Dr. Aoife Murphy
In personOnlineIMC verified
Chest pain
Chest pain can feel like pressure, tightness, burning, heaviness or sharp pain. Because serious heart and lung problems can feel similar to less serious causes, new or worrying chest pain should be assessed quickly.
When to get emergency care
Get emergency help immediately if you have any of these:
- Chest pain, pressure or heaviness lasting more than a few minutes or coming back repeatedly.
- Pain spreading to the left or right arm, shoulder, jaw, neck, back or upper belly.
- Chest pain with sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, fainting or extreme weakness.
- Chest pain during activity or in someone with diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking history or known heart disease.
- Chest pain with coughing blood, blue lips, one-sided leg swelling or sudden severe breathlessness.
Get emergency help or call 112
Common causes
- Heart-related problems that need urgent assessment.
- Acid reflux or indigestion.
- Muscle strain or rib pain.
- Chest infection, asthma flare or other lung problems.
- Anxiety or panic, after dangerous causes have been considered.
What to expect at your consultation
- Emergency staff may check oxygen level, blood pressure and heart rhythm.
- An ECG and blood tests may be needed to look for heart strain or injury.
- Further care depends on the likely cause and how stable the person is.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I wait to see if chest pain goes away?
- Do not wait if chest pain is heavy, spreading, or comes with sweating, nausea or breathlessness. Seek emergency care.
- Can gas or acidity feel like chest pain?
- Yes, but it can be hard to tell from heart-related pain without assessment.
- Can anxiety cause chest pain?
- Anxiety can cause chest tightness, but a clinician should first consider heart and lung causes when symptoms are new or severe.
- Which doctor checks chest pain?
- Emergency care is safest for red-flag chest pain. A cardiologist may be involved if a heart cause is possible.
Not sure how urgent this is?
Answer a few questions and we will tell you how soon to be seen.
Check my symptomsWhich doctor should I see?
- Cardiologist Chest pain can involve the heart and may need ECG, blood tests and specialist review.
- General Physician Can assess less urgent chest discomfort and coordinate tests or referral.
- Pulmonologist Helpful when chest pain is linked with cough, wheeze or breathing symptoms.
Not sure? See a general physician
Related doctors
Verified profiles for chest pain start with cardiologist.
Not sure which doctor fits? See a general physician