Chest pain and discomfort
Health and lifestyle FAQs
View our short videos specifically designed to answer all your questions about how your health and lifestyle affect your heart health.
What is chest pain?
Chest pain can be a mild, severe, sharp or dull feeling of discomfort in the chest, or you may feel pressure or a tightness in the area. Some people feel a burning or crushing sensation. You may feel this pain for a few minutes, hours, or longer, and it may only occur occasionally or come and go often.
It could affect one side, your entire chest, or the middle, behind your sternum (breastbone). Some feel pain in their abdomen, throat, or upper back. How the pain feels and how long it lasts can indicate the cause, alongside your other symptoms.
When is it an emergency?
You should never ignore chest pain, but there are times when it requires immediate attention. Call 999 or go to the hospital straight away if your pain is sudden and severe.
Additional signs to call an ambulance include:
- Sweating or feeling breathless with the pain
- It extends to your arms, back, neck or jaw
- Your heartbeat becomes very fast or slow
- Your lips, hands, or nail beds turn blue
- It lasts over 15 minutes
- You cough up blood
- You feel or are sick
Sudden chest pain can be a sign of a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or pericarditis, which requires urgent treatment to prevent heart damage and other complications.
Symptoms
Alongside chest pain, you may experience light-headedness, palpitations, coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, or tiredness. You might have swollen legs, ankles, or feet. It could occur while resting, during exercise, when you are particularly stressed, or after eating.
When speaking to your doctor or a heart specialist, let them know if your pain worsens after any action or at a specific time in the day. You should also tell them if anything relieves your symptoms, such as sitting up.
Causes
There are many causes of chest pain or discomfort, some related to heart problems and others stemming from digestive, respiratory, muscular or bone issues. If a heart condition is causing your pain, it might be:
- Angina
- Myocarditis
- Heart failure
- Aortic stenosis
- Aortic dissection
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- An arrhythmia (heart rhythm problem)
Common causes unrelated to the heart include acid reflux or heartburn, anxiety or a panic attack, shingles, asthma, and a pulled chest muscle. Reflux, heartburn, or indigestion are likely causes if you feel pain after eating, especially if you also have a bad taste in your mouth.
Risk factors
You are more likely to experience chest pain if you have an existing heart condition, such as heart disease. People who have high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes, smoke, are obese or have close family members who have had a heart attack have a higher risk of developing chest pain.
A heart problem is more likely to be causing your pain if you have breathlessness, and a massage or medication, such as painkillers, does not improve your symptoms.
Diagnosis
If you visit the emergency department, the healthcare professionals will assess your symptoms and rule out any life-threatening causes.
They may perform an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine if you are having or have had a heart attack. The ECG involves attaching electrodes (sticky patches with wires attached) to your chest to monitor your heart’s electrical signals. They may also do a blood test, chest X-ray, or a CT scan.
If you see a cardiologist (heart specialist) for ongoing chest pain or discomfort, we may recommend the above tests as well as an echocardiogram, exercise stress test, MRI, or angiogram. Once we have confirmed the cause of your symptoms, we can form a tailored treatment plan to suit your needs and preferences.
Treatment
Treatment options vary depending on the cause, from lifestyle changes and medications to surgical and non-surgical procedures. Before beginning any treatment, our specialists will explain its purpose and possible side effects.
If you are having a heart attack, the emergency department will provide medication to dissolve any blood clot (thrombolytics) and may need to perform coronary angioplasty. Another name for this treatment is primary percutaneous coronary intervention (primary PCI), and we use it to widen blocked coronary arteries.
Medications to address the underlying cause or prevent further issues can include thrombolytics, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), statins, diuretics, and blood thinners. We may also need to surgically repair your arteries in a procedure called a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
Prevention
Preventing chest pain involves adopting a proactive approach to maintain overall heart health and well-being. Regular exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling, can help keep your cardiovascular system strong and reduce the risk of chest pain.
A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins supports heart health by managing weight and controlling cholesterol levels. We recommend avoiding drinking alcohol excessively and quitting smoking if you currently smoke.
Managing stress through techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or finding a hobby you enjoy can also prevent chest pain, as stress can worsen heart-related discomfort. If you have an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, work closely with our specialist to manage it effectively.
Book an appointment
If you are experiencing symptoms of heart disease, we recommend speaking to a cardiologist (heart specialist). Our experienced private specialists will thoroughly assess you to determine which tests you need and create a personalised treatment plan once they have the results.
Understanding heart disease is the first step towards taking control of your well-being. book your initial consultation today and prioritise your heart health.
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What our patients say
After suffering from a heart condition for a number of years I was very happy to meet Dr Ahsan, from the first consultation where he believed there was a solution I have now completed the surgery and had my final consultation with him today…
I am very grateful to have Dr Syed Ahsan as my consultant. Dr Ahsan always greets you warmly on each visit despite his busy workload. Dr Ahsan explains everything clearly and helps you to understand even the most complex medical terms…