Chest Pain: What It Means and What to Do

Chest pain is scary. It can mean something serious—like a heart attack—or something less dangerous, such as muscle strain or acid reflux. The goal here is simple: help you spot the red flags, take the right first steps, and know when to see a doctor.

Common Causes of Chest Pain

Not all chest pain comes from the heart. Here are the most common reasons you might feel it:

• Heart-related: heart attack, unstable angina, or other heart problems. Pain is often heavy, squeezing, or pressure-like and may spread to the arm, neck, jaw, or back.
• Lung issues: pneumonia, pulmonary embolism (blood clot), or pleurisy. These often come with sharp pain that worsens with breathing and may cause shortness of breath.
• Gastrointestinal: acid reflux, esophagitis, or an ulcer. Pain may feel like burning and happen after eating or when lying down.
• Musculoskeletal: pulled chest muscle, broken rib, or costochondritis. Pain is usually local, sharp, and gets worse with movement or touch.
• Anxiety or panic attacks: chest tightness, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and feelings of dread. These symptoms can mimic heart problems.

What to Do Right Now

If chest pain is sudden, severe, or you have any of these signs—call emergency services immediately: sweating, nausea, fainting, shortness of breath, pain that spreads to the arm/jaw/neck, or a feeling of crushing pressure. Don’t drive yourself if you suspect a heart attack.

If you think it could be a heart attack and you can take aspirin safely, chew one 325 mg tablet while help is on the way. Only do this if not allergic and you’re not on a doctor’s advice to avoid aspirin.

If the pain is mild and you think it’s from reflux or a muscle strain: stop activity, sit upright, try antacids for heartburn, or take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen if you can. Apply heat or ice for muscle pain. If it doesn’t improve in 24–48 hours, see your doctor.

At the hospital, common tests include an ECG (electrocardiogram), blood tests for heart damage (troponin), chest X-ray, and sometimes CT scans or stress tests. These quickly help doctors find the cause.

Want to lower future risk? Quit smoking, control blood pressure and diabetes, eat a balanced diet, move more, and keep a healthy weight. If you have risk factors—family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, or diabetes—talk to your doctor about screening and prevention.

Chest pain can be scary, but knowing the signs and acting fast makes a big difference. When in doubt, get checked. It’s better to be safe and get the answers you need.