Is your chest pain a heart attack or something else? The Harvard Heart Letter discusses

That dull burning in your chest doesn't seem to be going away, and it feels like it's getting worse. Is it a heart attack or something else? That's a vexing question, one that millions of people and their doctors face each year. It's a problem because chest pain can stem from dozens of conditions besides heart attack, from pancreatitis to pneumonia to panic attack, reports the May 2010 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.

Doctors use several pieces of information to determine who is, and who isn't, having a heart attack. The most accurate are blood tests for markers that show damage to the heart muscle, such as creatine kinase and cardiac troponin. But since it takes awhile for blood levels of these proteins to get measurably high, the best early methods are an ECG (electrocardiogram) plus the story and description of your chest pain and other symptoms.

The Harvard Heart Letter notes that it is more likely to be a heart attack if you experience

  • a sensation of pain, or of pressure, tightness, squeezing, or burning
  • the gradual onset of pain over the course of a few minutes
  • pain in a diffuse area, including the middle of the chest
  • pain that extends to the left arm, neck, jaw, or back
  • pain or pressure accompanied by other signs, such as difficulty breathing, a cold sweat, or sudden nausea
  • pain or pressure that appears during or after physical exertion or emotional stress or while you are at rest.

Symptoms that are less likely to be heart attack include

  • sharp or knifelike pain brought on by breathing or coughing
  • sudden stabbing pain that lasts only a few seconds
  • pain clearly on one side or another
  • pain confined to one small spot
  • pain that lasts for many hours or days without any other symptoms
  • pain reproduced by pressing on the chest or with body movement.

Read the full-length article: "Chest pain: A heart attack or something else?"

Disclaimer:

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Free Healthbeat Signup

Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!

Sign Up
Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift.

The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness, is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School

Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health, plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise, pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School

Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss...from exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts. PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts.

BONUS! Sign up now and
get a FREE copy of the
Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness

Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School.

Plus, get a FREE copy of the Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness.