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Did you have pain in the chest this past Valentine’s Day? That feeling might not be a broken heart.
Chest pain is a symptom of allergies and allergy-related conditions. Pain in the center of the chest that feels like squeezing along with pain in the arms, back, neck, or jaw can be a heart attack. That’s when you need to call 911.
But if you have a persistent tightness in the larger chest area, it may be a condition related to allergies.
Allergy Induced Asthma
Uncontrolled allergies can lead to asthma. Asthma inflames your airways, makes them narrow, and fills them with mucous. This makes breathing difficult. You may hear a wheezing noise as you breathe. You may also cough.
During an asthma attack, your chest may feel tight. Some people describe it as a feeling of something pressing down on the chest.
The repeated coughing and gasping for air associated with asthma can cause damage to the scalene muscles. These muscles are located on the side of the neck and attach the neck vertebrae to the 1st and 2nd ribs. Scalene muscle damage causes pain in the upper chest that may or may not radiate down the arm.
Medication and allergy avoidance control asthma. Talk to your doctor and if you have asthma, know how to prepare for an asthma attack.
Allergy Medication Side Effects
That pill you swallowed to relieve your allergy symptoms can cause chest pain. If you take allergy medications that include the decongestant pseudoephedrine you know how well it works.
What you might not know is that tightness in the chest is one of the many side effects of pseudoephedrine.
Talk to your doctor about alternative medications that do not contain this ingredient if you are sensitive.
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
People that are sensitive to dust and other inhaled allergens can experience Hypersensitivity pneumonitis if they do not control their exposure. This can be caused by living or working in dusty areas and has even been associated with molds coming from the HVAC system.
The primary symptom is tightness and pain in the chest. It is caused by repeatedly inhaling allergens and can cause serious scarring of the lungs. Reversible if caught early; if not can lead to pulmonary fibrosis.
Control Your Allergies!
If you have allergies, asthma, scalene muscle damage or hypersensitivity pneumonitis you know it isn’t a pain in the neck, it’s a pain in the chest and it can be serious. Talk to your doctor and then talk to The Allergy Store about controlling your exposure to allergens.
Frequent washing, using allergen-proof bedding, and allergen reducing products in your home can all reduce your exposure to allergens. We can’t mend a broken heart, but we can control allergens. We’d love to help you!
Til Next Time!
Cheryl