Chest Pain

Most chest pain is not a sign of anything serious but you should get medical advice just in case. Get immediate medical help if you think you're having a heart attack.

Call 999 if you have sudden chest pain that:

• spreads to your arms, back, neck or jaw
• makes your chest feel tight or heavy
• also started with shortness of breath, sweating and feeling or being sick
• lasts more than 15 minutes

You could be having a heart attack so call 999 immediately as you need immediate treatment in hospital.

See a GP if:

• you have chest pain that comes and goes
• you have chest pain that goes away quickly but you're still worried

It's important to get medical advice to make sure it's nothing serious.

Common causes of chest pain

Chest pain has many different causes. In most cases, chest pain is not caused by a heart problem.

Your symptoms might give you an idea of the cause but don't self-diagnose. See a GP if you're worried.