Chest pain
Most chest pain isn't a sign of anything serious but you should get medical advice just in case. Get immediate medical help if you think you're having a heart attack.
Call 999 if you have sudden chest pain that:
- spreads to your arms, back, neck or jaw
- makes your chest feel tight or heavy
- also started with shortness of breath, sweating and feeling or being sick
You could be having a heart attack. Call 999 immediately as you need immediate treatment in hospital.
See a GP or go to your local walk-in centre if:
- you have chest pain that comes and goes
- you have chest pain that goes away quickly but you're still worried
It's important to get medical advice to make sure it's nothing serious.
Find a walk-in centre
Common causes of chest pain
Chest pain has many different causes – only the most common are listed below. In most cases, chest pain is not caused by a heart problem.
Your symptoms might give you an idea of the cause. Don't self-diagnose – see your GP if you're worried.
| Chest pain symptoms | Possible cause |
|---|---|
| Starts after eating, bringing up food or bitter tasting fluids, feeling full and bloated | heartburn or indigestion |
| Starts after chest injury or chest exercise, feels better when resting the muscle | chest sprain or strain |
| Triggered by worries or a stressful situation, heartbeat gets faster, sweating, dizziness | anxiety or panic attack |
| Gets worse when you breathe in and out, coughing up yellow or green mucus, high temperature | chest infection or pneumonia |
| Tingling feeling on skin, skin rash appears that turns into blisters | shingles |
Chest pain and heart problems
The most common heart problems that cause chest pain include:
- pericarditis – which usually causes a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or lie down
- angina or a heart attack – which have similar symptoms but a heart attack is life-threatening
You're more likely to have heart problems if you're older or know you're at risk of coronary heart disease.
For example, if you:
- smoke
- are very overweight (obese)
- have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol
- have a history of heart attacks or angina in family members under 60 years old
