Conditions other than coronary artery disease and heart attack that cause chest pain

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Conditions other than coronary artery disease and heart attack that cause chest pain

While chest pain is typical of a heart attack and coronary artery disease, it may also be caused by:

· Digestive system problems.

• Stomach acid moving upward into the esophagus (esophageal reflux or heartburn)
• Muscle spasm of the esophagus
• Gallbladder disease
• A sore in the lining of the stomach or small intestine (peptic ulcer)

· Inflammation.

• Inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs (pleurisy)
• Inflammation of the membrane covering the heart (pericarditis)

· Heart, lung, and heart valve problems.

• A tear in the wall of the aorta (aortic dissection)
• Narrowing of the aortic valve (aortic stenosis)
• A blood clot in one of the arteries of the lungs (pulmonary embolism)

· Other causes.

• Panic, anxiety, stress, or depression
• Shingles (herpes zoster), a reactivation of the chickenpox virus that causes pain and a rash
• Pain in the bones and/or muscles of the chest wall

Credits

Last updated:	May 14, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC