Sharp Chest Pain: Causes of Chronic or Acute Chest Pain

Chronic chest pain is one of the most scaring symptom a person can have, as it is usually considered to be a signal for a heart attack. Fortunately, sometimes an acute chest pain may not be related to any kind of heart problem. At times, even the doctors are unable to identify the actual causes of sharp chest pain and whether they are life threatening or not. The causes of chronic or acute chest pain can originate from any part of the body like lungs, esophagus, stomach, muscles, bone or skin due to complex nerve distribution in the body.

What Causes Sharp Chest Pain?

Sharp pain in right side of chest or sharp pain in left chest, the characteristics may vary as per the cause behind the pain.

Cardiac Causes

• Heart attack causes a pressure or crushing pain in the chest that may last for a few minutes. The pain may also get distributed to the back, neck, jaw, shoulders, arms, especially the left arm. Its symptoms may include shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea along with the chest pain.
• Angina causes pressure or tightness in the chest that may last for more than a few minutes. It occurs due to physical or emotional stress that leads to restricted flow of blood to the heart.
• Inflammation of the sac around the heart known as pericarditis, leads to sharp, piercing and acute chest pain. The person may also feel sick and suffer from fever.
• Aortic dissection is another cause for sharp chest pain in which the inner layers of the main artery (aorta) separate, forcing blood in between them. It causes sudden and tearing chest and back pain.
• Coronary artery spasm causes extreme chest discomfort, as the arteries supplying blood to the heart go into spasm by temporarily closing down the blood flow to the heart.

Non-Cardiac Causes

• Heartburn is a non-cardiac cause of sharp chest pain. It is a painful burning sensation that occurs behind the sternum accompanied by a sour taste and a feeling of regurgitation (food re-entering the mouth). It usually happens after a meal and can also last for few hours.
• Panic attack can be another reason for acute chest pain accompanied by rapid heartbeat, hyperventilation, profuse sweating and shortness of breath.
• Pleurisy is an inflammation of the membrane that lines the chest cavity. It causes severe chest pain that becomes worse especially when the person inhales or coughs.
• Costochondritis is a condition when the cartilage of the ribcage becomes inflamed. It causes sudden and severe chest pain and the person may also assume that he is having a heart attack.
• Achalasia is a swallowing disorder in which the lower esophagus valve doesn't open properly, hence not permitting the food to enter the stomach. As a result, the food backs up into the esophagus which causes chest pain.
• Shingles is a disorder caused by the chickenpox virus, showing symptoms like sharp chest pain and a band of blisters from the back around the chest wall.
• Gallbladder or pancreas problems can be another cause, including symptoms like acute abdominal pain that slowly radiates to the chest.

Sore muscles, esophageal spasms, injured ribs or pinching nerves are some other causes of chronic or acute chest pain. If you ever experience any kind of acute pain, crushing, squeezing or pressure in your chest that lasts for more than a few minutes and slowly deviate to your neck, shoulder or arms, don't ignore it and immediately go to the hospital for necessary medical help.