Does stress cause chest pain? Here is all you need to know

Experiencing an unusual chest pain? Stress could be the reason. Check out how stress is affecting your chest.

By Aashna Jain

Updated on Mar 18, 2019 | 03:42 PM IST | 2.5M

Is your chest pain a heart attack or anxiety? Many people go to the doctor thinking it’s a heart disease without any risk factors but turns out the heart is completely normal. This is because stress and anxiety can cause chest pain. Everyone dealing with stress and anxiety experience its symptoms. Chest pain is one of the physical symptoms of it. You feel short of breath, you are sweating and your chest gets tighter and tighter. Chances are that your terrible feelings are due to a panic attack and not a heart attack.

It’s always good to be safe when your heart is concerned. Researchers say that approximately ¼ of the patients who go to the emergency room for treatment of chest pain, have a panic attack disorder.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?

A chest pain caused due to anxiety and stress makes you feel:

Severe Pain

HOW IS THE CHEST PAIN CAUSED?

When we behave anxiously or experience stress, the body activates stress response. This causes a number of changes in the body, preparing the body for danger. One of these changes causes the muscles in the body to contract and tighten. There are muscles in the chest and the rib cage which are tightened to protect the body. As our anxiety increases, the muscle tightens more and more. This causes pain to the chest and nearby areas.