers of the myocardium, and this causes the cessation of the orderly contraction of the heart muscle - atrial fibrillation.

Supraventricular tachycardia is characterized by attacks of rapid heartbeat that can last from a few seconds to several days. Prolonged attacks are accompanied by weakness, sweating, fainting, increased intestinal motility, and excessive urination.

Ventricular tachycardia is less common and leads to disruption of the blood supply to organs and heart failure.

With heart block, irregular contractions, loss of individual heart impulses, and a significant slowing of the pulse are observed - bradycardia. Due to a decrease in cardiac output, signs of ischemia develop: drop in pressure, dizziness, fainting.

Dyspnea

A feeling of shortness of breath or shortness of breath occurs with heart failure, when the heart is not able to work at full capacity and does not pump the required amount of blood through the blood vessels. Heart failure can be the result of atherosclerotic vascular disease (deposition of fatty plaques on the inner wall of the arteries), acute myocardial infarction, heart defects, and high blood pressure. In the initial stages, shortness of breath is a concern only after physical exertion; as the pathological process progresses, it appears even at rest.

Severe shortness of breath is accompanied by rapid heartbeat, acrocyanosis - blue discoloration of the skin of the nose, lips, and fingers. The patient cannot lie down, takes a forced position (half-sitting), his legs are cold. With the development of pulmonary edema, a severe cough and foamy sputum mixed with blood appear.

Cardiac dyspnea should be distinguished from shortness of breath of a psychogenic nature (anxiety, fear, panic attacks).

Edema

The appearance of edema is a manifestation of venous stagnation in the systemic circulation. They first appear in the afternoon on the feet and ankles. After a night's sleep, swelling usually subsides.

Further accumulation of fluid in the body leads to the appearance of edema in the hips, lower back and abdominal wall.

As the edematous syndrome progresses, fluid begins to accumulate in the abdominal cavity, and the volume of the abdomen increases. The patient complains of heaviness in the abdomen, especially in the right hypochondrium due to liver stasis and hypertrophy.

If blood circulation in the abdominal cavity is impaired, dyspeptic disorders occur in the form of poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, intestinal spasms, flatulence, and stool disorders (alternating diarrhea with constipation). Kidney function may deteriorate and diuresis may decrease.

In especially severe cases, swelling can spread to the subcutaneous tissue of the chest, arms and face. The hands become numb, and symptoms of paresthesia (crawling sensations) develop.

Change in skin color

Pale skin often accompanies vasospasm, some heart defects (aortic valve insufficiency), and severe forms of rheumatic carditis.

Cyanosis (blueness) of the lips, nose, cheeks, earlobes, fingers of the extremities - the result of prolonged tissue hypoxia is observed in advanced stages of pulmonary heart failure. The cause of cyanosis is darkening of the blood due to slower blood flow and insufficient oxygen saturation of the blood in the pulmonary circulation as a result of stagnation. Dark blood, shining through the skin and giving them a bluish tint.

Headaches and dizziness

These symptoms are often present in diseases associated with damage to the cardiovascular system. The main reason for this reaction of the body is insufficient blood supply to the brain structures. Oxygen deficiency causes hypoxia; in addition, brain cells suffer from intoxication with decay products formed during the metabolic process, which are not taken up by blood from the brain in time.

Jumps in blood pressure can cause headaches or attacks of dizziness. Long-term hypertension causes irreversible structural changes in the myocardium (hypertrophy), in which the heart muscle quickly wears out and cannot cope with its work. Against this background, heart failure develops when the pumping function of the myocardium is disrupted and the blood supply to all organs and systems of the body deteriorates.

Inflammatory diseases of the cardiovascular system

These include: myocarditis, endocarditis, pericarditis.

Myocarditis is inflammation of the muscular lining of the heart. Caused by various infectious agents. Manifested by pain in the heart, shortness of breath, swelling, palpitations, arrhythmias. As complications, it can cause heart failure or vascular thromboembolism.

Endocarditis is inflammation of the inner lining of the heart. The consequence of the inflammatory process is the formation of heart defects. Symptoms are determined by the type and stage of the disease.

Pericarditis is damage to the outer lining of the heart. Typical signs are constant chest pain, cough with dry pericarditis. The appearance of effusion between the layers of the pericardium (exudative pericarditis) is an unfavorable sign, as complications such as suppuration of the exudate or cardiac tamponade are possible.

Chill in the chest - treatment

Treatment for the feeling of cold in the chest directly depends on the diagnosis given to the patient by a specialist. For example, if this type of discomfort is associated with depression and stressful situations, treatment is reduced to taking sedatives and antidepressants. In addition, if depression has been diagnosed (including latent type), in addition to drug treatment, the patient must also undergo a course of psychotherapy.

As practice shows, in most cases, an unpleasant chill in the chest caused by nervous disorders goes away literally within a few days after the start of therapy. However, it is worth considering that treating depression is a long process that requires constant monitoring by the attending physician.

The feeling of cold, which is caused by diseases of the spine, can go away after a course of massage and a set of physical exercises aimed at strengthening the back muscles. A special orthopedic corset, which helps correct stooped posture, will also help get rid of the uncomfortable menthol coolness.

Which doctor will help?

In most cases, the feeling of coldness in the heart has a nervous cause, so you first need to make an appointment with a neurologist, for whom this symptom will definitely not be uncommon. He will determine whether you have neurological diseases or problems with the spine.

It is not uncommon for patients with coldness in the chest, particularly in the heart, to suffer from so-called “unconscious depression.” In psychology, this term is used to characterize those states when a person is not adequately aware of his psychological decline. If you suspect that this is your case, consulting a psychotherapist will help.

When the cause of unpleasant cold sensations in the heart are pathologies of the respiratory system, then you need to go to either a pulmonologist or an ENT specialist. If your feeling of cold intensifies when walking in the cold season, then you will be referred to undergo a fluorographic examination.

If you suspect inflammation of the pancreas, you should see a gastroenterologist. Coldness in the heart in this case is the initial symptom; more pronounced troubles are likely to arise in the future. The specialist will refer you for an ultrasound of the pancreas. If a disease from this spectrum is confirmed, then you will receive comprehensive treatment: diet along with medications.

If none of the cases above apply to you, and until now you had obvious problems with the cardiovascular system, then it makes sense to go to a cardiologist.

Keep in mind: it may be that to determine the cause of this symptom you will need to go through several specialists at once.