The specific cause of chest pain is often difficult to interpret. Causes of chest pain can vary from minor problems, such as indigestion or stress, to serious medical emergencies, such as a heart attack . As with other sudden, unexplained pains, chest pain may be a signal for you to get medical help. Use the following information to help you determine whether your chest pain is a medical emergency.

Chest wall pain
One of the most common varieties of harmless chest pain is chest wall pain. One kind of chest wall pain is costochondritis. It consists of pain and tenderness in and around the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breastbone (sternum).Often, placing pressure over a few points along the margin of the sternum results in considerable tenderness limited to those small areas. If the pressure of a finger duplicates your chest pain, you probably can conclude that a serious cause of chest pain, such as a heart attack, isn't responsible.

Other causes of chest wall pain include:
Strained muscles from overuse or excessive coughing
Muscle bruising from minor trauma.

[Prev] [Next]