Mimicking a heart attack When chest pain turns out not to be a heart attack, it is good news; but it also might indicate that you need to talk with a doctor about what is causing the discomfort.
Some of the most common non-cardiac conditions that can feel like a heart attack include: Heartburn: One of the most frequent causes of chest pain is a type of indigestion that can feel as though your heart is on fire yet has nothing to do with the heart.
Your doctor can determine if you need treatment, such as medications for acid reflux or related conditions. Panic attack: This is a feeling of being out of control, with sudden overwhelming anxiety and fear. Physical symptoms may include increased heart rate, trembling, shortness of breath, weakness or dizziness, chest pain, sweating, and nausea.
It is a disabling psychiatric condition with serious consequences that can affect your quality of life and lead to depression and thoughts of suicide. Gallbladder disease, such as gallstones: Problems with this small organ can cause pressure or severe muscle spasms and pain in your upper right stomach area that may radiate into the chest. Peptic ulcer: These are painful sores that develop when acid in the digestive tract eats away at the lining inside your stomach, esophagus or small intestine.
The most common symptom is stomach pain, which can radiate to the middle of your chest. Pulmonary conditions: Pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy and other lung infections can make breathing difficult and cause chest pain. Boerhaave syndrome: This is a rupture in the esophagus that often is caused by heavy vomiting.
Other causes include weightlifting, epileptic seizures, abdominal trauma and childbirth, all of which can increase pressure in the esophagus and cause a rupture. More News. UAB Experts. Featured Video. Tweets by UABNews. Peptic ulcers , which are sores in the stomach lining, do not usually cause intense pain. However, they can result in a recurring discomfort in the chest. Taking antacids, which are available to purchase online and in pharmacies, can usually relieve pain caused by peptic ulcers.
GERD refers to when the contents of the stomach move back up into the throat. It can cause a burning feeling in the chest and a sour taste in the mouth.
Asthma is a common breathing disorder characterized by inflammation in the airways, which can cause chest pain. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing.
When air builds up in the space between the lungs and ribs, a lung can collapse, causing sudden chest pain when breathing. If someone has a collapsed lung, they will also experience shortness of breath, tiredness , and a rapid heart rate.
Costochondritis is inflammation of the cartilage of the rib cage. This condition can cause chest pain. Costochondritis pain may get worse when sitting or lying in certain positions, as well as when a person does any physical activity. Esophageal contraction disorders are spasms or contractions in the food pipe. These disorders can also cause chest pain. Changes in pressure in the food pipe or the presence of acid can sometimes cause severe pain.
At present, experts are not sure what causes this sensitivity. If the food pipe bursts, this can result in sudden, intense chest pain. An esophageal rupture may occur after intense vomiting or an operation involving the esophagus. A hiatal hernia is when part of the stomach pushes up into the chest. This type of hernia is very common and may not cause any symptoms.
However, if the top of the stomach pushes into the lower part of the chest after eating, it can cause symptoms of GERD , such as heartburn and chest pain.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is when the heart grows too thick due to genetic factors. The thickening of the heart prevents blood from flowing from the heart properly, causing the muscle to work very hard to pump blood.
Symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy include chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. Tuberculosis bacteria growing in the lungs can cause symptoms such as a bad cough, coughing up blood or sputum, or pain in the chest. Chest pain, palpitations, and dizziness are all symptoms of mitral valve prolapse , which is when a valve in the heart is unable to close fully.
In mild cases, this condition may have no obvious symptoms. A panic attack may cause chest pain in addition to nausea, dizziness, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and fear. Pericarditis is inflammation of the sac around the heart. It can result in sharp chest pain that is made worse by intakes of breath or lying down.
Pleurisy is inflammation of the membrane that covers the lungs. Items 9—16 describe causes of respiratory-related chest pain. Chest pain associated with pulmonary embolism: gradual or sudden, sharp pain, similar to a heart attack, that gets worse with exertion. A pulmonary embolism PE is a blood clot that gets lodged in an artery in one of your lungs. A PE makes it difficult to breathe. This sensation can form suddenly, and breathing gets harder with exertion. The chest pain and tightness from a PE feels like a heart attack.
It also gets more severe with physical activity. Other symptoms include swelling in the lower leg and a cough that may include blood mixed with mucus. If any of these symptoms develop suddenly, seek immediate emergency medical help. A pulmonary embolism can stop blood flow to the heart, causing immediate death. A collapsed lung , also called pneumothorax, occurs when air gets in between the chest wall the rib cage, and several layers of muscle and tissue and the lungs.
