Why does stress cause chest pain

Chest pain from a heart attack often spreads throughout your chest and radiates to your jaw, shoulders, and arms. By comparison, chest pain from anxiety stays in your chest.

Chest pain from a heart attack starts slowly and gradually gets worse, while an anxiety attack causes sudden chest pain that slowly improves. Many people find that anxiety-related chest pain goes away in about 10 minutes. However, other anxiety-related symptoms can last up to an hour after the pain improves. If you have any questions about chest pain or other heart-related symptoms, call our office in The Woodlands, Texas ,or schedule an appointment online today.

Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, and without treatment it often leads to a heart attack and death. Sometimes these uncomfortable, painful, and frightening symptoms are symptoms of anxiety. In fact, studies suggest that one out of every four individuals seeking treatment for chest pain is actually suffering from panic disorder.

Anxiety chest pain is frequently described as a sharp, stabbing sensation that starts suddenly, even if the person is inactive. However, the person may be feeling stressed or anxious already before the chest pain begins. Chest pain caused by anxiety or a panic attack typically lasts around 10 minutes, but the other symptoms can last for up to an hour. Anxiety chest pain is more common in panic attacks that come on quickly. Chest pain is reported as a symptom in just one out of ten panic attacks that develop slowly.

While there are similarities between anxiety chest pain and pain due to heart conditions, there are some significant differences. Anxiety chest pain most often develops when the individual is at rest, while heart attack pain most often develops when the person is active. Pain from a heart attack frequently travels from the chest to other parts of the body, such as the jaw, shoulders, and arms, but chest pain caused by anxiety remains in the chest.

Anxiety chest pain tends to develop quickly and then fade somewhat rapidly, often within 10 minutes, but heart condition pain starts slowly and gradually increases. Anxiety chest pain may also feel sharper than the pain caused by a heart attack, which people often describe as a squeezing, heavy pressure.

While panic disorders are more common in women, heart attacks are more common in men. Anxiety chest pain can be caused by mechanisms that are not related to the cardiac system, mechanisms that are related to the cardiac systems, or by a combination of both. Mechanisms which are not connected to the cardiac system but can still cause chest pains include:. Panic attacks can also produce physical reactions in the cardiac system that result in chest pain.

These include:. People who experience anxiety may also have heart disease or cardiac issues that can be exacerbated by a panic attack. Professional help can make a huge difference in the lives of individuals who experience panic attacks and anxiety. If you are diagnosed with anxiety chest pain or non-cardiac chest pain, seek professional healthcare to manage your anxiety. Treatments can include cognitive behavioral therapy to manage your anxiety and, if needed, medications Locke, Here are some steps to manage an anxiety attack or panic attack, even with chest pain Locke, :.

Those are useful, though temporary, fixes. While you may not reduce anxiety completely, lifestyle changes can help you reduce the severity of your physical symptoms of anxiety.

Try these strategies to manage your anxiety Locke, :. Chest pain can be frightening. It is important to seek medical attention from a healthcare professional to evaluate if your chest pain is non-cardiac and anxiety-related or a symptom of a heart problem. Both conditions are treatable, so make sure you get the best treatment possible.

Last updated April 12, Written by Tobi Ash. Disclaimer If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider. Advertisement Simplify your skincare routine Every bottle of doctor-prescribed Nightly Defense is made for you with thoughtfully chosen, powerful ingredients and delivered to your door. Learn more. Generalized anxiety disorder: how to diagnose and treat 5 minute read.

What is heart disease? What can you do to prevent it? Yoga for weight loss: fact or fiction? Related articles. Propranolol for anxiety: does it work? Metoprolol for anxiety: what you need to know 5 minute read.