Pregnancy is the most beautiful phase of any woman as it comes with lots of changes and excitement. But all the changes are not favorable. Some times it can be painful just like chest pain during the pregnancy.  In the entire blog, we are going to explore the causes of chest pain during pregnancy.

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Minor Causes of Chest Pain During Pregnancy

Some common and minor causes of chest pain during pregnancy are heartburn, indigestion, stress, and body changes.

• Heartburn and indigestion: Heartburn, or acid reflux, is the most common problem during pregnancy. Foods that you were eating so frequently, now can cause you enough discomfort to distort in your daily routine.

• Indigestion refers to gas trapped in your stomach as well as in your chest.

• Sometimes this chest pain feels like a heart attack, but this type of chest pain starts in the lower breastbone and moves towards up.

• Gas can also lead a sharp pain, while heartburn is more of a burning or warming pain and can lead to a burning sensation in the back of your throat.

To reduce these symptoms, eat smaller meals in a short duration, remain sitting up for some time after having your meals, and avoid foods that can increase your pain. You should know that the chocolate, tomatoes, oranges, and mint are common culprits of heartburn, so think twice before eating these. The good news is, these symptoms resolve gradually after the baby’s birth.

The connection between stress and chest pain during pregnancy

Worry and stress are obvious during pregnancy, that I can understand but too much can lead to chest pain.

It doesn’t make a difference that you are going to give birth to your first child or third, you’re still facing a major life change. Find out the possible causes of stress in your life and try to eliminate these factors.

If you are struggling to reduce your stress or feel like you’re having trouble coping, talk to a counselor and taking steps to relax.

More serious causes of chest pain during pregnancy

As we have discussed above that the chest pain is common during pregnancy, but in some cases, the cause of chest pain during pregnancy may be a severe health issue, like preeclampsia, a heart attack, or another heart condition.

Preeclampsia

Chest pain along with shoulder pain during pregnancy can indicate a serious complication called preeclampsia. This can sometimes be dangerous to both the mother and fetus.

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Common signs and symptoms of preeclampsia include

• High blood pressure
• Continuous or persistent headache
• Heartburn that does not resolve even after the lifestyle changes
• Pain in the upper abdomen, on the right side, or under the ribs
• Swelling in the face as well as the legs

Heart disease or heart attack

Well, a heart attack is an uncommon cause of chest pain during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the volume of blood in your body increases to contain the growing fetus. To pump this extra blood accurately, the heart rate of women increases and this added strain leads the risk of a heart attack.

Women who are already dealing with some heart disease or other preexisting cardiac conditions have a higher risk of a heart attack during pregnancy.

The following symptoms can indicate heart disease

• Chest pain

• Fast heartbeat

• Extreme breathing difficulties

• Extreme fatigue

• Chronic cough

• Extreme swelling or weight gain

• fainting

As we discussed here chest pain during pregnancy is common, and the causes of this pain are quite obvious. But no one should ignore these, any pregnant woman who experiences any of the above symptoms should visit the doctor immediately.

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