Few things are as unpleasant as a buzzing or vibrating feeling in chest. Though it’s usually not a sign of something huge, it can be uncomfortable.
This problem is called ‘heart palpitation‘ and is commonly caused by certain medical conditions, dehydration, intense workout, and anxiety. Apart from this, your caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol intake can trigger the vibrating feeling.
Surprisingly, some medicines can be the culprit here as well.
Is this something to be worried about? Well, it depends. In some situations, it’s just a typical incident, and sometimes it can signal that you need to call an ambulance immediately. Whatever the reason may be, you should never ignore the feeling.
Dealing with the uneasiness of heart palpitation can save you from more troubles (e.g. heart attack) in the long run. So, where does the buzzing or vibrating feeling in the chest come from? And what can you do to treat it? This article has all the answers.
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Why Does Our Chest Vibrate: Possible Reasons?
Buzzing feeling in your chest can be part of a disease you already have. Or it can be the side-effect of some medicine you take.
Your daily lifestyle can be a contributor to this problem as well. But whatever the case may be, you should have a clear idea of the reason. This will help you to reach the most efficient solution.
Here are the most common reasons you feel vibrating or buzzing in your chest.
Issues With Nervous System
A study shows that people with nervous system diseases frequently suffer from such tremors in the chest. Parkinson’s disease, multiple Sclerosis, and essential tremor are some of the most common nervous system diseases.
The nervous system goes through a difficult condition in Parkinson’s disease. Patients with Parkinson’s disease suffer from tremors in the heart and the whole body. In addition, the patients tend to lose their sense of smell and experience extreme dizziness.
Essential tremor is a similar condition. This nervous system disease causes involuntary muscle movement of the arms and legs. It can affect the heart as well.
Now, I don’t have to tell you what happens then, do I? Apart from vibrating the heart, twitching the face and eyelid is another common symptom of essential tremor.
Multiple Sclerosis is a bit different from these problems. It basically numbs the arms, face, legs, and body. Moreover, it causes stiffness and fatigue. However, when this happens, the heart gets overly excited. As a result, a vibrating or buzzing feeling persists in the chest area.
These nervous system conditions are not to be taken lightly. I know I have said the vibrating feeling in the chest is not always a serious problem. But if this issue arises from the conditions I just mentioned, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Anxiety
Anxiety is undoubtedly a mental state. You have felt it in your mind too. But did you know anxiety heavily affects the body as well? For example, chest tremors can be a result of excessive anxiety.
Let me give you a clear picture of how it happens. Remember how you felt suffocated last time you were extremely anxious about something? Well, this suffocation is not merely a feeling.
Your brain literally experiences suffocation. As a result of this, the rate of blood circulation increases. Heartbeat increases along with this as well. In addition, the ribcage, diaphragm, and the heart area get spread. Your chest vibrates when all these actions happen at once.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not the most sophisticated explanation. Rather what I described here is a simplified account of what actually happens.
The intensity of the buzzing feeling usually changes if it’s coming from anxiety. In this case, the vibration is not consistent as well. The tremor can occur at a linear consistency, or it might trouble the victim at a specific hour.
The main culprit here is stress. Yes, anxiety and stress are two different mental states. But they are closely related. Most anxieties come from stress, and almost all anxieties bring stress.
If you have clinical anxiety, the vibrating chest can lead to a greater problem. Seeking therapy is the best treatment here. However, taking stress-relief medicine can be a solution as well.
Lung Failure
Sometimes buzzing chest can be a symptom of lung failure. In other words, you may experience a vibrating chest because of lung problems. This condition is commonly known as “lung collapse”.
Let me clarify how it all makes sense. First, collapsed lungs leak air between the lungs and the chest wall. This air circulation beats against the diaphragm, causing a tremble in the chest.
Lung collapse is a serious medical condition. Apart from chest tremors, the other symptoms include low blood pressure, fatigue, flared nostril, and rapid heart rate. If the situation worsens, you may see the patient’s skin turning blue.
Usually, the left or the right chest area trembles when the lungs are the reason for buzzing or vibrating chest.
