Tightness in the chest can be a sign of many things, both harmless and severe.
Chest pain and tightness may be triggered by a number of heart-related conditions, some of which are serious.
That makes the arteries narrow or can block them entirely.
Verywell / Laura Porter
This can cause aheart attack, which is often the first sign of CAD.
That means they can’t close correctly and blood can flow backward through the valves.
This thin tissue allows the heart to change in size with each heartbeat.
More serious cases require treatment, especially if it becomes potentially life-threatening.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Tightness in your chest could be a sign that you havehypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
The thickness makes it harder for the heart to pump blood.
This is believed to be due to abnormal genes affecting the heart muscle.
HCM can be obstructive (blocking or reducing the flow of blood) or nonobstructive.
Most people have the obstructive bang out.
Symptoms of HCM often get worse with exertion.
They may include:
HCM is generally treated with medications and medical procedures.
Treatments may include:
A heart-healthy lifestyle is recommended for managing HCM as well.
Coronary Artery Tear
Tightness in your chest can be a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention.
That can cause a heart attack.
The causes of SCAD are unknown.
About 80% of SCAD cases are in people who are young, healthy, and active.
If you have SCAD once, you’re at high risk of having it again.
Its important to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle and see a cardiovascular specialist for regular monitoring.
Several can cause chest pain and tightness.
Muscle Strain
Muscle straincan cause chest tightness.
In some cases, the strain may be severe enough to cause pain when you breathe.
Rib Fracture
Tightness in the chest can be a sign of a broken rib.
Rib fractures can cause severe chest pain that sometimes makes your chest feel tight.
Rest is important when nursing a rib fracture.
Your healthcare provider may also suggest ice utility and elevation (and reclining to sleep).
Compression is avoided as it has been shown to increase the risk ofpneumonia.
Most rib fractures heal on their own in about six weeks.
Be sure you don’t overdo it while healing.
Always get medical care for a fracture and follow your healthcare provider’s advice.
It causes chest pain and sometimes chest tightness, often in the middle and upper rib areas.
The pain may get worse if you breathe deeply, move, or stretch.
See your healthcare provider if your costochondritis doesn’t improve with home treatment.
Infectious Causes
Tightness in the chest can also be triggered by infections like thecommon cold.
Chest tightness can also have more serious infectious causes, likeshingles.
You might also have tightness in your chest from mucus/fluid build-up, inflammation, or other problems.
Acute bronchitis is most often because of a virus.
However, there are antivirals that may help in cases of flu.
Inpneumonia, your lungs air sacs become inflamed, which can cause them to fill with fluid orpus.
Pneumonia can be resulting from viral, bacterial, or fungal infections.
Treatment for pneumonia depends on the cause, severity, your age, and your overall health.
If it was because of a bacteria, you’ll likely be given an antibiotic.
For viral causes, an antiviral medication may help.
COVID-19
Tightness in the chest can also be a symptom of COVID-19.
However, chest tightness may linger in some people with a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Shingles is an infection due to thevaricella-zostervirusthe same virus that causeschickenpox.
Antibiotic creams for the skin are often prescribed to prevent secondary bacterial infection.
Asthma
Tightness in the chest is common in people with asthma.
If you haveasthma, exposure to lung irritants or allergens can cause your airways to constrict and narrow.
Both types of treatment are usually given via inhalers.
Some prescription medications are also available.
A big part of asthma treatment is avoiding the things that set it off.
Your healthcare provider can help you identify triggers and work with you on an asthma action plan.
In larger collapses, the air needs to be removed.
Other treatments include oxygen therapy and surgery to prevent a future collapse.
It can cause low oxygen levels in your blood, which may damage your lungs and other organs.
Not everyone has symptoms of pulmonary embolism.
Those who do may experience:
Risk factors for pulmonary embolism include:
This condition requires immediate medical attention.
Treatments include:
A pulmonary embolism is a potentially life-threatening medical emergency.
It is not uncommon for both to occur together.
Acid reflux is due to problems with a structure called thelower esophageal sphincter(LES).
When it’s weak or doesn’t close properly, reflux occurs.
Hiatal Hernia
Tightness in the chest can be triggered by ahiatalhernia.
That causes upward pressure that can lead to chest tightness, acid reflux, and GERD.
Not everyhiatal herniacauses symptoms.
Your risk of one increases as you age, if you smoke, or if you have obesity.
If you don’t have symptoms, your hiatal hernia doesn’t need to be treated.
They’re sparked by stomach acids damaging the lining of these organs.
Those acids are naturally present and don’t usually cause damage.
Something has to change in order for the acid to become a problem.
The gallbladder releasesbileto help with digestion, but gallstones can block the ducts it travels through.
That makes bile build up and causes a gallbladder attack.
The pain can be severe and may last for several hours.
If your gallstones don’t cause symptoms, they may not need treatment.
The most common treatment for gallstones is removing the gallbladder.
This surgery is called acholecystectomy.
Anxiety Attacks
Tightness in the chest can also be related to your mental health.
When you feelanxious, it can trigger a stress response in the body known as fight-or-flight mode.
Even anxiety or emotional upset can cause chest tightness.
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