Left arm pain, when to worry?

By Cristiano Antonino On Feb 8, 2023

When we experience pain, we do not always worry immediately, unless this pain is localised in the left arm

This happens because we immediately think of a heart attack, so this type of signal is worrying for many people.

Yet, the causes of pain in the left arm are different, and while one should not overlook the painful symptoms, one should also not think the worst without first having a correct diagnosis.

Left arm pain, not always a cause for concern

A pain in the arm does not usually worry us that much, but if it is the left arm, things change.

Pain in this limb, in fact, is often associated with serious diseases related to the cardiovascular system.

The fear of a heart attack, in this situation, is very common.

However, in the vast majority of cases, it is not a heart attack but something less worrying.

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Pain in the left arm can have several causes. But when is this symptomatology not a cause for concern?

Generally, when the pain is acute and lasts only a few seconds, or if it is associated with a particular movement.

Generally, in this case, it is periarthritis. If the pain occurs in a well-circumscribed area of the arm, or if it lasts only for a few days without any other symptoms, we usually tend to rule out a heart attack.

A bone or tissue lesion in the limb, elbow or shoulder could then be the cause of the pain.

Bursitis, inflammation of the serous bursa of the joints, and tendinitis, inflammation of the tendons in the arm, cause this type of pain.

It goes without saying that if one has suffered a trauma, such as a fall, it could be a fracture of the arm bone or rotator cuff, the musculoskeletal apparatus of the shoulder, but a hernia cannot be ruled out.

When to be concerned

One of the most frequent and recognisable symptoms of an infarction is pain in the arm, which is why one should be concerned when it is detected.

But this is not the only symptom, so before we worry, let’s find out if there are any other conditions that indicate the onset of a heart attack.

A heart attack is caused by damage to a section of the heart muscle.

This happens when the affected tissue is not oxygenated.

Usually the heart attack is due to obstruction of the coronary arteries caused by cholesterol build-up and atherosclerotic plaques.

This is a risky condition, so it is always a good idea to have regular check-ups, especially if you are a family member or over 65 years of age.

If you fall into this category, you should, in agreement with your doctor, schedule diagnostic tests during the course of the year; if necessary, for patients who are bedridden or unable to move around, you can have a private doctor visit you at home, but you should never skip a check-up.

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During a heart attack, despite the pain in the left arm, the muscles are not involved

It is therefore not easy to establish what the origin of the pain is, since both the pain transmitted by the nerves in the arm and the pain transmitted by the nerves from the heart are very similar.

A heart attack does not always cause chest pain, so in this case we are talking about referred pain.

The best thing to do is therefore to assess the other symptoms.

The emergency medical service should be called if, in addition to pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, digestive disturbances, sweating and dizziness are present or not.

Other symptoms of the heart attack picture are numbness or severe discomfort in the back, abdomen, jaws, neck, or intermittent chest pain.

Angina pectoris

This disorder also causes severe pain in the left arm.

We experience it when the blood does not flow properly to the heart muscle, again due to partial obstruction of the coronary arteries.

In this case, pain can also be felt in the chest, jaw, neck and back.

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What to do if you feel pain in your left arm

Every symptom has its own cause, so the suggestion is always to make a thorough examination in order to rule out serious pathologies.

If the doctor suspects that a heart attack may be occurring, he or she will prescribe ad hoc diagnostic tests and cardiac Holter monitoring.

While one should not immediately panic at the slightest painful state, one should likewise not take a certain symptomatology lightly.

It is always better to rule out any risky pathologies and to treat the painful symptomatology even if it is caused by conditions other than a heart attack.

The doctor therefore makes a thorough examination, performs an electrocardiogram or may request an echocardiogram.

The electrocardiogram can be performed either at rest or under stress.

Holter cardiac monitoring, on the other hand, is used to find out whether there are any abnormalities in the functioning of the heart during a certain period of time, usually 48 hours.

Once the diagnosis has been made, the doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment depending on the disorder.