Is Chest Pain Ever Normal?

Chest pain is never normal. Pain is how your body tells you there’s a problem. But chest pain doesn’t always mean you have a heart problem. Sometimes, you expect chest pain because it’s a “normal” symptom of a chronic health condition.

Because chest pain has many causes, you should always take it seriously and seek medical care from an expert like Samuel I. Fink, MD, an internist in Tarzana, California.

After evaluating your symptoms and running diagnostic tests, Dr. Fink can determine if your chest pain signals a serious heart issue or another problem.

Here’s what Dr. Fink wants patients to understand about chest pain.

Non-heart-related chest pain

Chest pain is a common symptom of conditions such as:

• Heartburn (acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease)
• Pulled muscles or tendons in the chest or rib cage
• Stomach ulcers
• Gallstones
• Gastritis
• Pneumonia
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Panic attacks

Most of these conditions cause chest pain that differs from the pain of a heart attack. For example, non-heart-related chest pain may occur when you move, or it could originate outside your heart.

Chest pain from conditions unrelated to your heart typically comes and goes or doesn’t last long. By comparison, the chest pain associated with a heart attack is unrelenting, and you won’t get relief by relaxing or taking an antacid.

Heart conditions and their symptoms

Chest pain is a symptom of virtually every type of heart condition. In most, the pain occurs alongside other symptoms. The most common heart conditions include:

Pericarditis

Pericarditis is inflammation of the tissues around your heart. Pericarditis pain is typically described as sharp or stabbing, but you could also have a dull, achy chest pain. 

You may feel pain in your left neck or shoulder that may get worse when you lie down, swallow food, or take a deep breath.

Myocarditis

You have myocarditis when the heart muscles become inflamed. In addition to chest pain, myocarditis can cause arrhythmias, shortness of breath, fatigue, and leg swelling.

When a viral infection causes myocarditis, you may also experience fever, body aches, joint pain, and a sore throat.

Heart valve disease

When one or more valves in your heart don’t work properly, you may experience chest pain, abdominal swelling, shortness of breath, dizziness, an irregular heartbeat, and swelling in your ankles and feet.

Aortic dissection

Aortic dissection is a rare disease that occurs when the inner layers of the aorta tear. The aorta is the large artery that carries blood from the heart to your body. When it’s damaged, you have a condition that’s just as serious as a heart attack.

The symptoms of aortic dissection also resemble a heart attack or stroke. You may experience sudden severe chest or upper back pain, shortness of breath, difficulty speaking, loss of vision, and loss of consciousness.

Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in American men and women. Early treatment can be life-saving. 

CAD develops when fatty plaque builds up in the coronary arteries. As the plaque enlarges, it blocks blood flow, depriving the heart of oxygen and causing pain. Chest pain caused by blocked arteries is called stable angina.

Dr. Fink has extensive experience helping patients prevent coronary artery disease and providing expert treatment to protect their health after the disease develops. 

Chest pain from angina versus a heart attack

Stable angina causes chest pain triggered by walking, climbing stairs, or other activities that make your heart work harder. The chest pain of stable angina doesn’t last long. The pain goes away when you rest or take nitrate medication.

By comparison, chest pain caused by a heart attack comes on suddenly (not from physical exercise), the pain doesn’t improve with rest, and the symptoms intensify or worsen.

When you have a heart attack, you’re also more likely to have other symptoms, such as pain in your jaw, neck, arm, or back, as well as shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness.

If you have any questions about chest pain, schedule an appointment with the practice of Samuel I. Fink, MD, by calling 818-609-0700 or using our online system.