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Chest pain is best defined as any type of pain or discomfort that occurs between your upper belly area and lower neck. Chest pain is also commonly called angina, and can signal that you are currently experiencing or are at risk for a heart attack. It’s important to seek medical care for any symptoms.
Chest pain is often very uncomfortable and frightening, and it can indicate many different conditions. Some are life-threatening emergencies, like heart attacks and issues affecting the lungs. Others, like constipation, anxiety, and muscle strains, are not as dangerous to your health.
For efficient care and accurate diagnoses with chest pain, seek out an emergency services expert in the Dignity Health network.
In addition to pain, chest pain can produce a variety of other signs and symptoms.
Your history and specific symptom patterns will help your doctor diagnose and treat you as quickly as possible. It is important to tell your doctor what you are experiencing as accurately as you can.
You may feel a tightness, pressure, fullness, or burning sensation in your chest, with some describing their chest pain as sharp, dull, throbbing, crushing, cramping, or achy.
Some of the other symptoms commonly associated with chest pain include:
If you are having trouble breathing, feel faint, or experience other common symptoms of a heart attack, call 911 right away.
While many cases of chest pain are due to problems with the heart, chest pain can also be an indicator of lung disease, problems with digestion, or anxiety disorders (particularly panic attacks). For example, possible causes include the following.
Causes of chest pain related to problems with the heart or the area surrounding it (also called angina) include:
Issues affecting the lungs may also cause chest pain. Potential lung-related causes include:
Rarely, issues with the GI tract can cause referred pain in the upper abdomen or lower chest. Potential causes of chest pain related to the digestive tract include:
In addition to the heart, lungs, and digestive tract, a variety of other conditions can cause chest pain:
Chest pain can be caused by many different conditions, including those related to the heart and lungs or other tissues in the chest cavity such as the muscles and rib cage, as well as referred pain from the esophagus or upper GI tract.
Cardiac chest pain, or angina, can be stable or unstable. Stable angina is often a persistent, recurring chest pain that generally occurs with exertion and is somewhat predictable. Unstable angina occurs when the chest pain is sudden, new, or changes from the typical pattern. This may signal an upcoming heart attack.
Angina is fairly common but can be hard to distinguish from other types of chest pain, such as the pain or discomfort of indigestion.
Pulmonary embolism occurs when a clot — usually from the veins of your leg or pelvis — lodges in a pulmonary artery of your lung. Lung-related chest pain can cause feelings of tightness that grow worse with breathing or activity.
Risk factors for chest pain depend on the underlying cause. Some factors that can make chest pain more likely include a history of:
Maintaining a healthy heart and avoiding stress and illness can prevent some potential causes of chest pain. For example, some steps you can take include:
The information contained in this article is meant for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your healthcare provider.