We are scared of having any major diseases. It is natural to be scared. But due to this fear, we do not take potentially dangerous symptoms seriously. A headache, a stomach ache, we let them pass, considering to be temporary, sometimes treating them ourselves without consulting a doctor. In most cases, it is what it is, a minor headache but sometimes it can be a symptom of something major, some other disease.
Another sensation that we sometimes take for granted is the tingling in the chest. But should we? It can have perilous consequences.
The fluttering sensation or the feeling of pressure in the chest is what we call "a tickle in the chest" in layman's term. There could be multiple causes for the symptom and some are even minor. Cold or allergies, do go away on their own but sometimes, this feeling is a sign of augmentation of something more serious.
Often the feeling of a tickle in the chest is not a reason for grave concern. Most conditions that it is a symptom of, do not present any significant health risks. Cold and fever can cause an unsettling feeling in the chest and/or the throat. It requires little attention. However, to make sure it's just cold and nothing else, other symptoms should also be kept in mind.
Coughing, sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, headaches, fatigue, muscle ache, high heart rate due to rise in body temperature, and a sore throat are all the other symptoms of a common cold. With most people, it is seasonal and goes away with the intake of mild medication.
The symptoms of hay fever are similar to that of cold because cold is usually accompanied by the fever. In addition to those, there could be itchiness in the throat, nose or mouth and even the eyes can get red and itchy. In some cases, however, a tickle in the chest poses a serious threat to health.
According to Medicine Net, Acute bronchitis is the "inflammation of the breathing tubes within the lungs (bronchial tubes or bronchi) as a result of an infection (viral or bacterial) or a chemical irritant (such as smoke or gastric acid reflux)". When common cold persists more than a couple of weeks, it can develop into Bronchitis.
There is the production of a large amount of mucus in this condition, the consequence of which is the tickle in the chest. The body tries to get rid of it by excessive coughing. Bronchitis is a serious condition that is contagious and needs medical attention.
The initial symptoms of bronchitis are similar to that of common cold like coughing, sore throat, muscle, and headaches, runny or blocked nose, tiredness- but if these last longer than a week or two, it should be tested.
By the WebMD definition, "Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing difficult. With asthma, there is inflammation of the air passages that results in a temporary narrowing of the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs."
Asthma usually occurs in childhood but due to pollution and environmental problems, it can occur at any age now. Symptoms are coughing, shortness of breath, noise while breathing and a constant feeling of tightness in the chest. If you have any of these symptoms, you should immediately get tested.
According to WebMD, "In an arrhythmia, the heartbeats may be too slow, too rapid, too irregular, or too early. Rapid arrhythmias (greater than 100 beats per minute) are called tachycardias. Slow arrhythmias (slower than 60 beats per minute) are called bradycardias."
A tickle in the chest is one of the signs of arrhythmia. Mostly irregular heartbeat is not a serious health risk but if it is accompanied by dizziness or lightheadedness, fatigue, chest pain, fainting, shortness of breath- it is a serious concern.
Medicine Net defines acid reflux or heartburn as, "a common condition and an abnormal one in which acid in the stomach rises up into the esophagus. This occurs because the valve separating the contents of the stomach from the esophagus does not function properly."
It is also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and it can lead to the tickling sensation in the chest and other symptoms include, coughing, a hoarse voice, hiccups, unpleasant taste in mouth, nausea and bloating.
According to Medicine Net, "Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneumonia is frequently but not always due to infection. The infection may be bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic."
Pneumonia can weaken the immune system. Apart from the tickling sensation in the chest, the other symptoms are coughing, fatigue, fever, chest pain, loss of appetite, increased heart rate, shortness of breath. Pneumonia, if left untreated can be fatal.
Medicine Net describes Anxiety as, "a feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, and feelings of stress." It is a clinically recognized disorder and it can have physical symptoms too.
The tickle in the chest or the unsettling feeling can be a symptom of Anxiety. Other symptoms include sweating, trembling, increased heart rate, breathing difficulty, restlessness, insomnia. Individually, people take these symptoms lightly but when they occur together, they can cause serious harm.
Temporarily, drinking warm lemon water might settle the tickle in the chest but the ideal way to treat it is by addressing the actual cause of the symptom. A doctor should be consulted to know their diagnostic opinion. Meanwhile, precautions should be taken at home for a temporary fix.
These strategies will help reduce the uncomfortable feeling in the chest or/and throat. A person should sleep with extra pillows to lift up the body, not lie flat on the back, avoid active and passive smoking, drink a lot of fluids, gargle with salt water, drink boiled water with lemon and honey in it.
Common cold and fever can be easily taken care of. If the tickle in the chest continues for more than a week, a doctor should be consulted because it could be caused by any of the above-mentioned conditions. If you are having irregular heartbeats then no time should be wasted in consulting a doctor because it could be something serious.
One should never take any symptom for granted, especially not with the kind of unhealthy lifestyle we live these days.