People usually get alarmed when they feel pain in left side of their chest. Whenever this occurs people immediately suspect that it has something to do with the heart not functioning properly. It is true that the heart is at the left side of the chest where the pain is located, but the nerve connecting the heart is at the center of chest. This is where the pain is supposed to be when you are dealing with heart attack. So, pain in left side of the chest does not necessarily mean heart disease. There are many other things that can cause pain in left side of the chest. Sometimes the source of the pain can be from the muscles that are between the ribs called intercostals. This disease is called intercostals myalgia and it is far less dangerous than heart disease. An infection in the muscle usually causes this. Repetitive activity, cramp, muscle spasm and strain can also cause pain in left side of the chest.
Pectoral muscles can also be the cause of pain in left side of the chest. The large sheets of muscle that covers our chest are known as pectoral muscle. The pectoral muscles are always used during pulling and pushing actions. They are quite large so when they are torn or receive cramp or spasm, they really hurt. It is a good idea to avoid lifting heavy things until the pain goes away, especially with the left hand. Massaging the muscle area can also help. Usually pain in left side of the chest is not anything serious. However if the pain persists for several days you should definitely consult a physician. If you were actually suffering from a heart attack, the symptoms will be quite different. For a start, the area of the pain would not be pain in left side of the chest. The pain felt during heart attack is heavy and crushing feeling. You will sweat and feel short of breath. The discomfort may even make you vomit. During heart attack the pain often spreads to jaw, neck, arm, shoulder, stomach and leg. Unless you are facing symptoms like these you need not worry about heart attack.
As said earlier pain felt in the left side of the chest is usually not related to heart disease but sometimes that is the case. To treat this type of pain, the underlying cause needs to be identified. It is best to contact a physician as you do not want this type of pain to become a nuisance or hurt you in the future. Your physician can help your indentify the true cause and provide you with a guideline for treatment. If you think you are suffering from angina then you should call the emergency services immediately. When someone feels this type of pain it generally causes a panic in the family. Pain in left side of the chest is not a direct indication of heart disease but it never should be left ignored.