While chest pain can be one of the most common types of pain, it also can be one of the most serious. Any unusual, unexpected or concerning chest pain is worth discussing with your primary care physician and may require a visit to the emergency room, so keep this in mind before attempting to treat chest pain yourself. There are certain kinds of chest pain, of course, that are related to less-serious causes, which can be treated at home with certain specific remedies. Here are five home remedies to help treat less serious chest pain.
You can make them from ice in a Ziploc or buy them ready to freeze in the store, and cold packs can be incredibly helpful if you’re suffering from a very common cause of chest pain – muscle strain. Whether from blunt trauma, or even from exercise, a non-serious strain can be treated at home by icing it. This should reduce the pain and the swelling, though be sure to apply your cold back to the affected area for no more than 20 minutes at a time, taking breaks between applications.
If you suffer from acid reflux, you know the discomfort and pain that you experience when stomach acid works its way into your esophagus. Some people drink apple cider before a meal, or after one, in order to prevent acid reflux. There isn’t much scientific evidence to support this claim, so your results will likely vary. While apple cider vinegar shouldn’t cause too much in the way of side effects, you should likely not take it if you are also taking blood thinners, as apple cider vinegar could further thin your blood.
Some chest pain can be caused by bloating or gas. Drinking a nice hot drink has been known to help reduce or eliminate gas and help with healthy digestion. Be sure to choose the right hot drink, of course – avoiding caffeine is a good idea here, as caffeine can dehydrate you, which can make your gas pain much worse. One purported helpful remedy is hibiscus tea, which may reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure, as well, which could help alleviate other long-term pains.
The anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric have been studied for centuries, showing that it may help reduce pain in many inflamed areas of the body, including the chest. Simple inflammation can cause many different types of pain, so adding a teaspoon of the spice turmeric into a cup of warm milk should provide some benefit to people experiencing chest pain. It is recommended to take turmeric milk before going to sleep. Turmeric may also help prevent heart disease and reduce cholesterol, furthering its potential heart healthiness in the long run.
If you regularly experience chest pain, or are concerned about some non-emergency chest pain you are experiencing, please contact Maryland Pain & Wellness Center so that we can help figure out the best treatment options for you.
