When is left hand pain related to the heart?
Pain in the left arm has long been considered a typical sign of myocardial infarction because the heart and the left arm share nerve pathways. When the myocardium is ischemic, the feeling of pain can spread from the chest to the shoulder and down to the left arm.
Dr. Brajesh Kunwar, an interventional cardiologist at Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, India, said that if the pain is accompanied by sweating, nausea, dizziness, low blood pressure or intense anxiety, the patient needs immediate emergency care. According to the American Heart Association, myocardial infarction usually manifests as angina, a feeling of weight behind the sternum and can spread to the left arm, neck or jaw.
The risk is even higher if the patient has a history of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia or a family member with cardiovascular disease.
Causes that don't come from the heart
However, not every left arm pain is dangerous. In young people, the common causes are shoulder arthritis, cervical spondylosis or neural root compression in the neck area. Musculoskeletal pain often increases when changing posture or when pressing on the injured area.
Professor John Camm, a cardiology expert at St George's Hospital, University of London, UK, said that heart pain is often accompanied by systemic symptoms and is not dependent on hand movements, while mechanical pain tends to change with movement.
Shoulder injuries, dislocations, and even infections such as zona can also cause pain spreading down to the hand. Experts recommend that people should not be subjective but also avoid panic. When the pain lasts for more than a few minutes, appears suddenly and is accompanied by shortness of breath or cold sweats, it is necessary to call emergency services immediately for timely treatment.
