Noncardiac Chest Pain

In many cases, people who come to the emergency room with chest pain don’t have a problem with their heart. Instead, the pain is caused by other conditions. The health care team needs to be sure that you don't have a life-threatening cause for chest pain, such as:

• A heart attack.

• A blood clot in the lungs.

• A collapsed lung.

• A ruptured esophagus.

• Tearing of the aorta.

After these major causes have been ruled out, you may be checked for other causes of chest pain. These may be problems with the lungs, muscles, bones, digestive tract, nerves, or mental health. They include:

• Inflammation around the lungs (pleurisy).

• Collapsed lung (pneumothorax).

• Lung inflammation (pleuritis or pneumonitis).

• Fluid around the lung (pleural effusion).

• Lung cancer (rare cause of chest pain).

• Inflamed cartilage between the ribs (costochondritis).

• Fibromyalgia.

• Rheumatoid arthritis.

• Chest wall strain.

• Reflux.

• Stomach ulcer.

• Spasms of the esophagus.

• Gallstones.

• Gallbladder inflammation.

• Panic or anxiety attacks.

• Emotional distress.

After you've been checked, if your chest pain doesn’t appear to be caused by a heart problem, keep watching for the warning signs listed below.