Chest Pain

Chest pain is discomfort or pain felt anywhere along the front of the body between the neck and upper abdomen. It may feel like sharp stabbing, burning, dull pressure, or a squeezing sensation. While chest pain can be caused by minor issues such as indigestion or muscle strain, it can also signal life-threatening conditions like a heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

• Cardiac causes: Heart attack, angina, myocarditis, pericarditis.
• Lung-related causes: Pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, pleurisy, collapsed lung.
• Digestive causes: Acid reflux (GERD), esophageal spasm, gallbladder disease, stomach ulcers.
• Musculoskeletal causes: Muscle strain, costochondritis (inflammation of rib cartilage).
• Risk factors: Smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, family history of heart disease.

Call emergency services if chest pain is severe, sudden, or accompanied by pressure spreading to the arm, jaw, or back, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, or nausea. These can indicate a heart attack. See a doctor for persistent or unexplained chest discomfort, even if mild.