What causes precordial pain?
Precordial Catch Syndrome refers to a sudden, sharp pain that is temporarily experienced at the left side of the chest near the nipple. It is a common type of chest pain that has been found to mainly occur in children and young adults. Precordial pain is less commonly experienced in adults. Another name for it is Texidor’s twinge, being named after one of the people who had first described this syndrome.
Precordial chest pain can be described as an intense, sharp pain that is sudden in onset, and short in duration. Pain arises on the left side of the chest nearly the nipple region. Unlike pain from a heart attack for example, precordial pain is fairly localized and does not tend to radiate. Precordial pain worsens with movement, when taking breaths in, and sometimes when breathing out as well. It may distract an individual from their normal activity, but only temporarily. Individuals who experience precordial pain tend to breathe shallowly to minimize the pain and wait for the pain to subside and resolve on its own.
The intensity of pain that is experienced in individuals can vary. Some people may experience a dull persistent pain, while others might feel a highly intense and stabbing like pain in their chest. While the pain may be intense, it is temporary and short-lived.
Precordial pain is typically short and rapid in duration, and usually only lasts for about 30 seconds or less, up to 3 minutes. Rarely, the chest pain persists for a longer period of time than this. In some cases, a lingering ache may continue to be experienced after the initial pain goes away. Overall, precordial pain is quick to subside and resolves completely in individuals.
Episodes of precordial chest pain most often take place when a person is in an inactive state. Individuals may be sitting, lying down or are in a resting state when they experience a sudden onset of precordial chest pain. Chest pain can also occur in people following a sudden change in posture.
Precordial pain is believed to be the result of localized cramping of muscle tissue in the chest area, although the exact cause is not well understood. It has been suggested that the pain occurs due to the slight compression of a nerve and subsequent spasm of the intercostal muscle fibers found in the chest wall. Precordial catch syndrome has also been associated with stress and anxiety.
The frequency of precordial chest pain occurrences varies from individual to individual. In some people, precordial pain can be experienced a few times a day, daily, or infrequently over months or years. In most cases, experiences of chest pain associated with this syndrome are not very frequent.
Precordial catch syndrome is not considered to be a serious condition or a cause for concern. There is no need for treatment of precordial catch syndrome, nor is there any cure or treatment available for it. Precordial pain can be experienced in normal healthy individuals, and mostly occurs in young people, usually resolving by adulthood.