No doubt, chest pain is a symptom that stops many of us in our tracks, often with fears of a heart attack. But is every instance of chest pain truly cardiac-related? What if it is caused by anxiety or a lung condition instead? While cardiac issues are a major cause, they are not the only ones. Chest pain can arise from various conditions with unique characteristics and treatments, from digestive troubles to lung problems, musculoskeletal strain, or even stress.

While many people immediately associate chest pain with heart problems, it is important to understand that other factors can also lead to discomfort or pain in this area. This blog post will thoroughly explain each point about chest pain.

What is Chest Pain?

Chest pain refers to any pain or discomfort that you feel in any part of your chest. It may traverse up your shoulder or down your arm or spread to your neck or jaw area. Chest pains vary, and they may be sharp or dull. Some people feel sensations like pulling or pain, and others feel pressure on their chests.

It may be short-lived or last for some hours. It can also stretch into six months and beyond. This pain tends to reduce when you are active and increases when you are idle or inactive. It may also occur while sleeping. You can have left-side chest pain, middle chest pain or right-side chest pain.

Common Symptoms of Chest Pain

Cardiac-related chest pain symptoms include;

• Squeezing

• Pressure

• Tearing

• Fullness

• Crushing

You can also feel

• Short of breath

• Tired

• Stomach ache

• Light-headed

• Sweaty

• Discomfort in your belly, arms, shoulders, jaw, back and neck.

You can observe these symptoms in case of lung issues that need quick medications.

Major Causes of Chest Pain

There are many causes of chest pain, but we will provide details about the major ones.

1. Heart-Related Conditions

The most common source of chest pain is associated with heart diseases, including angina and myocardial infarction. Angina arises when the heart receives less blood flow, usually due to CAD. This condition results in the feeling of pressure, squeezing or burning in the chest. 

Most fatalities occur when the affected blood vessels block completely. It ends in heart attacks that cause a sensation of crushing or squeezing chest pain. These sensations then spread to the arm, neck, jaw or back and may come with shorter breaths, nausea and dizziness.

2. Lung-Related Issues

Some respiratory diseases also become the reason for chest pain—usually from pleurisy or pneumonia. An inflammation of the lung’s membrane causes a painful sensation of intense chest pain anytime the patient breathes or coughs. 

Similarly, pneumonia may lead to chest discomfort due to inflammation of the lungs. A person can also have a fever, cough, and trouble breathing. A pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lung, is another non-cardiac cause of chest pain that can lead to severe disturbances in breathing.

3. Digestive Problems

Sometimes, chest pain is not a result of an issue with the heart or lungs but an ailment arising from the digestive tract. If stomach acid rises to the oesophagus, it becomes GERD or acid reflux and may cause a burning sensation in the chest, which people associate with the heart. 

Other conditions, such as gastritis and oesophagal spasms, can cause similar discomforts. If the pain is related to eating or lying down and is alleviated with antacid medicines, it can be a digestive problem.

4. Stress and Anxiety

Don't be surprised by emotional distress and chest pain. Chest tightness, palpitations, and shortness of breath, which can happen with panic attacks or anxiety, can also feel like a heart attack. 

During times of high stress or anxiety, the body’s normal fight-or-flight response can result in more muscle tension, a faster heart rate, and pain throughout the chest. Alertness to these symptoms and their relatedness to emotional health is necessary for accurate diagnosis.

5. Musculoskeletal Issues

Muscle-related pain is often overlooked but can be a significant cause of chest discomfort. Musculoskeletal chest pain can occur after physical exertion, injury or repetitive movements that stretch the muscles in the chest wall. 

Severe pain becomes ever worse when lifting, stretching or coughing. Most of the time, you can treat this type of pain with rest, ice and over-the-counter pain medications.

How to Identify the Cause of Chest Pain?

Identifying the cause of chest pain can be challenging because many conditions share similar symptoms. However, there are a few key indicators to consider:

• Heart-related pain typically feels like pressure or tightness and may radiate to other body parts.

• Lung issues often cause sharp pain that worsens with breathing or coughing.

• Digestive pain is often linked to eating or lying down and may improve with antacid medication.

• Stress-related pain can be triggered by emotional distress and may include feelings of anxiety or fear.

• Musculoskeletal pain is localised to the chest and is increased by movement or physical activity.

When to Seek Medical Attention?

Some types of chest pain are mild and self-limiting, while others need immediate medical attention. Heart attacks and other just as life-threatening conditions like pulmonary embolism or pneumothorax (collapsed lung) can be deadly. If, instead, you have severe chest pain, shortness of breath, pain in other areas, or other just symptoms such as nausea or dizziness, you should seek emergency medical care.

Never ignore chest pain. A healthcare professional must evaluate a person thoroughly to determine the exact cause and start the correct treatment. If you are ever in doubt, it is better to be too careful, so always get some medical advice.

Treatment and Care

The cause of the pain dictates how chest pain is treated. Your body responds by getting emergency treatment right away if you’re having a heart attack and your chest pain is from a heart attack. That can include medication, a procedure, or surgery that reconstructs blood flow from your heart.

Your healthcare provider will talk to you about treatment options if you are having chest pains from a noncardiac condition. According to your requirements, they will recommend;

• Medicines.

• Lifestyle changes.

• Surgery or a procedure.

Final Thoughts!

On feeling chest pain, the first thing that comes to the mind of most people is a heart attack, but there are lots of other conditions that can give you pain in the chest. Learn the signs of a heart attack, and go to the hospital as soon as you begin to feel discomfort. 

Write down what you were doing when you had your chest pain so you can tell your healthcare provider when you call them. Your provider can get a proper diagnosis when you can describe the kind of pain you are having and where.