Digestion problems or acid refluxes can lead to chest pain during pregnancy. Although mild and short-term pains in the chest may be common in pregnant women, they can also result from serious underlying conditions. Hence, if the pain lasts for prolonged durations and starts to affect your health, consult a doctor. In this post, we will help you understand chest pains while pregnant, including their causes and ways to cope with them.
Is Chest Pain Normal During Pregnancy?
A feeling of fullness or discomfort in your chest is not abnormal during pregnancy (1). However, you may have to see a doctor if there is numbness down your arm or persistent pain, causing shortness of breath.
Causes Of Chest Pain During Pregnancy
Chest pain may be a result of a few regular problems that pregnant women face. It could also be due to something more severe. The likely causes of chest pain during pregnancy are:
1. Indigestion and heartburn
Indigestion, acid reflux, or eating fatty food can trigger heartburn, thereby causing pain or a burning sensation in the chest. These could be because of the increasing hormonal changes and the growing fetus that presses against your belly (2).
2. Infection
Chest infection is one of the principal causes of chest pain. It is essentially the disease of the airways (3). The causes mentioned above result in mild pain and may not be a cause for panic. But chest pain during pregnancy could also be due to a few serious causes, which we list down next.
3. Deep vein thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a medical condition that refers to a blood clot in a deeper vein, usually in the leg or pelvis. The blood clot in the leg can travel up your body and reach the lungs, and may, therefore, cause chest pain, pulmonary embolism, or in some cases that go undiagnosed and untreated, death (4).
4. Coronary heart disease (CHD)
In this condition, plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries, causing them to get narrower over time. This may restrict the flow of blood, leading to chest pain or heart attack (5).
5. Asthma
If you are having mild asthma or have experienced it in the past, it could recur or worsen during pregnancy. There might be tightness in the chest because of that, resulting in chest pain (6).
6. Peripartum cardiomyopathy
This is a cardiac condition where the heart muscle becomes weak and diseased (7). Although rare, this condition might develop during the five months after delivery or a month before delivery. It may bring up symptoms such as chest discomfort, heart palpitations, malaise, and fatigue (8).
7. Aortic dissection
It is a tear in the wall of the aorta, the largest artery. Blood accumulates in between the layers of the aorta, eventually leading to aortic rupture that is presented with severe and tearing chest pain (9).
How Prevalent Are Cardiovascular Diseases During Pregnancy?
Cardiovascular diseases may be prevalent in about 1-30% of all pregnancies. The physiological changes during pregnancy may lead to cardiometabolic conditions. The graph below shows the cases of heart failure peaking in the postpartum weeks of 1-4. During pregnancy, they are the highest during the 19-22 weeks. 19-22 weeks is also the period when preeclampsia and gestational hypertension are likely to set in.
Cardiovascular diseases over various weeks of pregnancy
How To Get Relief From Chest Pain During Pregnancy?
In case your chest pain is accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness, and weakness, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. However, if the pain is benign, you may try the below measures. Note that these do not help in treating the root cause and only ease the chest discomfort temporarily.
Do Home Remedies Help Relieve Chest Pain?
People try some age-old remedies for easing indigestion or heartburn and other conditions that could cause chest pain. But there is little or no scientific evidence to support their effectiveness. Most of them are harmless, so you may want to try after talking to your doctor.
A glass of warm milk with honey. A handful of almonds might help in digestion. A cup of tender coconut water is an effective acid neutralizer. Add two teaspoons of caraway seeds in some boiling water and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. Drink the strained liquid; you may use sweeteners if you like. Image: Shutterstock
Please note that there are no studies to support these claims, which are mostly used by women based on popular beliefs. Chest pain during pregnancy is generally caused by gastrointestinal reasons, including heartburn, indigestion, chest infections, and serious cardiac conditions such as coronary heart disease and DVT. If you have severe, prolonged chest pain accompanied by breathing difficulties and fatigue, you must seek immediate medical care. If your pain is acute, you may try certain tips such as eating in smaller portions, maintaining proper posture, practicing healthy eating, and exercising to ease the chest discomfort. Note that minor chest pain is not a reason for worry, but take your doctor’s opinion before trying any treatment measures for chest pain.
