Why is the chest pain getting bigger?

Some people often feel chest pain, and even their chest shape becomes larger, which makes them very confused. In fact, this is mostly caused by diseases such as acute chest pain, chondritis and myocarditis. No matter what disease it is, you should go to the hospital for relevant examinations as soon as possible, so that your condition will not worsen again and again and you can control the development of the disease.

Acute dermatitis, subcutaneous cellulitis, herpes zoster, epidemic chest pain, myositis, non-suppurative costochondritis, intercostal neuritis, rib fracture, acute leukemia, multiple myeloma, etc.

1. Cardiovascular disease

Angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, acute pericarditis, mitral valve or aortic valve disease, aortic aneurysm, rupture of aortic sinus aneurysm, dissecting aneurysm, pulmonary infarction: pulmonary hypertension and cardiac neurosis, etc.

2. Respiratory diseases

Pleurisy, pleural tumors, spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumonia, acute tracheobronchitis, lung cancer, etc.

3. Mediastinal disease

Mediastinitis, mediastinal abscess, mediastinal tumor, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, esophageal cancer, etc.

4. Others

Subphrenic abscess, liver abscess, splenic infarction, etc.

Tension pneumothorax refers to the rupture of larger alveoli or larger and deeper lung lacerations or bronchial ruptures, in which the lacerations communicate with the pleural cavity and form a one-way valve, also known as high-pressure pneumothorax. When inhaling, air enters the pleural cavity through the fissure, and when exhaling, the valve closes and the air in the cavity cannot be discharged, causing the pressure in the pleural cavity to continue to increase, compressing the lung and causing it to gradually collapse, and pushing the mediastinum to the healthy side, squeezing the healthy lung, causing serious obstruction of respiratory and circulatory functions.

If the high-pressure air in the pleural cavity is squeezed into the mediastinum and spreads to the subcutaneous tissue, subcutaneous emphysema will form in the neck, face, chest, etc. Clinically, the patient has extreme dyspnea and sits to breathe. Severe hypoxia may cause cyanosis, restlessness, coma, or even suffocation. Physical examination revealed fullness of the chest on the injured side, widened intercostal spaces, decreased respiratory amplitude, and possible subcutaneous emphysema. Percussion is highly tympanic. Breath sounds disappeared on auscultation. Chest X-ray showed a large amount of air in the pleural cavity.

The lung may collapse completely, with the trachea and heart silhouette shifted to the healthy side. When the pleural cavity is punctured, high-pressure gas rushes out. After the air was drained, the symptoms improved but soon worsened again. This manifestation also helps with diagnosis. Severe chest injuries such as tension pneumothorax appear rapidly and may lead to bronchial rupture, which should be treated promptly, even with thoracotomy. Tension pneumothorax requires immediate venting to reduce intrapleural pressure.