When Your Child Has Chest Pain: What Kind of Pain Should Make You Think of Heart Disease!
Some children may have experienced ‘chest pain’ which often occurs during exercise. If children say they feel a sharp pain in the chest for a short time, it may be caused by inflammation of the outer chest muscles. But if it is ‘heart disease’, what kind of chest pain do children experience? Today, we have some observations to share.
Chest Pain Symptoms in Children… That Parents Should Watch For
- Chest pain even at rest accompanied by rapid breathing and shortness of breath
- Chest pain accompanied by palpitations with a pulse rate over 100 beats per minute, measured by a smartwatch or a fingertip pulse oximeter
- Dizziness or fainting along with chest pain, which may indicate that the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body
- Using a fingertip pulse oximeter during chest pain shows oxygen levels below 95%
The chest pain symptoms listed above are often found in children with heart diseases such as myocarditis or pericarditis. Physical examination may reveal abnormal heart sounds along with low blood pressure. Additional chest X-rays may show an enlarged heart. A detailed examination using ‘high-frequency ultrasound heart examination’ (Echocardiogram) may reveal abnormal heart function in myocarditis or fluid in the pericardial sac in pericarditis. If the inflammation is severe, it can be life-threatening.
The most important thing… is that parents should closely observe their child’s symptoms. If any of these abnormalities are found, they should promptly take the child to see a pediatric cardiologist as soon as possible because the child’s heart is more valuable than anything else in a parent’s life.
Dr. Thitikrai Choengchalad
Pediatric Cardiologist
Child and Adolescent Health Center, Phyathai 3 Hospital
