Anxiety can sometimes cause physical symptoms like chest pain and pressure. But because these symptoms can also indicate heart conditions, it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis.
Many people feel nervous or worried from time to time as a natural reaction to distressing situations. Others may experience anxiety more frequently or anxiety that occurs with physical reactions, like chest pain.
Chest pain due to anxiety may happen during a panic attack, which is a heightened stress reaction.
However, chest pain also has a possible connection to heart attacks and other heart conditions, so it’s often worth seeing a healthcare professional to rule out life threatening causes of chest pain.
If you don’t have a heart issue and you experience frequent anxiety, learning to understand your chest pain can help you find symptom relief and identify when you need additional medical help.
Keep reading to learn about anxiety chest pain, including what it feels like, how to distinguish it from heart issues, and how to manage and relieve it.
When it’s an emergency
Chest pain can be a symptom of a heart attack. If you may be having a heart attack, seek emergency medical attention.
According to the
- chest pain or discomfort
- lightheadedness, nausea (upset stomach), or vomiting
- jaw, neck, or back pain
- pain or discomfort in the arm or shoulder
- shortness of breath
- unusual tiredness or weakness
If you may be experiencing a heart attack, call 911 or your local emergency services.
Anxiety presents itself in a variety of ways, and that makes detecting or understanding symptoms difficult. Anxiety symptoms vary from person to person, and some days, they aren’t even the same for the same person.
Chest pain associated with anxiety also feels different for each person. Some people may experience chest pain that comes on gradually. For others, the pain may be sudden and unexpected. People might describe anxiety chest pain as:
- sharp, shooting pain
- persistent chest aching
- an unusual muscle twitch or spasm in your chest
- burning, numbness, or a dull ache
- stabbing pressure
- chest tension or tightness
If you don’t have a history of chest pain with anxiety, you may be alarmed. Many people assume they’re having a heart attack and go to the hospital’s emergency department for treatment.
According to a 2022 review of research, an estimated 50% of people come to the emergency department with chest pain that’s not caused by cardiac-related causes. The two most common causes of non-cardiac chest pain include:
If you visit a hospital emergency room and the doctors don’t find a specific cause for your chest pain, consider consulting with your doctor about other possible causes, including anxiety attacks and panic attacks.
Chest pain is a concerning symptom, and it’s usually best to seek emergency medical attention if you’re experiencing it. Even if the chest pain cause is anxiety, it’s better to know for sure than to risk missing valuable time if you’re having a heart attack.
People describe chest pain in the following ways when they’re having a heart attack:
- chest pain that radiates to other parts of your body, such as down your arms or up to your jaw
- chest pain that worsens with exertion
- nausea along with chest pain
- pressure in the chest, as if someone has put something heavy on your chest
- rapid heart rate
- shortness of breath
- squeezing sensation in the chest
An estimated 30% of patients who are having a heart attack don’t have chest pain, according to
While we know that there’s a connection between anxiety and chest pain, you should still take your symptoms seriously and seek medical attention.
Call your local emergency services if you’re having chest pain. Do not attempt to drive yourself to the hospital. Emergency personnel can evaluate you and determine whether you’re having a cardiac event or whether there’s another reason for your chest pain.
Read more about the differences between heart attack pain and panic attack pain.
Anxiety can cause your body to produce physical reactions like sweating or shortness of breath.
When you become anxious, your brain and body set off an immediate stress response. This includes a physiological change. Your body may tighten up or grow tense.
A stress response can also include a psychological or emotional response. You may become aggressive or upset more easily. These responses are referred to as the fight-or-flight response. When you become stressed or anxious, your body prepares to fight back or run away.
If you experience this fight-or-flight stress reaction infrequently, your body should fully recover within 30 minutes. But if you experience it frequently, your body can’t recover as quickly. This can lead to increased muscle tension, and this tension may become painful in your chest.
Likewise, in an even more stressful moment, your heart rate may increase, and the force of your heartbeats can grow stronger. That, combined with tight chest muscles, can make you feel unusual pain.
If you feel anxious, there are some relaxation techniques you can try. These techniques may not work every time, but they’re a great starting point when you need help managing your anxiety.
Practice deep breathing
Focused, deep breaths can calm both your mind and your body. Find a quiet room or area, and inhale for a count of 10. Hold for a second, and then exhale for a count of 10. Repeat this several times as you feel your heart rate fall.
You can also try stimulating pressure points to help you relax.
Practice mindfulness
Focusing on the here and now can also help bring you to the present moment and reduce anxiety. Mindfulness strategies can include focusing on and naming what you’re seeing, hearing, touching, and smelling.
Take stock of the situation
Accept your feelings of anxiety, recognize them, and then work through putting them in perspective.
Are you worried about something you can’t control? Are you fearful of an outcome that’s unlikely? Are you dreading a situation you can’t control the outcome of? Talk your way through your feelings to find the source, and then work to put them into perspective.
Picture a beautiful scene
If you’re feeling anxious, try visualizing a place that instantly calms you. This can be especially helpful if you’re feeling anxious while in a situation you can’t avoid, like a stressful meeting. Practice deep breathing while you envision this location.
Use a relaxation app
Smartphone apps for mental health can walk you through stress reduction techniques and exercises. There are also meditation apps that may help you quiet your mind when you’re feeling anxious. Many of these apps are free, so you can try out several to find one that works for you.
Be proactive about your physical health
Are you taking good care of your body? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating well?
Taking good care of your body is also taking good care of your mind. While this won’t help treat anxiety chest pain, it may help you reduce your risk for anxiety and subsequent chest pain in the future.
Learn more about managing anxiety and stress.
If your anxiety and chest pain are severe or chronic, you may need to consult with a therapist. They can talk you through situations that cause anxiety and share coping techniques.
These techniques may not come naturally to you if you’re often anxious. This is where a healthcare professional can help.
A therapist or doctor may be able to teach you coping techniques that help you feel in control and secure. When you begin to regain a sense of calm, your symptoms, including chest pain, will subside.
If coaching techniques or mental exercises aren’t successful, a doctor may ask you to consider a prescription. Anti-anxiety medications have side effects and risks. But using them as a stopgap while you learn how to cope with symptoms can be helpful.
Chest pain shouldn’t be ignored. If you’re experiencing it, seek medical attention to rule out a heart condition. If your chest pain is found to be related to anxiety, then you can work with a therapist or doctor to learn coping techniques or determine the best treatment for you.
Identifying anxiety as the cause of your chest pain is an important step in treating your condition. As you learn to manage the side effects of anxiety, you’ll also learn to manage unintended complications like chest pain.
It’s important to rule out other causes of chest pain, such as heart attack.
While you can’t know for sure if or when you’ll experience anxiety chest pain again, preparing yourself with coping techniques and practices will help you feel more prepared and in control.
Read more about how to calm anxiety naturally.