What is chest pressure?

Chest pressure is the sensation of a

squeezing, tightening, crushing or
pressing in the chest area, with or without
pain. It is sometimes described as a
feeling of a band tightening around your
chest or of something heavy sitting on
your chest. A pressure sensation can
come from a condition occurring in any
part of your chest, including your chest
wall muscles, esophagus, heart, lungs,
nerves, ribcage, or tendons. If you
have pain with the pressure, it may radiate
between your chest and your neck,
abdomen or back.

Chest pressure can be a symptom of

disorders such as heartburn or
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Chest pressure accompanied by pain that
changes with breathing or that radiates to
your back may be pleuritic pain (usually
caused by dryness or inflammation in the
sac that surrounds the lungs) or muscle
inflammation. Other causes of chest
pressure include anxiety and more serious
conditions such as anaphylaxis (a life-
threatening allergic reaction) or heart
conditions ranging from rapid heart rate
(tachycardia), to heart attack (myocardial
infarction) and irregular heart rhythm
(arrhythmia).

Depending upon the cause, chest

pressure can be accompanied by other
symptoms, including fast heart rate,
sweating, abdominal pain, or difficulty
breathing. Unexplained pressure in the
chest should always be investigated by a
health care practitioner.

Seek immediate medical care (call

911) if you, or someone you are with,
experience chest pressure or pain;
confusion or loss of consciousness, even
for a brief moment; pounding or rapid
heart rate (tachycardia); shortness of
breath or difficulty breathing or
swallowing; or sudden swelling of the
throat, face or lips. Seek prompt medical
care if you experience chest pain that gets
worse with breathing or a change in
position or a regurgitation of stomach
contents up into the esophagus, throat or
mouth.

What other symptoms might occur with

chest pressure?
Chest pressure may accompany other
symptoms, which vary depending on the
underlying disease, disorder or condition.
Symptoms that frequently affect the chest
may involve any of several body systems.

Cardiovascular symptoms that may

occur along with chest pressure
Chest pressure may accompany
symptoms related to the cardiovascular
system including:

 Chest pain that may radiate to the

jaw or down the arm
 Dizziness or lightheadedness
 Fainting or change in level of
consciousness or lethargy
 Irregular heart rate (arrhythmia)
 Rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
Respiratory symptoms that may occur
along with chest pressure
 Chest pressure may accompany
symptoms related to the respiratory
system including:
 Chest pain that gets worse with
breathing or a change in position
 Cough or wheezing (whistling sound
made with breathing)
 Difficulty breathing
 Shortness of breath
 Sudden runny nose (nasal
congestion)
Gastrointestinal symptoms that may
occur along with chest pressure
 Chest pressure may accompany
symptoms related to the
gastrointestinal system including:
 Abdominal pain
 Difficulty swallowing
 Heartburn
 Nausea with or without vomiting
 Regurgitation of stomach contents
up into the esophagus, throat or
mouth
 Sudden diarrhea
Other symptoms that may occur along
with chest pressure
Chest pressure may accompany other
symptoms including:

 Anxiety
 Hives or a sudden itchy feeling
 Slurred speech
 Sudden skin redness, warmth or
swelling
 Sweating, especially
profuse sweating
Serious symptoms that might indicate
a life-threatening condition
In some cases, chest pressure may be a
symptom of a life-threatening condition
that should be immediately evaluated in
an emergency setting. Seek immediate
medical care (call 911) if you, or
someone you are with, have any of these
life-threatening symptoms including:

 Chest pain or tightness

 Confusion or loss of consciousness,
even for a brief moment
 Difficulty breathing or swallowing
 Dizziness or lightheadedness
 Hives or sudden itchy feeling
 Rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
 Sudden swelling of the face, throat
or lips
 Sweating, especially profuse
sweating
What causes chest pressure?
Chest pressure can be a symptom of a
disorder such as heartburn or
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Chest pressure accompanied by pain that
changes with breathing or that radiates to
your back may be pleuritic pain (usually
caused by dryness or inflammation in the
sac that surrounds the lungs) or muscle
inflammation. Other causes of chest
pressure include an anxiety or panic
attack, or more serious conditions such as
anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic
reaction) or heart conditions.

Cardiovascular causes of chest

pressure
Chest pressure may be caused by heart
problems including:

 Angina (chest pain or pressure due

to decreased blood supply to the
heart)
 Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
 Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Other causes of chest pressure
Chest pressure can also be caused by
certain digestive, inflammatory or
pulmonary disorders, or by allergic or
stress-related reactions including:

 Anaphylaxis (life-threatening allergic

reaction)
 Anxiety or panic attack
 Chest wall muscle inflammation
 Gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD)
 Pleurisy (dryness or inflammation in
the sac that surrounds the lungs)
Serious or life-threatening causes of
chest pressure
In some cases, chest pressure may be a
symptom of a serious or life-threatening
condition that should be immediately
evaluated in an emergency setting. These
conditions include:

 Anaphylaxis (life-threatening allergic
reaction)
 Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
 Pulmonary embolism (blocked blood
vessel in the lungs due to a blood
clot)
Questions for diagnosing the cause of
chest pressure
To diagnose your condition, your doctor or
licensed health care practitioner will ask
you several questions related to your
chest pressure including:
 How long have you felt chest
pressure? When did you first notice
it?
 Do you have pain or a pounding
heartbeat with your chest pressure?
 Have you experienced confusion
with your chest pressure?
Anxiety? Slurred speech?
 Do you have trouble breathing or
swallowing?
 Does your pain change or increase
either when you breathe or when you
change position?
 Do you ever regurgitate your
stomach contents up into your
esophagus or throat?
 Do you have any other symptoms?