Overview
Chest pain is pain or discomfort in the area between the neck and belly. Chest pain may be sharp or dull. It might come and go, or you might always feel the pain. The exact symptoms depend on the cause.
Many different things can cause chest pain. The most life-threatening causes involve the heart or lungs. So it's important to get medical help for an accurate diagnosis.
If you think your chest pain is due to a heart attack, call 911 or your local emergency number right away.
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Symptoms
Chest pain symptoms depend on the cause.
Heart-related chest pain
Chest pain is often related to heart disease. Chest pain symptoms due to a heart attack or another heart condition may include:
- Pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching in the chest.
- Pain that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or upper belly.
- Shortness of breath.
- Fatigue.
- Heartburn or indigestion.
- Cold sweats.
- Lightheadedness.
- Fast heartbeat.
- Nausea.
Other types of chest pain
It can be hard to tell if chest pain is due to a heart condition or something else. Usually, chest pain is less likely due to a heart condition if it happens with:
- A sour taste or a feeling of food coming back up into the mouth.
- Trouble swallowing.
- Pain that gets better or worse when you change body position.
- Pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough.
- Tenderness when you push on your chest.
- Pain that continues for many hours or days.
The classic symptoms of heartburn — a painful, burning sensation behind the breastbone — can be due to a health condition affecting the heart or the stomach.
When to see a doctor
If you have new or unexplained chest pain or think you're having a heart attack, call 911 or emergency medical help right away. Never ignore the symptoms of a heart attack.
If you can't get an ambulance or emergency vehicle to come to you, have someone drive you to the nearest hospital. Drive yourself only if you have no other way to get there.
Causes
Chest pain has many possible causes.
Heart and blood vessel causes
Some heart-related causes of chest pain are:
- Angina. This is any chest pain due to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. It is often described as squeezing, pressure, heaviness, tightness or pain in the chest. Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease. Unstable angina can cause a heart attack or near heart attack.
- Heart attack. A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked. It can cause angina chest pain. Emergency treatment is needed for a heart attack to prevent death.
- Aortic dissection. This life-threatening condition involves the body's main artery, called the aorta. If the inner layers of the aorta separate, blood is forced between the layers. This can cause the aorta to rupture.
- Inflammation of the sac around the heart, called pericarditis. This condition usually causes sharp pain that gets worse when taking a breath or lying down.
Digestive causes
Chest pain can be caused by diseases or disorders of the digestive system, including:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In this condition, stomach acid washes up from the stomach into the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. That tube is called the esophagus. GERD can cause a burning feeling in the chest, called heartburn.
- Swallowing disorders. Diseases that affect the esophagus can make swallowing difficult and even painful. This may lead to chest pain.
- Gallbladder or pancreas disease. Gallstones or inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas can cause stomach pain that spreads to the chest.
Lung-related causes
Many lung conditions can cause chest pain, including:
- A blood clot in the lung, called a pulmonary embolism. A blood clot that gets stuck in a lung artery can block blood flow to lung tissue. Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism may feel like a heart attack.
- Irritation of the thin layers of tissue that separate your lungs from your chest wall, called pleurisy. This condition causes sharp chest pain that gets worse when you breathe in or cough.
- Collapsed lung. A collapsed lung happens when air leaks into the space between the lung and the ribs. It also is called a pneumothorax. Chest pain due a collapsed lung typically starts suddenly. It can last for hours. It usually causes shortness of breath.
- High blood pressure in the lung arteries, called pulmonary hypertension. This condition affects the arteries carrying blood to the lungs. It can cause chest pain or pressure.
Muscle and bone causes
Some types of chest pain are due to injury or damage to the structures that make up the chest wall. These conditions include:
- Costochondritis. This is inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone. It can cause chest pain that might feel like a heart attack. The pain is most commonly felt on the left-hand side of the body.
- Injured ribs. A bruised or broken rib can cause chest pain.
- Long-term pain syndromes. Conditions such as fibromyalgia, which can make muscles sore, may cause long-term pain that affects the chest area.
Other causes
Chest pain also can be caused by:
- Panic attack. If you feel intense fear with chest pain, you may be having a panic attack. Panic attack symptoms also include a fast, pounding heartbeat, fast breathing, a lot of sweating, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. It can be hard to tell the difference between a heart attack and a panic attack. Always get medical help if you aren't sure of the cause of chest pain.
- Shingles. This is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. It can cause very bad pain and a band of blisters from the back around to the chest area.
- Nerve pain. Some people with pinched nerves in the middle back may feel chest pain.
Dec. 10, 2024