10 Causes of Tightness In Chest
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Cause #4: Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary embolism will often be experienced as a cough, shortness of breath, and a pain in the chest that gets worse as you cough. The patient may also be experiencing swelling in one leg that is painful. It is potentially a very serious condition and should be treated as a medical emergency.
A pulmonary embolism is often caused by a blood clot. The blood clot will often have formed in the lower part of the body. These clots can then become dislodged, travel up to the lungs, and then become lodged in the pulmonary arteries in the lungs. There are various factors that can increase the risk, including smoking, injury, and a prolonged lack of rest.
Advertisement