This buildup of air can put pressure on a lung and keep it from expanding when you inhale. If you have a collapsed lung, breathing in will hurt and ultimately become difficult. It may feel like the pain is in your chest due to the location of the lung.
Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect you have a collapsed lung. Chest pain associated with pneumonia: sharp or stabbing pain that increases when you inhale.
The chest pain with pneumonia usually starts as a sharp or stabbing pain that is worse when you inhale. If you have chest pain when inhaling, see a doctor soon. If you have chest pain and are coughing up blood, call your local emergency services.
Asthma is a condition that causes inflammation of your airways. They tighten and produce more mucus. You may feel an uncomfortable tightness in your chest when having as asthma attack. Asthma can usually be controlled with inhaled medications. Chest pain associated with COPD: tightness in the chest, often worse with exertion.
COPD refers to a few different conditions in which your airways become inflamed, restricting the flow of air in and out of your lungs. The two main examples are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Symptoms of COPD include:. Chest pain associated with pleurisy: sharp chest pain that worsens with breathing or coughing.
The pleura is a membrane that includes the tissue lining the inner wall of your chest cavity and the layer of tissue that surrounds the lungs. When the pleura becomes inflamed, the condition is called pleurisy or pleural disease. There are several types of pleurisy with a variety of causes, including cancer. Lung cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in your lungs that interfere with healthy lung function.
Symptoms of lung cancer include:. Unexplained chest and back pain should prompt a visit to your doctor soon, especially if your cough is getting worse or more frequent. If you cough up blood or phlegm tinged with blood, which is common with lung cancer, seek immediate emergency medical help.
Your blood pressure is the force of blood against the inner walls of your arteries as it circulates through your body. When the pressure is high in the arteries serving your lungs, the condition is known as pulmonary hypertension. It can lead to serious consequences, such as heart failure. Eventually, pulmonary hypertension causes you to be tired, even at rest.
You will also feel:. Pulmonary hypertension can often be treated with medications and lifestyle changes. You should be evaluated by a physician if pulmonary hypertension symptoms emerge. While most heart- and lung-related causes of chest pain get worse with exercise, chest discomfort triggered by a digestive issue may actually improve with exertion and get worse when you lie down.
Most digestive causes of chest pain are related to problems with your esophagus. The esophagus is the tube that carries food and liquids down your throat and into your stomach.
Items 17—24 are digestion-related causes for chest pain. Acid reflux is a common condition that results when stomach acid moves back up the esophagus and irritates the lining of the esophagus.
GERD is a more serious, persistent form of this condition. The resulting chest pain is known by a more common term: heartburn. GERD can also cause difficulty swallowing and a feeling that there is something caught in your throat. The stomach acid irritating your esophagus can lead to serious health problems if not treated. Chest pain associated with esophagitis: burning sensation and discomfort when swallowing.
Esophagitis is an inflammation of the tissue in the esophagus. It can be caused by GERD or other conditions, such as allergies or an infection. Esophagitis can make swallowing painful and difficult, while also causing chest pain. In many cases, the pain is like the heartburn brought on by GERD. Chest pain associated with esophageal rupture: mild to severe, and comes on quickly.
The lining of the esophagus can sometimes tear. Food and liquids are able to escape through the tear into the chest cavity. This condition can cause mild or severe pain in the chest, depending on the size and location of the tear. The pain usually comes on quickly and is often accompanied by:. A doctor can use an endoscopy to diagnose this condition. Endoscopy is a procedure in which a very thin tube carrying a tiny camera is guided down the throat and into the esophagus to provide pictures of the esophagus wall.
Treatment options include medications to help relax the muscles to ease swallowing, as well as minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Dysphagia is the clinical term for a swallowing disorder. You may have a problem at the top of the throat or farther down the esophagus. A swallowing disorder that affects the esophagus can cause chest pain, as well as coughing.
If you start to have swallowing problems, make an appointment to see your doctor. There are many potential causes of dysphagia. Chest pain associated with gallstones: intense pain that radiates from the upper abdomen to the chest area. Gallstones are hardened little clusters of cholesterol or bilirubin. Bilirubin is a compound created when red blood cells break down. Gallstones form in your gallbladder.
The gallbladder is an organ that contains a chemical called bile, which is used to help with digestion. When gallstones block the bile duct, you can experience intense pain in your upper abdomen.
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