More often than not there are benign reasons, but you should be evaluated by a healthcare professional if you're worried. Chest pain can signal a serious condition, heart-related or otherwise.
Noncardiac chest pain affects up to 25% of adults in the U.S. Between 50% and 75% of chest pain cases presenting to emergency rooms are discharged without a cardiac diagnosis. These cases are classified either as unexplained, as stress- or anxiety-induced or as NCCP.
Call 911 or the local emergency number if: You have sudden crushing, squeezing, tightening, or pressure in your chest. Pain spreads (radiates) to your jaw, left arm, or between your shoulder blades. You have nausea, dizziness, sweating, a racing heart, or shortness of breath.
There are so many different causes for chest pain, both cardiac and non-cardiac. Some are serious, but most cases aren't. Sometimes, a specific cause may not be identified.
On the other hand, if you are having chest pain that is very brief, lasting only seconds or minutes and going away, without any of these associated symptoms, like the shortness of breath or nausea, it may not be heart-related.
The chest pressure that accompanies heart attack is often confused with heartburn (acid indigestion). It also may indicate: Angina, when blood supply to the heart muscle is restricted but not blocked. Lung issues, including infection (pneumonia) or a blood clot (pulmonary embolism)
Some of the most common non-cardiac conditions that can feel like a heart attack include: Heartburn: One of the most frequent causes of chest pain is a type of indigestion that can feel as though your heart is on fire yet has nothing to do with the heart.
Cardiac • Cardiac pain does not change during deep breathing. Muscular • Deep breathing can cause sharp, shooting pain (if the discomfort starts in the muscle).
If you have chest pain that lasts longer than five minutes and doesn't go away when you rest or take medication, get immediate help. Call 911, your local emergency services number or have someone take you to the closest emergency room (ER) right away. Cardiac chest pain can be life-threatening.
Chest pain is frightening and must be taken seriously. So know this: If you are having severe discomfort in the chest—especially if the chest pain is radiating to your neck, jaw or arms—and it's accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness and sweating, call 911 immediately.
All chest pain should be checked out by a health care professional. He or she will want to find out if it's angina and if it is, whether the angina is stable or unstable. If it's unstable, you may need emergency medical treatment to try to prevent a heart attack.
About 25% of men and 40% of women don't have chest pain during heart attacks, says Harmony Reynolds, MD, associate director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center and assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Heart attack pain may start with chest pressure that comes and goes, sometimes with exertion. If the pain becomes continuous, seek medical attention immediately and consider calling 911. If you have chest pain constantly for several days, weeks or months, it is unlikely to be caused by a heart attack.
Chest pain due to anxiety or panic attacks can usually feel like a sharp, stabbing sensation that starts suddenly, even if a person is inactive.
Stress may also cause chest pain by triggering: Hyperventilation (rapid, shallow breathing) Tightening of chest muscle. Spasm of the esophagus.
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint.
Chest pain that comes and goes may be related to the heart, the muscles, the digestive system, or psychological factors. Underlying causes of chest pain may be mild, as in the case of acid reflux. Or, they may be serious and indicate, for example, a heart attack.
An abnormal ECG has a lot of significance but a normal ECG in presence of chest pain can be misleading and it can mask a significant heart attack also. We have seen patients with absolutely normal ECGs but they have major heart attacks. So do not go by a normal ECG, specially single ECG.
If you sense something is seriously wrong, visit an ER immediately. You should also visit the ER if your chest pain is prolonged, severe or accompanied by any of the following symptoms: Confusion/disorientation. Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath—especially after a long period of inactivity.
Signs and symptoms of coronary artery disease occur when the heart doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. If you have coronary artery disease, reduced blood flow to the heart can cause chest pain (angina) and shortness of breath. A complete blockage of blood flow can cause a heart attack.
While anxiety chest pain varies from person to person, you may feel a constant, mild sense of discomfort or chest pain that comes and goes throughout the day.
Muscle strains, acid reflux, and even indigestion could cause chest discomfort, as pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Chest pain has a variety of causes, but it's not normal and you should never ignore it.