So what are the other causes of chest pain in young women?
Mitral Valve Prolapse
The mitral valve connects the upper and lower chambers of the heart, keeping blood from rushing through too quickly with tiny leaflets that fit together to form the valve. The leaflets that make up the mitral valve can slip back into the atrium (the upper chamber) and cause chest pain. This pain is sharp. It does not spread throughout the body, and it lasts a long time.
Rheumatic Valve Disease
A complication of strep throat known as rheumatic fever can damage the mitral valve so that it narrows and slows down the flow of blood through the heart. There will be chest pain, trouble breathing, cough, and spitting up phlegm - for months or years at a time. This is the condition that causes a "heart murmur" that the doctor will recognize.
Heartburn
Heartburn, the esophageal reflux of stomach acid up into the esophagus, throat, and mouth, is one of the most common causes of pain behind the breastbone. This pain is more of a burning pain than a stabbing pain. It is relieved by sitting up, and is worse after a heavy meal with lots of fatty foods. Peptic ulcers cause similar pain.
Pulmonary Embolism
Sometimes women who use oral contraceptives develop blood clots in the blood vessels serving the lungs. A pulmonary embolism causes immediate and unmistakable symptoms that quickly land the sufferer in hospital.
And what is left? Stress!
Emotional stress changes balances in neurotransmitters not just in the brain but also in the digestive tract and in the heart. The pain of "heartbreak" isn't all in your mind. It can quite literally be in your heart. But because this kind of pain does result in a fatal outcome, your doctor will rule out other causes of chest pain before offering treatment for chest pain caused by stress.
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