What can cause chest pain?
Chest pain has many possible causes, but ruling out heart related conditions such as angina or a heart attack is the first priority. Dr Ravi Assomull explains the various non-cardiac causes of chest discomfort: from muscle strain and costochondritis to acid reflux, which can mimic heart attack symptoms. If your chest pain is persistent or worrying, a consultation with an experienced cardiologist can help rule out serious issues using the latest diagnostic tools.
Learn more about Chest pain or book a consultation with Dr Assomull – no GP referral needed, appointments typically within one working day.
Transcript
Chest pain has multiple causes but absolutely critically it is important to rule out cardiac causes. The most important cardiac cause of chest pain is angina or a heart attack due to blocked arteries. If we can rule out cardiac causes then there's far less concern.
Typical non-cardiac causes of chest pain include musculoskeletal chest pain typically due to tears in the muscles on the chest wall or perhaps inflammation of the joints that attach the ribs to the sternum something called costochondritis. Another possible cause of chest pain may be actually from the gastrointestinal tract where you get acid reflux. Quite often this mimics the characteristics of chest pain and it's quite difficult to tell them apart.
