How To Identify The Cause Of Your Chest Tightness?

Chest pain or chest tightness can often cause panic because it is associated with having a heart attack. With the COVID-19 pandemic still at large many people also worry that pressure on the chest or heaviness in breathing could be a symptom of the disease. While these are possibilities and should not be ignored, there could be other chest tightness causes as well. Read on to learn more about the causes of chest tightness and how to identify which one might be affecting you.

What You Should Know:

• The causes of chest tightness
• How to identify what is causing the heavy feeling in your chest?

1. The causes of chest tightness

Tightness in the chest can be caused due to several reasons including cardiovascular conditions, respiratory conditions, and even gastrointestinal conditions. Some of the more common causes include:

• COVID-19
• Anxiety
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Pneumonia
• Asthma
• Heart attack

Sometimes pressure on the chest can cause anxiety, which can only worsen the feeling of tightness. Learning to identify the differences between the symptoms of these conditions can help you take the appropriate action if you or your loved one experiences chest pains.

2. How to identify what is causing the heavy feeling in your chest?

Besides the tightness in the chest, be aware of these other symptoms which will help you identify the cause:

1. COVID-19: This viral infection that caused a global pandemic in 2020, will also show symptoms like heaviness in breathing, bluish coloring of the lips, and persistent drowsiness along with chest tightness. Contact your doctor if you notice these other symptoms, or go to the hospital if you’re finding it difficult to breathe.

2. Anxiety: An Anxiety attack is usually accompanied by rapid breathing, increased heart rate, sweaty palms, and a feeling of nervousness. These usually last for about 10-20 minutes before passing. The best thing to do is to sit in one place and breathe into a paper bag till the attack passes.

3. GERD: If you are experiencing gastroesophageal reflux disease, the chest pain is usually accompanied by a burning sensation in the chest and feeling like there’s a lump in your throat. Antacids and certain medications, or even yoga can help relieve symptoms.

4. Pneumonia: Pneumonia is a full-blown disease with fever, coughing, chills, fatigue, nausea, and shortness of breath. Visit a doctor at the earliest if you have pneumonia symptoms.

5. Asthma: While asthmatics usually know when they are experiencing an asthma attack, a sudden attack brought on by allergies can be identified by wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing. Visit a hospital in case of a sudden attack.

6. Heart attack: One of the most serious causes of chest tightness, heart attacks can be identified by a pain that radiates outwards to the rest of the body, difficulty breathing, and excessive sweating among other symptoms. Get to a hospital immediately in case of these symptoms.  

If you haven’t seen a doctor and the pressure on the chest continues for over an hour, it is best not to delay going to the hospital any longer.

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