Gallbladder Infection
Yes, you read that right. Gallbladder infection can cause distressing feelings in the chest. And yes, the Gallbladder is what you think it is. It’s the sac located just beneath the liver. Biles is stored here. But this doesn’t really explain how this organ can cause tremors in the chest.
Well, let me connect the dots here. Gallbladder inflammation comes along with gallbladder infection. If you get an infection in the Gallbladder, you must take antibiotics to relieve the pain.
Before this pain is cured, it spreads upward in the body. The abdomen hurts the most. And then the first victim here is the right side of the chest area. The right side of your back can severely ache as well. Muscles twitch a bit as the pain spreads through them.
Suppose you are diagnosed with a gallbladder infection. In that case, you are likely to experience a vibrating feeling in the chest (and on the back as well).
Heart Problems
As you already know, the heart is the closest organ to the chest. Therefore, the left chest area will show signs of whatever the heart goes through.
Chest tremors from heart problems can be severe or they can be mild. For example, normal palpitation is common and doesn’t necessarily mean anything. On the other hand, severe issues like heart attacks give a buzzing feeling in the chest.
A heart attack alone doesn’t give the sensation of buzzing in the chest.
The anxiety experienced due to a heart attack causes the tremor as well. Apart from this, other symptoms of heart attack, such as shortness of breath, and irregular or fast heartbeat, also spread a consistent quake among the chest muscle.
Atrial Fibrillation is another problematic condition of the heart. Here the heart’s upper chambers don’t sync with the lower sections. As a result, an irregular heartbeat is formed, causing a chest vibration. Atrial Fibrillation brings breathing problems as well.
And this too is a serious issue. You must consult a doctor immediately if you feel buzzing in your chest accompanied by a sharp pain.
Other Issues We Can Face
Particular other heart and lung-related problems are responsible for a buzzing chest. These problems include asthma, bronchitis, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), indigestion, pleurisy, pleural effusion, lung tumor, pneumomediastinum (or mediastinal emphysema), and precordial catch syndrome.
Interestingly, all these various factors cause a bubbling feeling in the chest.
In the case of asthma, the lungs swell, and narrows the airways. This usually happens in certain types of weather. On the other hand, bronchitis makes the chest muscles stiff while sending an infrequent wave of tremor throughout the torso.
Overall, whatever the reason may be, feeling vibration or buzzing in the chest is never comfortable. However, knowing the causes can help you calm down.
Here, not-panicking is medicine itself. But this is obviously not enough. You should be aware of the primary home remedies and available medical treatments. Learning these can prepare you for the worst-case scenario and save lives.
What Can You Do If You Feel Buzzing Or Vibrating In Chest: Home Remedies
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to cure a buzzing or vibrating heart for good unless you are a professional doctor. However, there are some home remedies you can try out to avoid probable catastrophe. Knowing these methods can be a literal life-saver.
Check out some of these simple yet effective approaches you can take to handle heart palpitation. You don’t need to have any kind of expertise for any of these.
Do Some Relaxing Exercises
As you already know, stress and anxiety are significant reasons behind a vibrating heart. In fact, most people experience a buzzing feeling in their chest when anxious.
In all honesty, anxiety and stress are not 100% curable. But you can decrease its intensity to a tolerable level. For example, some relaxation exercises can help you focus more on the positive things while avoiding the issues that trigger anxiety-related problems.
Some most popular relaxation exercises are meditation, yoga, and stretching. I don’t need to waste words and tell you what these are, right? But I think it’s important to mention how they help you eliminate anxiety.
These type of exercises boosts the blood circulation in your body. And you already know how happy and excited your brain gets when detecting a healthy blood flow!
However, apart from these, some non-physical exercises (or should I say ‘habits’) can help you cope with stress and anxiety. Journaling is a great way to start working on your mental health.
Similarly, spending some time outside, taking short breaks during work, and taking deep breaths every now and then can drastically improve your psychological condition.
Consequently, this will reduce the tremor you feel in your heart whenever you are reminded of the giant heap of tasks you have yet to complete.
