When your child complains of chest pain, it’s natural to jump to heart-related conclusions. But most cases of chest pain in children aren’t caused by cardiac conditions.
It can sometimes be hard to get a clear description of your child’s chest pain, but symptoms usually include:
- Tightness.
- Discomfort.
- Burning sensation.
- Pain when taking deep breaths.
- Coughing.
- Wheezing.
So what should you do? Make an appointment with your child’s primary care physician, and keep in mind that chest pain in children is usually not heart-related. Chest pain can often be attributed to one or more of the following:
- Gastroesophogeal reflux disease, or ongoing heartburn
- Pain or inflammation in the chest wall
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Stress or anxiety
- Injury
- Viral illness
Heading to the hospital is absolutely necessary in some situations. Seek emergency care if:
- Exercise brings about chest pain, or makes it worse.
- Chest pain occurs with rapid or irregular heartbeat.
- Fainting or passing out occurs with chest pain.
- Your child has a tall slender physique with long arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet and toes.
- You know of or suspect any drug use.
- There’s a family history of early sudden cardiac death.
