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Chest pain can be scary, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re having a heart attack. Here’s what else it could indicate.Chest pain or discomfort is one of the symptoms people experience when they are having a heart attack, but it can also be a sign of something else. These questions can help you figure out whether your symptoms mean you should get immediate medical help or make an appointment with a doctor. Do your symptoms appear after eating?If you have overindulged or eaten greasy or spicy foods, you may experience a scorching feeling in your chest. This could be heartburn, which is a symptom of acid reflux and is caused by GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. “30%-40% of patients presenting to ER with chest pain have chest pain due to acid reflux, or GERD,” says Caitlin Houghton, MD, a general surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC and assistant professor of clinical surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Although, “heartburn can be due to heart problems and should be checked by an ER or local doctor,” she adds. Is your pain accompanied by a runny nose, coughing, sore throat and fever?Acute bronchitis can make your chest ache, a pain that worsens if you have a hacking cough. The condition occurs when your bronchial tubes become inflamed. Mucus builds up, leading to shortness of breath and feeling like you have a cold. Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and ask you to rest and drink plenty of liquids to thin the mucus and keep your bronchial tubes lubricated. If symptoms continue longer than 10 days, consider getting a chest X-ray to determine whether your condition has turned into pneumonia or if there is another culprit causing your pain. Do you have a rapid heart rate, fever, fatigue or trouble breathing?Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that produces symptoms resembling a heart attack. If you have these symptoms, seek medical help immediately. Do you feel pressure in your chest and discomfort in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back? Do you feel like you have indigestion?Angina signals an underlying heart condition that can lead to a heart attack. Stable angina is triggered by emotional stress, smoking, heavy meals and extreme variances in temperature, all of which cause your heart to work harder. This type of angina is episodic but controllable. Your doctor can help you understand and manage the condition. Unstable angina is characterized by sudden chest pain or worsening or persistent chest discomfort that occurs during sleep or reduced physical activity. It is caused by a reduction in blood flow to the heart. This is a serious health issue that requires immediate medical attention. Are you experiencing shortness of breath, nausea, arm pain, fatigue, profuse sweating or pale and clammy skin?If you experience these symptoms for longer than five minutes and have no explanation for them, call 911. You could be having a heart attack. Topicsacute bronchitis angina chest pain Dr. Caitlin Houghton heart attack heartburn myocarditis Heidi Tyline King is a former magazine editor who has written for numerous national publications. Is this cause for concern? Your sternum, or breastbone, connects the two sides of your rib cage together. It sits in front of many major organs located in your chest and gut, including your heart, lungs, and stomach. As a result, many conditions that don’t necessarily have anything to do with your sternum may cause pain in your sternum and the surrounding area. Your first reaction to chest pain, especially severe or consistent chest pain, may be to think it’s a heart attack. But in many cases, chest pain has nothing to do with your heart. This is especially true if you’re under age 40 and don’t have any serious health issues or existing conditions. Sternum pain is actually more likely caused by conditions that have to do with your muscles, your bones, or your digestive tract than with your heart or the sternum itself. Keep reading to learn the most common reasons for sternum pain and when you should see your doctor. The most common cause of sternum pain is a condition called costochondritis. This occurs when the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum becomes inflamed. Symptoms of costochondritis include:
Costochondritis doesn’t always have a specific cause, but it’s most often a result of a chest injury, strain from physical activity, or joint conditions like osteoarthritis. Costochondritis isn’t a serious condition and shouldn’t cause you to be concerned. See your doctor if the pain persists or if you have other symptoms that might indicate a more serious underlying condition. Conditions or injuries to the muscles and bones around your sternum can also cause sternum pain. This includes:
These aren’t the only musculoskeletal conditions that may make your sternum hurt, but they’re among the most common. Sternoclavicular joint injuryThe sternoclavicular joint (SC joint) connects the top of your sternum with your collarbone (clavicle). Injury to this joint can cause pain and discomfort in your sternum and in the area in your upper chest where this joint exists. Common symptoms of injury to this joint include:
Collarbone traumaThe collarbone is directly connected to your sternum, so injuries, dislocation, fractures, or other trauma to the collarbone can affect the sternum. Common symptoms of collarbone trauma include:
Sternum fractureFracturing your sternum can cause a lot of pain, because your sternum is involved in many of your upper body movements. This type of injury is often caused by blunt force injuries to your chest. Examples of this include your seat belt tightening in a car accident or your chest getting hit while you’re playing sports or doing other high-impact physical activity. Common symptoms include:
