| Name | Cause of chest pain | Symptoms of chest pain | Location of pain | How to relieve chest pain |
| Angina | Angina occurs when there isn’t enough oxygen-rich blood flowing to part of your heart. Angina is caused by narrowed coronary arteries. | discomfort, tightness, pressure, squeezing, heaviness, dull acheAdditional symptoms may include:nausea, shortness of breath, strange feeling or tingling/numbness in the neck, back, arm, jaw or shoulders light headedness, irregular heart beat | May be felt in the centre of the chest or across the chest, into the throat or jaw, down the arms, between the shoulder bladesUnstable angina may be unrelated to activity or stress, comes on more frequently or takes longer to easeAngina symptoms can gradually get worse over 2 to 5 minutes.Angina usually lasts less than 15 minutes | RestAnginine – dissolved under the tongue orNitrolingual sprayed under the tongue |
| Heart Attack | A heart attack happens when plaque cracks inside the narrowed coronary artery – causing a blood clot to form.If the blood clot totally blocks the artery, the heart muscle becomes damaged | similar to angina however last longer than 15 minutes and are not relieved by restAnginine or Nitrolingual sprayAdditional symptoms may include:nausea, vomiting, pale skin, shortness of breath, sweating Heart attacks can also occur with unusual chest pain or no pain | unable to pinpoint exact spotMay be felt in the centre of the chest or across the chest, into the throat or jaw, down the arms, between the shoulder blades | A heart attack is a medical emergency.If pain is not relieved by Anginine or Nitrolingual spray in 10 to 15 minutesStop any physical activity |
| ‘Stent’ Pain | Stent pain is quite common after a coronary stent is inserted and is thought to be caused by stretching of the artery during the procedure | sharp, niggling, localized, fleeting, comes and goes, not related to physical activity | middle or left side of chestcan usually pin point the spot where it hurts | sitting up and leaning forward |
| Pericarditis | Pericarditis is irritation and swelling “inflammation” of the hearts sac that surrounds the heart. Causes include:viral infection, heart attack (Dressler’s Syndrome) – usually occurs 2-5 weeks after heart attackrecent heart surgery | sharp, stabbing, pain not relieved with restAdditional symptoms may include:fever, weakness, shortness of breath, coughing, heart palpitations (feeling your heart beating faster) | middle or left side of chest and can travel to one or both shoulderspain worse when lying down and deep breathing | sitting up and leaning forward |
| Musculoskeletal pain after open heart surgery | It is common to have some chest discomfort after your surgery as your muscles, ligaments, bones, nerves and wounds are healing | aches (dull or sharp), pains, numbness or tingling on chestskin feels sensitive | middle or left side of chestmay last for 6 months or more | try holding a pillow or towel against your chest when you cough or sneezetry a different positionuse pain killers regularlytry massaging and touching chest around the wound to desensitize the nerves |
| Pulmonary embolism or “PE” | A pulmonary embolism occurs when there is a sudden blockage, usually caused by a blood clot, of an artery in the lung | sharp or stabbing chest pain worse when you take a deep breathburning, aching, dull or heavy sensation in chestsudden shortness of breathcough that can produce blood stained mucusAdditional symptoms may include:fast heart rate, sweaty, clammy skin, dizziness or light headedness | middle or on one side of chest | A pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency.doctors will prescribe medications to dissolve the clot and prevent clots from getting larger |
| Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease “GORD” | GORD occurs when stomach acid leaks from the stomach into the oesophagus (food pipe) | burning chest pain, pressure, discomfort or “heartburn” often worse after eatingchest pain not likely to be associated with physical activity or exercise | middle or on one side of chest which can move up to neck and throa | sitting up or standing uprightantacid medicationavoiding certain foods and drinks |
| Anxiety | The body’s stress response causes:tightening of the chest and rib cage musclesstomach and intestinal distress causing chest pain | Pain can be described as:sharp, shooting or burningpressure or chest tensionPain can range from slight to severe and can be related to episodes of nervousness, anxiety, fear or elevated stress | can be located all over chest area and spread to upper back | stress managementrelaxation – deep breathingrest |
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