Chest pain is a common symptom with many possible causes. Some are minor, while others may represent a medical emergency.
The cause cannot always be determined from the way the pain feels. When concerning features are present, prompt medical assessment is important.
What Can Cause Chest Pain?
- Coronary artery disease or heart attack
- Inflammation of the heart or pericardium
- Lung conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Muscle or chest-wall problems
- Anxiety or panic attacks and other medical conditions
Being young or believing that chest pain is caused by anxiety does not automatically rule out an important medical cause.
What Can Cardiac Chest Pain Feel Like?
- Pressure, tightness, heaviness, burning, or a squeezing sensation in the chest
- Pain spreading to the arm, shoulder, back, neck, jaw, or upper abdomen
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness, severe weakness, or fainting
Symptoms may be less typical in some people, including women, older adults, and people with diabetes.
When Should Chest Pain Be Treated as an Emergency?
Seek emergency medical care immediately for new, severe, or unexplained chest pain, especially when it lasts several minutes or comes and goes, occurs with exertion, is accompanied by shortness of breath, cold sweating, nausea, dizziness, fainting, or spreads to the arm, back, neck, or jaw.
Do not wait for the pain to become unbearable.
What If the Pain Seems Muscular?
Some musculoskeletal pain becomes worse with certain movements or when the area is pressed. However, these features alone do not always rule out a heart-related problem. New, persistent, or unusual chest pain should be medically assessed.
What Increases Cardiovascular Risk?
- High blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol
- Smoking, overweight or obesity, and physical inactivity
- A family history of cardiovascular disease
- Age and other individual risk factors
What Can a Doctor Do When Evaluating Chest Pain?
- Detailed medical history and physical examination
- Blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation when indicated
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Blood tests, including cardiac biomarkers when indicated
- Imaging or other diagnostic tests based on the clinical assessment
Not every patient needs the same tests. Evaluation should be guided by the patient’s risk and the characteristics of the presentation.
An Important Message
Chest pain should not be diagnosed online or automatically assumed to be anxiety, gastritis, or a muscle problem. When a cardiac or pulmonary emergency is possible, timely evaluation can be critical.
At Agape Medical Center
Our approach combines General Practice and Internal Medicine to evaluate patients comprehensively, identify risk factors, and guide appropriate care. If you have signs of a possible medical emergency, do not wait for a scheduled appointment: seek emergency medical care immediately.
Agape Medical Center — General Practice & Internal Medicine.
