[34F] Experiencing sharp, lingering chest pain with nausea and night sweats

What might be happening

Based on the information you've provided, possible diagnoses include:

• Angina: This is chest pain or discomfort caused when your heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. It may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest. The discomfort can also occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Angina pain may even feel like indigestion. However, as you're relatively young and female, this is less likely but should still be considered given your history of high blood pressure.

  • Treatment for angina usually includes lifestyle changes, medication, and sometimes, surgery. You may need to treat other diseases that may increase your risk of angina, like diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, or heart disease.

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): This is a chronic condition where stomach acid frequently flows back into the tube connecting your mouth and stomach (esophagus). This backwash (acid reflux) can irritate the lining of your esophagus and cause chest pain.

  • Treatment for GERD includes lifestyle changes, medication, and sometimes, surgery.

• Anxiety disorders: These are a group of mental health disorders characterized by feelings of anxiety and fear, which may lead to physical symptoms like chest pain and sweating.

  • Treatment for anxiety disorders usually includes a combination of psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medication.

What you can do

In the meantime, you can try the following to relieve your symptoms or figure out what's going on:

1. If you feel that your chest pain is severe, is getting worse, or lasts longer than a few minutes, you should seek immediate medical attention. This could be a sign of a serious heart condition.
2. Try to avoid food and drinks that trigger heartburn, such as fatty or fried foods, tomato sauce, alcohol, chocolate, mint, garlic, onion, and caffeine.
3. Try to manage your stress levels. This could involve techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga.

What you should look out for

Reasons to see a doctor more urgently:

• If your chest pain is severe, lasts for more than a few minutes, or spreads to other areas of your body like your arm, jaw, or back
• If your chest pain is accompanied by other symptoms such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, confusion, or fainting
• If your chest pain is different from previous episodes of chest pain you've had
• If your chest pain is accompanied by symptoms of a heart attack, such as nausea, sweating, or a sense of impending doom

Please remember that while I strive to provide accurate and helpful health information, this advice is intended to be general in nature, and specific causes may not apply to your situation. Always consult with a healthcare provider for appropriate examinations, treatment, testing, and care recommendations.