Is Sharp Pain in Your Chest Ever Not Serious?
When Symptoms Are Benign vs. Life-Threatening
Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO
Sudden and sharp pain in the chest can feel alarming. It can be challenging to determine if you need to seek immediate medical attention or whether it’s something that will pass. There are many causes, such as pericarditis or precordial catch syndrome.
This article discusses severe and benign causes of chest pain and how to tell the difference.
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Describing Sharp Chest Pain
Sharp chest pain can be difficult to describe if you haven’t felt it yourself. While most types of chest pain are not a cause for concern, a sharp stabbing sensation in the middle or left side of the chest can be alarming to experience.
Location
Typically, sharp and sudden chest pain develops in the chest's middle or left side. It can also radiate into the back, shoulder, or limbs if it is particularly severe.
Sudden Symptoms
The sudden and sharp pain is almost like a stabbing sensation in one area. In some cases, breathing in or lying down can cause the pain to worsen. Sharp chest pain is associated with various conditions, some of which are severe, whereas others are benign.
Related: Chest Pain and Angina
Common Benign Causes of Sharp Pain in Chest
Benign causes of sharp pain in the chest are not cause for concern and aren't typically associated with any serious or life-threatening health disorders. Benign causes of sharp pain in the chest include the following:
Heartburn/Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and heartburn occur when the opening to the esophagus does not fully close. This leads to stomach acid entering the esophagus from the stomach. People can experience sharp sensations in their chest, burning, and pain when it happens. These disorders, although uncomfortable, are not considered severe or life-threatening.
Precordial Catch Syndrome (PCS)
Precordial catch syndrome is a stabbing sensation in the left side of the chest that is often found in children and adolescents. It is not considered serious; typically, the pain goes away a few minutes after it develops.
This type of chest pain does not result from problems with the lungs or heart and is often more associated with muscle spasms or pinched nerves in the chest.
How to Tell If You Have PCS
PCS will develop with a sharp pain on the left side of the chest. However, unlike other sharp pains associated with heart and lung conditions, it does not radiate to the back or other areas and goes away within a few minutes.
Muscle Strains or Spasms
Muscle strains or spasms can occur after lifting heavy objects, working out, or falling. Typically, if the muscles in the chest are affected, they can cause chest pain that is unrelated to the health of the heart or lungs.
Anxiety
While anxiety and panic attacks can be severe conditions, the chest pain that develops is not associated with structural or physical damage to the heart. The symptoms of a panic attack, such as a sharp pain in the chest, can cause a person to fall further into a panic attack due to worry about what may be happening in their body.
Heart Attack vs. Panic Attack
Sometimes, people mistake a panic attack for a heart attack because they can share symptoms. The one key difference to pay attention to is whether you are at rest or exerting yourself because heart attacks are more likely to happen because of exertion. In contrast, panic attacks can occur even if a person is relaxing. Symptoms to watch for include:
Racing heart
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Learn More: Can Anxiety Cause Chest Pain?
More Serious Causes of Sharp Pain in Chest
Severe sharp pains in the chest can also indicate that something is wrong and you require medical attention. In these instances, knowing when you should head to your local emergency department is important. Some possible causes of severe sharp pains in the chest include:
Pericarditis
Pericarditis is a condition that develops when the pericardial layers of the sac that surrounds the heart become inflamed. The main symptom is sharp chest pain, but a person can also experience other symptoms, including:
Weakness
Tiredness
Coughing
Trouble breathing
Pain when swallowing
Severity of Pericarditis
Pericarditis can range in severity from mild and non-life-threatening to a severe condition that continues to cause issues. Because of that, if you suspect you may have pericarditis, you must see a healthcare provider.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a possibly severe and life-threatening infection of the chest that develops when the air sacs in the lungs fill up with fluids. This can lead to various symptoms, such as sharp chest pains. Other signs of pneumonia include:
Cough with or without mucus
Trouble breathing
Fever and chills
Bacteria, viruses, or fungi typically cause pneumonia.
