Final answer:
The 55-year-old male may be experiencing angina, a symptom of Coronary Heart Disease, possibly caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle after exertion. Immediate medical evaluation is necessary to rule out the risk of acute myocardial infarction, especially considering his aggravating pain during respiration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The source of the pain for a 55-year-old male executive experiencing a dull ache on the left side of the chest following a chest and shoulder workout could potentially be angina, which is a symptom of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Angina refers to chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough blood, often causing the chest to feel like it is being squeezed or pressed. Other symptoms can include pain radiating to the arms, neck, shoulders, or back, as well as shortness of breath and nausea. The left-sided chest pain that worsens with respiration may also indicate irritation or referred pain from another structure close to the heart, such as the diaphragm. This kind of referred pain is named Kehr's sign when it presents in the shoulder and can be associated with spleen rupture but is also indicative of the way cardiac pain can be felt in adjacent areas due to nerve connections. However, given the significant risk of acute myocardial infarction (MI, or heart attack) in men of this age with chest pain after exertion, immediate medical evaluation is necessary to rule out cardiac issues, even though additional symptoms such as difficulty breathing, nausea, and sweating may not be present.