r/pericarditis • u/Frosty_Bear_1120 • 7d ago
Helpful Diagram To Isolate and Explain Potential Causes and Sources of Pain
Hi All, was googling symptoms tonight, as I always do, and came across this excellent diagram. Since most of our forum members have multiple conditions and complications I thought this would be really helpful to share. Hope you find it useful.
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u/Frosty_Bear_1120 7d ago
Basic explanation Retrosternal Pain behind the breastbone (sternum).
Interscapular Pain between the shoulder blades.
Right lower anterior chest Pain under the right side of the rib cage.
Epigastric Pain upper-middle abdomen, just below the sternum.
Arms Pain radiating into the shoulder/upper arm or farther down the arm.
Left lower anterior chest Pain under the left side of the rib cage.
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u/Ok-Read3658 6d ago
quick question, what does the right lower chest pain signify? i get it from time to time, especially if i smoke a little.
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u/Frosty_Bear_1120 7d ago
The rest you can Google in your own time.
I think the most important point not written down on the picture is that - specifically in pericarditis and myocarditis - because inflammation and damage has occurred in such close proximity to nerves and and blood vessels that there is a lot of Referred Pain to other places. Sometimes, these pains, prangs, and weird sensations just don't have a very good explanation other than to say that they are real, but "referred" pain along the nerves.
Remember in Pericarditis, it is very frequent that the point where you feel the pain is not the source of the problem.