Chest pain: First aid

First aid for chest pain depends on the cause. Serious health conditions such as a heart attack can cause chest pain. Other causes of chest pain include infections and bruised chest muscles. If you have new or sudden chest pain, get emergency medical help right away.

Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have sudden, severe chest pain or any unexplained chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes.

Also call 911 or your local emergency number if you have:

• Sudden, severe upper back or neck pain.
• Sudden, severe stomach pain.
• Trouble breathing.
• Symptoms of stroke, including a sudden change in vision, difficulty speaking, and weakness or loss of movement on one side of your body.
• Swelling in one leg, which could be due to a blood clot.
• Loss of consciousness or fainting.

These symptoms can be caused by many different health conditions. Other symptoms also may need emergency help. So it's important to get a quick diagnosis. If you are having a lot of trouble breathing or are having a heart attack, call 911 or your local emergency number right away.

Symptoms of chest pain depend on the cause. Common causes include:

A heart attack generally causes chest pain for more than 15 minutes. The pain may be mild or severe. Some heart attacks happen suddenly. But sometimes warning symptoms happen hours or days in advance. A heart attack also is called a myocardial infarction.

Heart attack symptoms may include:

• Chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching.
• Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or sometimes the upper belly.
• Shortness of breath.
• Cold sweats.
• Fatigue.
• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness.
• Heartburn.
• Nausea.

In women, chest pain is not always severe or even the most noticeable symptom. Women tend to have more-general symptoms, such as nausea or a brief or sharp pain felt in the neck, arm or back. These symptoms may be more intense than the chest pain.

If you or someone else may be having a heart attack, follow these first-aid steps:

• Call 911 or emergency medical help. Don't 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 option.
• Take aspirin, if recommended. Taking aspirin during a heart attack may reduce heart damage. Don't take an aspirin unless your healthcare professional or emergency medical operator says to do so. Don't wait to call 911 so you can take an aspirin. Call for emergency help first.
• Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed. If you think you're having a heart attack and you have a prescription for this medicine, take it as directed while waiting for emergency medical help. Don't take anyone else's nitroglycerin.
• Start CPR if the person doesn't have a pulse or isn't breathing. If you are not trained in CPR, do hands-only CPR. That means push hard and fast on the person's chest about 100 to 120 times a minute. If you're trained in CPR and confident in your skills, start with 30 chest compressions before giving two rescue breaths.
• Use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if one is nearby and the person is not conscious. The machine gives shocks when needed to help the heart beat the correct way. An AED gives clear voice instructions. The machine gives shocks only when it's safe and needed.

Angina is chest pain or discomfort caused by too little blood flow to the heart. The chest pain may feel like:

• Squeezing.
• Pressure.
• Something heavy on the chest.
• Tightness or other discomfort.

Stable angina symptoms usually last a few minutes but nearly always less than 30 minutes. The symptoms usually go away with rest or medicine. If the angina pain doesn't go away with rest or medicine, get emergency medical help.

Pneumonia is a lung infection. Pneumonia can cause swelling and irritation of the tissues that surround the lungs. When that happens, the condition called pleurisy. Symptoms include:

• Chest pain, especially when taking a breath or coughing.
• Chills.
• Fever.
• Cough that may bring up bloody or bad-smelling mucus.

Pleurisy pain is different from heart attack pain. The pain from pleurisy often gets better for a short time if you hold your breath or press gently on the sore spot.

Pericarditis is swelling and irritation of the thin tissue surrounding your heart. It causes sharp chest pain that gets worse when you cough, lie down or take a deep breath.

Chest wall pain is a type of muscle pain. Bruised chest muscles may happen from a lot of coughing, straining or a minor injury. One type of chest wall pain is costochondritis. Symptoms include pain and tenderness in and around the area that connects the ribs to the breastbone.

If gently touching the area with your fingers causes chest pain, a serious condition such as a heart attack is not likely.

This article does not include all possible causes of chest pain. Talk with your healthcare professional if you are worried about chest pain. If you think you're having a heart attack, get emergency medical help.

Treatment depends on the cause of the chest pain. Some causes of chest pain, such as a heart attack, need emergency treatment. Chest pain symptoms from other causes, such as pericarditis, may go away without treatment.

Chest pain is a common reason that people seek medical treatment. It can be hard to tell if chest pain is due to a heart attack or other health condition, especially if you've never had chest pain before. Don't try to diagnose the cause yourself.

Call your healthcare professional if you have new or unexplained chest pain. If you think you're having a heart attack, call 911 or your local emergency number.