How do You know if Your chest pain is serious? Symptoms of chest pain.

Chest Pain-Chest pain appears in many forms, ranging from a sharp stab to a dull ache. Sometimes chest pain feels crushing or burning. In certain cases, the pain travels up the neck, into the jaw, and then spreads to the back or down one or both arms. Many different problems can cause chest pain. The most life-threatening causes involve the heart or lungs. Because chest pain can indicate a serious problem, it's important to seek immediate medical help.

Symptoms Chest pain can cause many different sensations depending on what's triggering the symptom. Often, the cause has nothing to do with the heart — though there's no easy way to tell without seeing a health care provider. Heart-related chest pain Although chest pain is often associated with heart disease, many people with heart disease say they have a vague discomfort that isn't necessarily identified as pain. In general, chest discomfort related to a heart attack or another heart problem may be described by or associated with one or more of the following: Pressure, fullness, burning or tightness in your chest Crushing or searing pain that spreads to your back, neck, jaw, shoulders, and one or both arms Pain that lasts more than a few minutes, gets worse with activity, goes away and comes back, or varies in intensity Shortness of breath Cold sweats Dizziness or weakness Nausea or vomiting Other types of chest pain It can be difficult to distinguish heart-related chest pain from other types of chest pain. However, chest pain that is less likely due to a heart problem is more often associated with: A sour taste or a sensation of food reentering your mouth Trouble swallowing Pain that gets better or worse when you change your body position Pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough Tenderness when you push on your chest Pain that persists for many hours The classic symptoms of heartburn — a painful, burning sensation behind the breastbone — can be caused by problems with the heart or the stomach. Chest pain be caused by: Panic attack. If you have periods of intense fear accompanied by chest pain, a rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, profuse sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness and a fear of dying, you may be having a panic attack. Shingles. Caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, shingles can produce pain and a band of blisters from the back around to the chest wall. When to see a doctor If you have new or unexplained chest pain or think you're having a heart attack, call 911 or emergency medical assistance immediately. Don't ignore the symptoms of a heart attack. If you can't get an ambulance or emergency vehicle to come to you, have a neighbor or a friend drive you to the nearest hospital. Drive yourself only if you have no other option.