Most chest pain is not a sign of anything serious but get medical advice just in case. Get immediate medical help if you think you're having a heart attack.
You could be having a heart attack. Call 999 straight away as you need immediate treatment in hospital.
It's important to get medical advice to make sure it's nothing serious.
Chest pain has many different causes. In most cases, chest pain is not caused by a heart problem.
Your symptoms might give you an idea of the cause. Do not self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried.
Chest pain symptoms | Possible cause |
---|---|
Chest pain symptoms
Starts after eating, bringing up food or bitter tasting fluids, feeling full and bloated |
Possible cause |
Chest pain symptoms
Starts after chest injury or chest exercise, may get worse when you breathe in, feels better when resting the muscle |
Possible cause
Chest sprain or strain |
Chest pain symptoms
An often sharp, continuous pain triggered by worries or a stressful situation, heartbeat gets faster, sweating, dizziness |
Possible cause |
Chest pain symptoms
Gets worse when you breathe in, coughing up yellow or green mucus, high temperature |
Possible cause |
Chest pain symptoms
Tingling feeling on skin, skin rash appears that turns into blisters |
Possible cause |
The most common heart problems that cause chest pain include:
You're more likely to have heart problems if you're older or are at risk of coronary heart disease.
For example, you may be at risk of coronary heart disease if you: