Difference Between Chest Pain and Heart Pain

Chest Pain vs Heart Pain

Chest Pain and Heart Pain are mistaken to be same by many. Every chest pain is not heart pain (cardiac pain) and heart pain may not be present as chest pain. The heart is a pump which works continuously. It is situated inside the chest cage towards the left side. Heart may feel the pain if the blood supply to the heart is less than the demand. The angina, the heart pain will be increased when the patient is working hard (exertion). Myocardial infarction (heart attack) also cause severe chest pain.

Chest pain may arise from the internal organ like the lungs and the pleura (coverings of the lung). It may be costocondritis, the pain due to the inflammation in the rib cage. Both pleuritic pain and the costocondritis pain will increase the breathing movements of the ribs.

The chest pain may be due to some other organs which are not situated in the chest. Pain due to gastritis may be referred as chest pain. The acid content of stomach may be regurgitated in to esophagus. The esophagus is the tube which is situated in the chest which connects the throat to the stomach. This type of pain wrongly named as Heart burn.

The pain which arise from the heart is usually severe in nature. The tightening type of this pain is felt usually behind the middle of the chest. And the pain is generally associated with sweating. The pain may be radiating to left arm. Sometimes heart pain may be just felt as tooth ache.

In Summary, Both chest pain and heart pain may be felt in the chest. The pain arising from heart is severe in nature compared to the other types of chest pain. Heart pain usually associated with sweating (Myocardial infarction) is due to activation of the sympathetic system. Heart pain may be present with pain only in the left shoulder or upper arm or just a tooth ache. Usually heart pain will increase with increase of work load. Costochondritis will settle with simple pain killers, but not the chest pain. Pain from the heart is a danger sign, need to seek medical advice immediately.