Constipation can cause chest pain in many different ways. I know that chest pain is an alarming symptom. The majority of people worry about that. They think about heart attack when they develop pain in the chest.
Chest pain is not always due to a heart attack. There are many causes of chest pain, some are harmless and others are dangerous. I am not going into that detail. Instead, I will explain the relationship between constipation and chest pain.
When you are constipated, the stools accumulate in the large bowel and the rectum. That causes increased bacterial activity that produces lots of wind. The gas stretches the intestinal wall that can cause pain and bloating. You normally feel the pain in the abdomen.
Sometimes, you may feel the pain in the chest also. The reason is, some organs in the abdomen and chest share the same nerve supply. This type of pain is called referred pain. It is similar to the radiating pain to the left arm when people have a heart attack.
The elevated intra-abdominal pressure caused by the faecal accumulation may aggravate acid reflux. In this condition, the acid in the stomach moves into the gullet (Oesophagus). That causes inflammation of the gullet and a burning type of chest pain.
Chronic constipation makes you strain more when you empty the bowels. Straining means contraction of abdominal and chest muscles. Increased workload to the chest muscles can cause pain in the chest wall. In addition, your chest wall may feel tender to touch.
Excessive straining can cause bulging of intervertebral discs. It usually happens in the lower back. That is why chronic constipation causes lower back pain. Similarly, the slipped discs can happen in the thoracic vertebra. It may cause pinching of nerves. Then you will get chest pain.
Excessive straining in people with an unstable cardiac function may precipitate a heart attack. Researchers found that there was a correlation with severe, chronic constipation in postmenopausal women and increased incidence of heart attacks.
It is recommended to use a stool softener if heart diseases and severe constipation are coexist. So, you need to see your doctor if you are suffering from serious heart problems and severe constipation.
Constipation and chest pain may coexist. For example, you can have constipation and costochondritis at the same time. However, those two are unrelated.