Chest pain

Chest pain | NHS inform Home Illnesses and conditions Symptoms and self-help Tests and treatments Healthy living Care, support and rights Scotlands Service Directory 0 Home Illnesses and conditions Heart and blood vessels Conditions Chest pain Chest pain Phone 999 immediately if: You or someone else has symptoms like: central chest pain or discomfort in the chest that doesnt go away  it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing pain that radiates down the left arm, or both arms, or to the neck, jaw, back or stomach unconsciousness seizures or fitting difficulty breathing (snoring or rasping) rapid heart beat low or undetectable heart beat chest pain and breathlessness, nausea, sweating or coughing up blood Causes of chest pain There are a number of different conditions that can cause chest pain. You should always seek medical advice to make sure you get a proper diagnosis. Depending on your symptoms and circumstances, you may need further investigation. Heart attack A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart is suddenly blocked. Chest pain is more likely to be caused by a heart attack if it: lasts more than 15 minutes occurs while resting Angina Angina is a condition where the blood supply to the muscles of the heart is restricted. Chest pain caused by angina is usually triggered by physical activity (exertion). It usually gets better with rest after a few minutes. Pulmonary embolism A pulmonary embolism is a blockage in the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs. This can cause sharp, stabbing chest pain that may get worse when you breathe in. It can also be accompanied by: breathlessness a cough dizziness coughing up blood Pericarditis Pericarditis is inflammation of the sac surrounding your heart. This can cause a sudden, sharp and stabbing pain in your chest. It may also cause more of a dull ache. This pain usually gets worse when you lie down. Lung conditions Lung conditions that can cause chest pain include: pneumonia  inflammation of the lungs (usually caused by an infection) pleurisy  inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs (usually caused by an infection) Conditions affecting the lungs can cause sharp chest pain that: gets worse when you breathe in and out is accompanied by other symptoms like coughing or breathlessness If someone has severe pneumonia or pleurisy, they may also have symptoms like: rapid breathing confusion Seek medical advice immediately if you or someone else has symptoms of: a heart attack angina a pulmonary embolism pericarditis pneumonia pleurisy Other causes of chest pain There are many other potential causes of chest pain, including: gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) acid from the stomach comes up into the oesophagus (gullet) causingburning chest pain (heartburn) and an unpleasant taste in the mouth acute cholecystitis  inflammation of the gallbladderthat can cause a sudden sharp pain in the upper right side of your tummy that spreads towards your right shoulder strained muscle  can cause chest pain thats painful and tender to touch costochondritis  inflammation in the cartilage that joins the ribs to the breastbone (sternum) that can cause pain, swelling and tenderness around the ribs panic attack or anxiety  can sometimes be accompanied by chest pain Source: Scottish Government - Opens in new browser window Last updated: 08 March 2024 How can we improve this page? Help us improve NHS inform Thank You Your feedback has been received Dont include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions. Email Address e.g. you@example.com Message Maximum of 500 characters Send feedback Add this page to\n            Info For Me Also on NHS inform Angina What to do in a heart emergency Other health sites NICE: Chest pain NHS inform About NHS inform Editorial policy Contact us Webchat Give feedback about NHS inform Info for Me tool Terms and conditions Privacy and cookies policy Freedom of information (FOI) Accessibility Other languages and formats  2023 NHS 24  v1.1.1.17852