Inflammation of the Lungs' Lining
When the lining of the lungs becomes inflamed, known as pleurisy, it can lead to sharp pains in the chest. The pain comes on when a person breathes deeply, and it can also radiate to the shoulder. Other actions can worsen the pain, including:
Coughing
Sneezing
Moving around
If you have pleurisy, you may also notice that the pain is somewhat relieved if you make your breathing shallow. Other signs of pleurisy include shortness of breath and a dry cough. Pleurisy can develop on its own but can also be caused by other health disorders, including pulmonary embolisms.
Causes of Pleurisy
While pleurisy causes sharp pain in the chest, it often develops in the wake of other health disorders. Roughly 25% of pleurisy cases are idiopathic, meaning no direct physical cause exists. However, the majority of cases are caused by something else, such as:
Myocardial infarction (lack of oxygen to one or more areas of the heart)
Pericarditis
Aortic dissection (tears in the aorta, the body's main artery)
Pneumonia
Pneumothorax (a collapsed lung)
Learn More: My Chest Hurts When I Cough: What’s an Emergency?
Pulmonary Embolism
A blood clot in the lungs is a severe health condition that requires immediate medical attention. According to the American Lung Association, most people who develop a blood clot in the lungs survive the ordeal, but it can sometimes lead to death.
Other signs of a pulmonary embolism include:
Shortness of breath
Sharp chest pain that worsens when you breath
Feeling dizzy or light-headed
Coughing up blood
Pain or swelling in the legs
Back pain
Excessive sweating
A bluish hue of the lips or nails
Related: Chest Pain When Breathing: Causes and When to See a Doctor
Collapsed Lung
A collapsed lung, also known as pneumothorax, can cause sharp chest pains to develop. The discomfort may also radiate into the shoulder and worsen when you breathe or cough.
Collapsed Lung Symptoms to Watch For
A collapsed lung can cause sharp chest pains, but it will likely be present with other signs. Other symptoms of a collapsed lung include:
Shortness of breath
Nasal flaring
Skin turning blue due to a lack of oxygen
Tightness in the chest
Feeling light-headed or as if you may faint
Fatigue
Feeling as though it takes more effort to breathe
Rapid heart rate
Collapse
Learn More: What Is Causing the Pain in Your Chest?
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, which can lead to sharp chest pains. The pain may spread to the neck, back, or shoulders when it develops. The pain associated with myocarditis may be mild or severe but worsens when a person coughs, breathes, or swallows food.
It is considered a severe condition and comes with various other symptoms, including:
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Fever
Chest pain
Fainting or light-headedness
Headaches or body aches
Joint pain
Sore throat
Myocarditis as a Medical Emergency
Some cases of myocarditis may resolve quickly, but if it becomes chronic, there is a risk that it can lead to several life-threatening consequences, such as strokes, heart attacks, or death. Because of that, if you experience any of the symptoms of myocarditis, you should see a healthcare provider promptly.
How to Know for Sure
The best way to determine if your sharp chest pain is severe is by paying attention to other symptoms and your lifestyle. For example, if you often experience chest pain after eating certain foods and aren’t experiencing any other alarming symptoms, there’s a good chance that you simply have heartburn.
However, if chest pain is present alongside difficulty breathing, feeling light-headed, or worsens when you breathe or move, you should see a healthcare provider. Some non-life-threatening conditions still come along with these symptoms, such as panic attacks, but it’s always better to have it checked out so you know for sure.
Emergency Symptoms to Pay Attention To
If you’re wondering if your sharp pain requires medical attention, pay attention to the following symptoms. If you experience them, you should head to your nearest emergency health center. They are:
The pain comes on suddenly and spreads to the back, neck, jaw, or arms.
Your chest also feels tight or heavy.
You can’t breathe properly.
You’re experiencing nausea or vomiting.
You are sweating excessively.
The feelings continue for longer than 15 minutes.
Related: How to Get Rid of Chest Pain: 17 Tips
Summary
Feeling a sharp pain in the chest can be alarming, but it's not always something to worry about. There are benign causes of sharp chest pain, such as heartburn, that do not require you to seek emergency assistance. Chest pain that occurs because of a benign condition does not threaten your life.
When experiencing sharp chest pain, determine what other sensations you're experiencing, whether or not you've experienced the pain before, and if it gets worse or better with time. If it doesn't improve shortly, you should head to your nearest hospital emergency room. The healthcare providers there can investigate the pain, pinpoint a cause, and formulate treatment depending on what's causing it.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
