Often times, children or young adults will complain of sharp, stabbing pain around their heart. The pain only lasts for a few moments and then goes away. It doesn’t radiate to any other part of the body. It is simply just a quick burst of pain around the chest wall.
It is important to rule out other more serious causes of the pain but, more often than not, this pain is simply precordial pain, also known as Precordial Catch Syndrome. “Precordial” means “in front of the heart” and this is exactly where the pain is located.
While precordial pain is painful, it isn’t anything serious and it doesn’t mean there is anything seriously wrong with your heart or lungs. There is no lasting impact from precordial catch syndrome and the pain should go away on its own relativity quickly.
Precordial pain can occur in adults but it is not very common. It is mostly found in children and young adults. It can be caused by growing pains, an injury, or even a bad posture. When it is caused by growing pains, there is little you can do to prevent an episode. However, in order to keep it from happening, avoid blows or injuries to the chest as well as making sure you have good posture by sitting up straight
There is no treatment for precordial pain because the pain should go away on its own. If it doesn’t try using an over the counter, anti-inflammatory pain reliever. You can also try taking deep breaths and changing your sitting position to see if that lessens the pain.
Precordial Catch Syndrome is a harmless condition that doesn’t point to other medical conditions. It is not an indication that something is wrong with your heart or lungs. Try not to get too anxious if you feel this pain. Chances are, the pain will be gone as fast as it came.
