When to Worry: Recognizing Chest Pain in Children and Teens
Chest pain in children is uncommon; only 6 in every 1000 visits need emergency attention. Most cases are benign and self-limiting, such as musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal conditions that do not lead to serious heart problems. Get a consultation with the best cardiologists in Brooklyn.
Cardiac causes:
Heart-related conditions only cause less than 5% of chest pain cases in children, which commonly occurs in adolescents ages 15 to 18 years. While chest pain is not always related to the heart you believe it immediately.
A 2010 study shows that only 2% of children and adolescents have chest pain related to a heart condition. Your child’s chest pain may also be related to the heart if the pain starts from the neck, shoulder, arm, or back.
Your child may experience dizziness or fainting, abnormal blood pressure, or may be diagnosed with a previous cardiac condition if the condition is related to the heart.
Here are some common heart conditions associated with chest pain in children.
- Coronary artery disease:
It may occur in your child if they engage more in physical activity or have heart-related surgeries, transplants, and conditions such as Kawasaki disease. They experience chest pain and other symptoms such as tightness and pressure in the chest.
- Myocarditis and pericarditis:
Both these heart conditions can result from infections. Myocarditis occurs from viral infection and causes symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and fainting.
Pericarditis occurs from bacterial infection and may cause sharp chest pain in your left shoulder. It may get worse when you cough, breathe deeply, or lie on your back.
- Congenital anomalies of the heart:
These conditions occur when a part of the heart doesn’t develop correctly in the fetus. These conditions cause many different symptoms.
Here are the common congenital heart conditions that cause chest pain:
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Pulmonary valve stenosis
- Eisenmenger syndrome
When to go to a doctor?
If you notice that your child experiences any of these symptoms, you should visit a doctor. This includes:
- Chest pain after exercise
- Has severe long-lasting pain.
- Racing heart
- Breathing difficulty
- Dizziness or fainting
- Lips turn gray or blue
- Looks pale or sick
- Symptoms get worse over time.
It is not necessary that chest pain may be related to any heart condition, however, if it is accompanied by several other symptoms, then you should visit a doctor.
Children rarely experience chest pain, but when they do, it can sometimes be quite dangerous. Therefore, you should take your child to the doctor for treatment if they have chest pain in addition to other symptoms.
If your child has chest pain, or if you need help with your child’s heart problems, visit our pediatric cardiologist clinic in Brooklyn. Our doctors make sure your child receives the best treatment and gets healthy as soon as possible. To book your appointment, call us on +1(347) 384-5690. The Cardiologists at Doral Health & Wellness consistently have outstanding patient satisfaction ratings. The professionals at Heart Specialist Brooklyn are able to greatly improve their patient’s health and quality of life because of their vast training and experience. New Yorkers can get the greatest medical, surgical, and cardiovascular care at Doral Health & Wellness Brooklyn. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.