Decoding the Many Causes of Chest Pain

In Hollywood, chest pain is the classic heart attack symptom. The character grabs their chest before kneeling over with pain.

In the real world, chest pain doesn’t necessarily mean you’re having a heart attack. In fact, a variety of conditions may be the culprit, including:

• Asthma
• Anxiety or panic attacks
• Pneumonia
• Sore muscles
• Digestive problems—such as GERD, indigestion, gallstones, or heartburn

The term “chest pain” can be misleading as well. It can range from slight discomfort to pain and may be felt anywhere from your neck to upper abdomen, including your lungs, muscles, heart, ribs, and esophagus.

If the pain was brought about by coughing, injury, or too much activity, you can try self-care—including rest, ice or heat, and acetaminophen. You can see if one of these causes is to blame by pressing the point of pain. If your chest wall feels tender or hurts a little, go ahead and use one of the self-care methods above. If you have asthma or another chronic health condition, regularly taking your medications and following your doctor’s recommendations can help avoid problems.

You should contact your doctor if chest wall pain lasts longer than three to five days or you also have a fever or cough with yellow-green phlegm. However, seek immediate medical care if you have sudden crushing pain, tightening, or pressure in your chest or chest pain that will not go away. Also, get help right away if chest pain is accompanied by sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, or nausea.