Avoid Stimulant Intake:
Do you have any addiction? If yes, then it’s time to slowly get away from them. Stimulant intake can unnaturally excite your heart.
This may seem innocent at first, but with time this will become a significant issue. Excessive intake of nicotine or caffeine can lead to a faster heartbeat. Not only this, it can cause your whole body to shiver or tremble from time to time.
Reducing the intake of such products can offer you a healthy heart. Drinking coffee or sipping a cold beverage on a hot day is okay. But make sure these don’t get included in your list of regular diets.
Besides caffeine and tobacco, you should also avoid marijuana and all kinds of illegal drugs. Sadly enough, some cough medications, appetite suppressants, and certain mental health drugs can have the same effect as sipping coffee five times a day.
In some cases, high blood pressure medications are a terrible stimulant for your heart.
Stimulating The Vague Nerves:
You are probably wondering what is vague nerve! Well, the set of nerves connects the heart to the brain. Stimulating these nerves can drastically calm down any kind of palpitation in the heart. Though it may sound impossible to do, it’s as easy as coughing (literally).
You can trigger the vague nerves simply by coughing, gagging, and chanting “Ommm” for a few seconds. Interesting right? You can also achieve calmness by holding your breath and pushing down.
In other words, imitating the action of making a bowel movement can help you calm down your palpitating heart.
Ice can be a great help here. Applying cold-compression or splashing chilling water on the face stimulates vague nerves. The same happens if you take a cold shower.
However, not all the methods are ideal for you. Your body condition and history of illness will determine the right approach. And obviously, a doctor can give you the best advice in this situation.
Apart from these, you should practice healthy habits like consuming balanced electrolytes, staying hydrated, and exercising regularly to bid farewell to a vibrating chest.
What Are the Medical Treatments For Buzzing Or Vibrating Feeling In Chest?
Fortunately, progress in medical science is always ready to save you from any kind of possible problems you may face in life. It can treat the buzzing feeling in your chest too.
As you already know, the vibrating sensation in the chest comes from different diseases such as Sclerosis. So, technically, treating these conditions should also fix the vibrating heart problem. In reality, this is how the whole thing works.
Let me show you how the treatment goes!
Prescribed Drugs
Some medicines can be the appropriate solution to chest palpitation. But it should always come from the prescription of a professional.
For example, for PD patients, a combination of carbidopa and levodopa can cure the tremor in the heart. Pramipexole, bromocriptine, and ropinirole are a few more medicines doctor usually recommends.
Nowadays, doctors prescribe DMT (disease-modifying therapy). It’s a new medication that helps reduce heart tremors in patients diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Doctors may also prescribe isoniazid or clonazepam to treat the tremor.
Surgery
Surgery is indeed an option here, though it’s not the most ideal one. Usually, surgery applies to patients who don’t respond to medications. However, this is not an option for everyone. Only people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease can hope to get benefits from the surgery.
During the procedure, the surgeon implants electrodes in the patient’s brain. This process is also known as DBS (deep brain stimulation).
It stimulates a specific area of the body and prevents the effect of PD from reaching there. For example, if the patient is suffering from a vibrating chest, the target area will obviously be the chest!
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is the safest treatment available for vibrating chest. The doctor will prescribe an exercise plan suitable for the patient’s body. Assistive devices, such as a walking cane, are also commonly prescribed to older patients.
Exercises, however, work fine for essential tremors and Multiple Sclerosis. But it’s not a viable option in the case of PD.
In addition to these treatments, doctors recommend that all patients cut down on caffeine, alcohol, and other stimulants.
Research has shown that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is much more effective in treating buzzing/vibrating chests than taking medicines or having surgery.
Final Two Cents
A bitter truth is that ailment is a human companion, and it’s not good. However, knowing the basics about the diseases makes it easier to handle everything well.
You surely can’t do what a professional doctor can (unless you are an expert surgeon), but keeping some things in mind can help you get well soon.
This is why, now that you know all about vibrating chest, you will have to be calm, even if the matter is as serious as heart problems. As a result, you will be able to focus on getting immediate medical treatment, which is undoubtedly the ideal approach.
