Precordial Catch Syndrome: 6 Dangerous Syndrome

Have you ever felt sharp chest pain whenever you breathe? If yes, you should read our article. The article will describe precordial catch syndrome, its causes, symptoms, and treatment.

1. What Is The Precordial Catch Syndrome?

Whenever nerves in the front of the chest are compressed or aggravated, it is known as Precordial catch syndrome (PCS). As the name implies, precordial syndrome refers to sharp pain feeling “in front of the heart.”

Chest pain usually occurs only in one location, typically on the front or left side of the chest, and does not spread.

People often feel sudden pains or sharp stabbing pains while resting.

Usually, no other symptoms are associated with the pain, which disappears after some time. And fortunately, there are not any significant problems associated with precordial catch syndrome. 

Many do not realize that precordial catch syndrome commonly occurs and affects children, teens, and young adults. You might feel intense stabbing pain in the left side of the chest. However, the pain disappears without causing a change in your body.

A doctor who studied it for the first time called it Texidor’s twinge. 

2. Causes

It is not clear what the actual causes of precordial catch syndrome are. But this condition doesn’t affect your heart or cause lung disease or other health problems.

The precordial syndrome is believed to be caused by irritated or tense nerves within the inner lining of the chest wall.

There may be sudden pain symptoms in the chest wall or in the ribs.

Sometimes, it occurs during growth spurts. Some people may experience it due to poor posture or an injury.

But the sharp stabbing chest pain should be your only symptom. If not, consult your doctors.

2.1 Who’s at Risk More?

Most cases of precordial catch syndrome mainly affect children between the ages of 6-12.

However, teens and young adults may also experience it. In rare cases, the precordial syndrome can also affect adults. Click here to read more.

3. Symptoms

Precordial catch syndrome typically occurs when a person is lying down or bent over, particularly in a reclining position.

The pain is usually localized in the left nipple area below the left rib cage. In a study of children with the precordial syndrome, they typically found the following characteristics:

• Made worse by breathing
• Brief
• Sudden pain
• Not spreading to other body parts
• Not exertion-related
• Fatigue

Precordial pain severity varies from person to person. People sometimes experience dull, annoying pain. Some people experience such intense pain that it causes blurry vision or temporary vision loss.

Most of the time, only one or two fingers are affected, and the pain eventually disappears. Aside from this, there are no other symptoms or physical changes caused by the precordial syndrome.

There will be no paleness, flushing, or wheezing, but prolonged shallow breathing may leave them lightheaded.

Symptoms of Precordial catch syndrome often have sudden weakness, but it only lasts a few days. Aside from these, the patient has no other signs or problems.

The pain tends to occur while someone is sitting, reclining, or bending over at rest. In most cases, it happens multiple times, and then the pain disappears.

The precordial syndrome is commonly mistaken for a heart attack by many people. Still, remember that people who experience PCS won’t experience any symptoms of heart attacks, such as weakness or sweating.

3.1 Non-Precordial Catch Syndrome Symptoms

Precordial catch syndrome does not cause tenderness in the chest region or spread to other areas, as a heart attack would.

Patients with precordial catch syndrome do not have pale skin, flushed lips, wheezing, or any changes in pulse.

Taking a deep breath might become the painful cause of PCS, which causes you to feel dizzy as an indirect side effect, so you may feel dizzy because of it. But this is not a direct symptom of the precordial syndrome.

4. Diagnosis

Doctors will take a complete medical history, assess symptoms, and ask about other health issues to rule out other, more severe causes of chest pain.

They usually perform a chest exam, look for tenderness, and check the heart and lungs. Precordial catch syndrome spreads across the whole body but is completely harmless.

Typically, a doctor won’t need to perform any tests to diagnose it. When the doctor tries to diagnose precordial catch syndrome, he/she will mainly ask about your symptoms and medical history.

It is also possible for the heart rate and blood pressure to be taken as well. A patient with precordial catch syndrome usually doesn’t need to undergo any testing in order to diagnose it. They only conducted tests on the pulse and blood pressure.

Your doctor might order an X-ray or ultrasound if they think another problem is happening.

Whether you or your child is experiencing unexplained chest pains, you should see a doctor in case of immediately.

Immediately seek medical attention if chest pain is accompanied by the following:

• Dizziness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Headache
• Shallow breaths

5. Treatment

Precordial catch syndrome usually goes away on its own, so there is no need for specific treatment. But for relieving the pain, health providers might prescribe an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory.

There are some following things you can do to ease a child’s chest pain at home;

5.1 Gentle Breaths:

Taking a slow, deep breath might cause the pain to stop afterward (even if it is painful at the moment). If your child can’t breathe deeply, have them take gentle, tiny breaths instead.

5.2 Encouraging Sitting Behavior:

Ensure your child’s posture is straight and upright rather than reclining or bent, so their spine is straightened.

You can prevent PCS from occurring again by encouraging your child to sit up tall with their shoulders back. You can try some exercises as well. Click here to read more about the exercises.

5.3 Take Medication:

If your child or adolescent experiences PCS somewhat regularly, your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine to relieve the pain. Local pharmacies sell over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medications.

5.4 Relax Them:

As well as reassuring your child that this condition is harmless and will pass soon may help them to grasp the concept that it is harmless. This way, anxiety can be alleviated, and the child can relax to relieve the pain more quickly.

5.5 Can It Be Prevented?

Growth spurts can also cause PCS, which can’t be prevented. Injuries to the chest, for example, can be avoided. Standing straight or sitting straight helps to prevent future episodes caused by bad postures, such as slouching.

6. End Note

As we have reached the end of the article, we hope we have answered most of the questions related to Precordial Catch Syndrome.

If you experience or suffer from any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you should consult your doctor immediately. 

It is worth noting that Precordial Catch Syndrome doesn’t cause any major health issues, but ignoring it might not be a good case.

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