Muscle strain or herniaPulling or straining a muscle in your chest can cause pain around your sternum. Common symptoms of a pulled muscle include:
A hernia can also cause sternum pain. A hernia happens when an organ is pushed or pulled from the area where it normally sits into a nearby part of the body. The most common kind is a hiatal hernia. This happens when your stomach moves up past your diaphragm into your chest cavity. Common symptoms of a hiatal hernia include:
Check out: Muscle strain treatment » Your sternum sits right in front of several major digestive organs. Conditions that affect your esophagus, stomach, and intestines can all cause sternum pain. Having heartburn or acid reflux after a meal are the most common gastrointestinal causes for sternum pain. HeartburnHeartburn happens when acid from your stomach leaks into your esophagus and causes chest pain. It’s common to get right after you eat. Pain usually gets worse when you lie down or bend forward. Heartburn usually goes away without treatment after a short time. Check out: Post-meal tips to ease heartburn » Acid refluxAcid reflux is similar to heartburn, but happens when stomach acid or even what’s in your stomach starts to bother or wear away the lining of your esophagus. It can be part of a chronic condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease. Symptoms of acid reflux include:
Learn more: How to prevent acid reflux and heartburn » Conditions that affect your lungs, windpipe (trachea), and other parts of your body that help you breathe can cause sternum pain. PleurisyPleurisy happens when your pleura gets inflamed. The pleura is made up of tissue within your chest cavity and around your lungs. In some cases, fluid can build up around this tissue. This is called pleural effusion. Common symptoms include:
BronchitisBronchitis happens when the bronchial tubes that bring air into your lungs become inflamed. It often happens when you get the flu or a cold. Bronchitis pain can also make your sternum hurt as you breathe in and out. It can last only briefly (acute bronchitis) or become a long-term condition (chronic bronchitis) due to smoking or infections. Common bronchitis symptoms include:
Flu or cold symptoms that can go along with bronchitis include:
Check out: 7 home remedies for bronchitis » PneumoniaPneumonia happens when your lungs get infected by a virus or bacteria. Common symptoms of pneumonia include:
Other conditions that affect your gastrointestinal tract or your chest muscles can cause sternum pain. Stomach ulcerA stomach ulcer (peptic ulcer) happens when you get a sore on the lining of your stomach or at the bottom of your esophagus. Symptoms of a stomach ulcer include:
Panic attackA panic attack happens when you suddenly feel fear, as if something dangerous or threatening is happening, with no actual reason to be afraid. It’s often a result of stress or a symptom of mental health conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression. Symptoms of a panic attack include:
Check out: 11 ways to stop a panic attack » Sternum pain can sometimes be the result of a heart attack. This is much less likely if you’re under age 40 or are in overall good health. They’re more likely to happen if you’re over 40 and have an existing condition, such as heart disease. A heart attack is life-threatening. You should go to the emergency room right away if you have any symptoms besides sternum pain that may indicate a heart attack, especially if they appear without any obvious cause or if you’ve had a heart attack before. Symptoms of a heart attack include:
The more of these symptoms you have, the more likely that you’re having a heart attack. See your doctor right away if you have heart attack symptoms or symptoms that cause you sharp, consistent pain that gets in the way of your daily life. You should also see your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
If you’re experiencing other symptoms and they last for more than a few days, talk to your doctor. You can find a primary care doctor near you through the Healthline FindCare tool. Your next steps depend on what condition might be causing your sternum pain and how severe the condition is. You may just need to take over-the-counter pain medication or change your diet. But you may need long-term treatment if the underlying condition is more serious. In some cases, you may need surgery to treat a heart or gastrointestinal condition. Once your doctor diagnoses the cause, they can develop a treatment plan that can help relieve the symptoms and causes of your sternum pain. What does it mean if middle of chest hurts?Chest pain may be caused by angina or a heart attack. Other causes of chest pain can include indigestion, reflux, muscle strain, inflammation in the rib joints near the breastbone, and shingles. If in doubt about the cause of your chest pain, call an ambulance.
How do you treat middle chest pain?Treatment. Artery relaxers. Nitroglycerin — usually taken as a tablet under the tongue — relaxes heart arteries, so blood can flow more easily through the narrowed spaces. ... . Aspirin. ... . Thrombolytic drugs. ... . Blood thinners. ... . Acid-suppressing medications. ... . Antidepressants.. How do you know if chest pain is muscular or heart?The pain of a heart attack differs from that of a strained chest muscle. A heart attack may cause a dull pain or an uncomfortable feeling of pressure in the chest. Usually, the pain begins in the center of the chest, and it may radiate outward to one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
What causes chest pain in a woman?The cause may be related to the heart, the muscles, the digestive system, or psychological factors. Underlying causes of chest pain may be mild, as in the case of acid reflux. Or, they may be serious and indicate, for example, a heart attack.
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The middle of my chest is sore
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