Chest pain when lying down and sitting up is mainly caused by diseases, common diseases include cardiac insufficiency, pleurisy, gastroesophageal reflux disease and so on.
1. Cardiac insufficiency: cardiac insufficiency is often categorized into left heart insufficiency, right heart insufficiency and total heart insufficiency.
When the patient lies down, there is a sudden increase in the volume of returned blood, and the increased pressure load on the heart leads to the symptom of pain in the anterior thoracic region. When the patient sits up, the return blood volume decreases, and part of the blood gathers in the lower limbs and other places, which can effectively relieve the symptoms.
2. Pleurisy: pleurisy refers to inflammation of the pleura caused by microorganisms and other factors, and patients often show symptoms such as chest tightness and chest pain, fatigue and night sweating (sweating abnormally after going to sleep, and sweating stops after waking up). As the patient is lying down, the local chest wall activity causes the patient to have pain in the anterior chest area. Sitting or semi-recumbent position can reduce the activity of the chest wall, which can alleviate the symptoms.
3. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): GERD patients may experience gastric reflux into the esophagus due to the obstruction of the anti-reflux barrier and the reduction of esophageal clearance.
When the patient is lying down, the increased reflux may irritate the chest and cause pain, while in the sitting position the reflux decreases and the pain symptoms may be relieved.
When patients experience significant discomfort, they should go to the hospital for treatment.