You should worry and seek immediate medical help (call 000/emergency services) for chest pain if it's severe, crushing, lasts over 10 minutes, spreads to your arm/jaw/neck/back, or comes with shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, cold sweats, or a fast/irregular heart rate, as these can signal a heart attack, not just anxiety. Always get new or concerning chest pain checked by a doctor to rule out serious heart conditions, even if you think it's anxiety.
Yes, anxiety can cause daily chest pain, especially if it remains unaddressed. Chronic stress and anxiety can lead to persistent muscle tension, particularly in the chest wall and upper body.
Worry about chest pain immediately and call emergency services (like 911 or 000) if it's crushing, squeezing, or heavy, lasts more than a few minutes, or spreads to your arms, back, neck, jaw, or shoulders, especially with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or dizziness. Always get chest pain checked out quickly, as it can signal serious issues like a heart attack or pulmonary embolism, even if symptoms are subtle or feel like indigestion.
Anxiety chest pain is a stabbing pain in the chest brought on or intensified as a result of a panic attack or other anxiety-related episode. If you're experiencing these symptoms, you can practice breathing exercises, eat healthier, avoid caffeine, and seek professional therapy to alleviate these symptoms.
Anxiety disorders fall into several categories. Here are a few of them: Panic disorder – can be associated with cardiac disease or mistaken for heart attack. Feelings of extreme agitation and terror are often accompanied by dizziness, chest pains, stomach discomfort, shortness of breath, and rapid heart rate.
ER for anxiety: Symptoms you should have checked out
In more extreme cases, anxiety can lead to suicidal ideation. If you're having thoughts of harming yourself, it's important to seek immediate emergency care.
chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest. pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy. feeling lightheaded or dizzy. sweating.
Chest pain caused by anxiety usually lasts only during an anxiety or panic episode—often from a few minutes up to around an hour—before gradually easing as the episode resolves.
There are many causes of chest pain besides a heart attack. Some of the most common include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), anxiety, muscle strain, costochondritis, pleurisy, pneumonia, hiatal hernia, and panic attacks among others.
Phone 999 immediately if: You or someone else has symptoms like: central chest pain or discomfort in the chest that doesn't go away – it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing. pain that radiates down the left arm, or both arms, or to the neck, jaw, back or stomach.
There are times when waiting for an appointment is too risky. If you experience any of the following, call 911 right away: Sudden, crushing, or severe chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes. Pain that spreads to the shoulder, neck, jaw, or arms.
Angina tends to radiate, causing referred pain all around the shoulder and neck. Anxiety chest pains/hyperventilation tend to be more localized near the heart. Anxiety chest pains are usually sharper, although not always.
Most times, anxious feelings and heart palpitations come and go quickly. If you keep having anxiety and heart palpitations, talk to your healthcare provider. You may have an anxiety disorder, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or a panic disorder.
Doctors prescribe beta-blockers for high blood pressure, anxiety and other conditions because the medications block the actions of stress hormones that raise the heart rate.
Tips for relieving chest tightness
Heart-healthy drinks (other than water)
Pain from a heart attack feels heavy. Usually, this crushing, squeezing or burning pain radiates to the arm, jaw or back. An anxiety attack may cause pain that feels sharp or stabbing. It stays in the chest and doesn't move to other parts of the body.
The difference is that, when extra heartbeats in the upper and lower chambers are the cause of abnormal rhythm, symptoms may feel like an initial skip or hard thumping beat followed by a racing heart. When anxiety is the trigger, heart rate typically increases steadily rather than suddenly.
Catch the signs early
Stage 1: Also called "aborted myocardial infarction," the first stage doesn't cause tissue death in the heart. Stage 2: The second stage causes cardiomyocyte necrosis (damage to the heart tissues that regulate heartbeat) but doesn't affect microvascular structures (small arteries and capillaries).
Some heart attacks strike suddenly. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps happening and doesn't go away with rest may be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.
At the hospital
If you go to the emergency room, you may have an EKG, blood tests, and a chest X-ray to make sure you're not having a heart attack or other serious problem. The doctor may also give you medicine to help you relax. Talk to your doctor or a therapist if you have panic attacks often.
A panic attack is an episode of severe anxiety. It usually causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, racing heart, sweating and nausea. Infrequent panic attacks can be normal. But repeated panic attacks that happen for no obvious reason are more likely a sign of an anxiety disorder.