Whenever you have chest pain, you should never ignore it.
According to WebMD, chest pain can happen for a number of reasons. Among them are heart-related problems, including coronary artery disease or a heart attack; lung issues such as asthma, pneumonia or a collapsed lung; gastrointestinal issues including acid reflux; gallbladder issues and bone, rib, nerve or muscle issues.
You should see a doctor if you have chest pain that comes and goes and visit the emergency room if it’s new, comes on suddenly or goes on for more than five minutes after you rest or take medication, the Cleveland Clinic says.
There are also several kinds of chest pain you should pay attention to and be sure to talk about with your doctor. Here are three, according to Huff Post. Keep in mind that these are not all-inclusive. When it comes to heart attack symptoms, for example, women may not have the same signs as men.
“Although men and women can experience chest pressure that feels like an elephant sitting across the chest, women can experience a heart attack without chest pressure, " Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director for the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU’s Langone Medical Center and an American Heart Association volunteer told the nonprofit. “Instead they may experience shortness of breath, pressure or pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.”
Sharp pain when you rest on your side or inhale
Pain behind the left side of your chest, which often gets worse when you lie on your left side or breathe in deeply, can be a symptom of pericarditis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Chest pain is the most common sign of the condition, which is the swelling and irritation of the thin, sac-like tissue around the heart.
Burning in your chest (or near it)
Tightness or a burning feeling in your chest can often be tied to digestive problems. They include acid reflux, ulcers and a hiatal hernia, which occurs when part of the stomach presses through a hole in the diaphragm inside the chest cavity, according to Healthline. That condition is more likely for people who smoke, are overweight or over the age of 50.
Feeling as if someone is sitting on your chest
When having a heart attack, it can feel as if an elephant is on your chest but it doesn’t have to, according to Dr. Jason Freeman, director of interventional cardiology at Mount Sinai South Nassau.
“Some heart attack symptoms can be quite subtle, like fatigue or general malaise or they can be very severe like chest discomfort at radiates through both arms, shortness of breath or nausea and vomiting,” he explained in a video for the Oceanside, New York hospital.
