Causes of Chest Pain

Chest pain is often associated with heart attack or heartburn, however there are many reasons an indvidual could experience pain in his or her chest. Rather than self-diagnose, it is safest to seek immediate medical attention. Here are a few examples of conditions that cause chest pain:

Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute coronary syndrome is a term used for any condition brought on by sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart. Acute coronary syndrome can describe chest pain you feel during a heart attack, or chest pain you feel while you're at rest or doing light physical activity (unstable angina). Acute coronary syndrome is often diagnosed in an emergency room or hospital.

Acute coronary syndrome is treatable if diagnosed quickly. Acute coronary syndrome treatments vary, depending on your signs, symptoms and overall health condition. Read more about acute coronary syndrome.

Heart Attack (acute myocardial infarction)

Heart Attack symptoms may not be limited to the chest, and heart attack pain may be less obvious that other bodily pain. Some heart attack survivors describe the sensation as squeezing, pressure, or fullness in the chest. The onset of the chest discomfort is typically gradual, increasing over several minutes.

A heart attack is the result of a blood clot in one of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle. The blood contained within the chambers of the heart is inadequate to supply oxygen to the full thickness of the heart muscle. Sustained blockage of the coronary arteries results in irreversible damage to the heart muscle, which can lead to loss of the normal contraction rhythm and death. If blood flow to the heart muscle returns within an hour of the blockage, the heart muscle tissue may recover most or all of its function. Read about heart attack care at Halifax Health.

What causes chest pain other than a heart attack or acute coronary syndrome?

There are many possible causes of chest pain, but many of them (heart attack, aortic dissection, pulmonary embolus, collapsed lung and cancer) are life-threatening. Leaving chest pain to guesswork puts life and potential recovery at risk. For a heart attack, minutes matter. Time spent wondering if it's a heart attack may lead to loss of function or loss of life.

Other heart problems other than heart attack that may cause chest pain:

Angina. Restricted blood flow to the heart can cause recurrent episodes of chest pain known as angina pectoris, or angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-jeh-nuh). Unlike a heart attack in which a vessel is blocked, angina results from a reduction in blood flow to the heart muscle.
Aortic dissection. In this life-threatening condition, the inner layer of the main artery leading from the heart, called the aorta (ay-or-tuh), splits (dissects) from the wall of the vessel, causing sudden, tearing chest and back pain.
Coronary spasm, also known as Prinzmetal's angina, is an intense contraction of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle, which can reduce or stop blood flow in the artery. When the spasm relaxes, blood flow returns.
Pericarditis is an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart, usually due to a viral infection.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart, also often caused by viral infection
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle

Chest pain from the digestive system:

Heartburn is a painful, burning sensation caused by stomach acid backwashing into the esophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach), a process called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The pain of heartburn originates behind the breastbone (sternum) in the same area as the heart.
Esophageal spasm or a tear in the esophagus from severe vomiting or coughing can make swallowing difficult and may cause chest pain.
Hiatal hernia (hi-AY-tul) occurs when a portion of the stomach slips through the diaphragm into the chest, causing chest pressure or pain, usually after eating, along with heartburn.
Achalasia (a-kuh-LAY-zyuh) is a swallowing disorder in which food in the esophagus doesn't enter the stomach properly, causing stretching of the esophagus and pain.
Inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas can cause acute abdominal pain that radiates to the chest.

Musculoskeletal causes of chest pain

Costochondritis (kost-oh-kon-DRITE-us) is inflammation of the joints attaching the ribs to the sternum. Pressing on the ribs or sternum forcefully may reproduce the pain by making the joints move slightly. The pain of costochondritis may be anything from a sharp stabbing pain to a dull ache, and may come and go unpredictably.
Muscle conditions such as myositis, fibromyalgia and muscle cramps may produce persistent or sporadic chest pain.
Injured muscles, ribs or nerves may cause chest pain.

Lung causes of chest pain

Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening condition caused by a blood clot lodging in a lung (pulmonary) artery, blocking blood flow to lung tissue. Pulmonary embolism risk increases following major surgery or immobilization.
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the lung lining that causes sharp, localized chest pain worsened or triggered by deep inhalation or coughing. Pleurisy may be caused by other lung problems such as pneumonia (infections of the lung).
Pneumothorax (NEW-mo-THOR-ax, collapsed lung), pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lung arteries) and asthma may also cause chest pain.