what could my chest pains be?

Question

i am 17 years old and have been experiencing chest pains for about 2 years..we did an ekg and nothing was wrong...what else could be wrong?

my pains can last anywhere from an hour or longer...sometimes they are shorter..it all depends.. i may get more that one in a 24 hour period..and i don't know if it's indegestion or what it could be...

Answer 1

There are many causes of chest pain and the majority of them are benign conditions, especially at your age, however anytime a patient complains of chest pain you absolutely must rule out cardiac or respiratory disease.
You had an ekg which was normal, but that only evaluates the electrical activity and the electrical vectors in your heart. You should also have an ultrasound (echocardiogram) done to evaluate the morphology of the heart, ie. the size and shape of the heart itself, whether there are any valvular disorders and to check if there are any shunts in the blood flow and if there is any enlargemnts of the atria and ventricles.
At your age, the chance of it being cardiac related is slim.
More common things in your age group are:
1. musculo-skeletal disorders such as strained chest muscles, cartilage and rib pulls, costochondritis (usually from a viral infection like a common cold that causes pain in the ribs and cartilage of the ribcage.
2. gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) or simply put, "heartburn" which is often mistaken for heart pain.
3. At your age, your body is still growing so as the bones, tendons, ligaments, etc are growing and stretching, pain can be experienced.
4. lung disease, ie. asthma, allergies can cause the chest to hurt especially if you are doing a lot of coughing.
I would recommend that you at least get an echocardiogram done to rule out once and for all any possiblity of heart disease, maybe get a chest x-ray and if they are normal, then you can rest easy knowing it is not something really serious. The fact that the pain has been going on for two years on and off tells me it is more than likely musculo-skeletal in origin.
I hope this helps answer your question and alleviate some of your concerns.
Please see a doctor again for your echo.
To your health!
Warren Shaffer, M.D.

Answer 2

You're not the only one. I have chest pains alot , too. Mine lasts for about 30min and 45 min at the most, and I'm only 13. I think it's intergestion too, but my mom claims it is gas in your chest from not eating alot.She's a nurse, so I'm not sure. Who's right!? Who knows!?

Merry Christmas!!!!

Answer 3

It could be stress it it's a sharp pain. Or it could be pancreatitis or it could be gall stones. See your doctor and have them check for everything.

Answer 4

could be a limthoid in your brest i have one
but it onely hurts like once an a will

Answer 5

heart burn, pulled muscles around the heart, lung complications, angina...thats all i can think of

Answer 6

sometimes it could mean that your boobs are growing. how bad does it hurt.