Chest pain can have many causes. Although the heart causes are serious, some of the others can also need immediate attention.
Heart causes
- Coronary disease/Angina– Can be fatal
- Pericarditis- inflammation around the lining of the heart
- Aortic Dissection- a tear in the arteries- Can be fatal
Lung causes
- Pneumonia
- Pleurisy- inflammation of the lining of the lung
- Pulmonary Embolism- a clot in the lung- Can be fatal
- Pneumothorax- a collapsed lung
Gut
- Indigtesion
- Acid reflux
- Stomach Ulcer
Chest wall
- Ribs eg fractures
- Cartillages- eg chostochondritis
- Muscles- eg torn muscles
- Nerves- eg shingles
A thorough assessment may involve ECG, Echocardiography, Bloods, Chest X ray, CT scans.