Not all chest discomfort is a symptom of a heart attack

Why Does My Chest Hurt? 3 Signs It Might Not Be a Heart Attack

Not all chest discomfort is a symptom of a heart attack

woman with chest pain

Heart attacks are no joke — in the U.S., they happen every 40 seconds, with about 805,000 heart attacks occurring every year. But just how do you know when that chest pain you feel is actually a heart attack and not something else entirely?

The answer, says cardiologist Curtis Rimmerman, MD, is knowing that your pain is sudden, persistent and not pinpointed to one location. But even if you’re unsure, if you’re at higher risk for a heart attack, any chest pain deserves immediate attention.

“When in doubt, err on the side of caution and visit a doctor or emergency room immediately,” advises Dr. Rimmerman.

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Does the location of chest pain matter?

You may be wondering why your chest is hurting if you have pain on the right side or middle of your chest and whether it’s a sign of a heart attack. In truth, the location of your chest pain matters less — especially if it’s pinpoint pain the size of a dime or quarter in a specific, localized area of your chest.

“When you’re trying to distinguish whether or not it’s a heart attack, location is overrated,” says Dr. Rimmerman. “You should never put too much value into location because you could lose functioning heart muscle the longer you wait to figure out what’s causing your pain.”

Some people have what’s called “silent heart attacks,” where they don’t experience any pain at all. But those who do experience pain during a heart attack can feel it anywhere in their chest, typically across an area roughly the size of their fist or larger.

It’s also important to note that if you’re having a heart attack, you can also experience referred pain in other areas of your body that include your:

  • Neck or throat.
  • Shoulders.
  • Upper back between your shoulder blades.
  • Left or right side of your jaw.
  • Left or right mid-to-upper arms.

“Location is only one factor in determining if it’s cardiac or not,” notes Dr. Rimmerman.

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