Chest tightness? It portends a lot

See all possible causes of discomfort:

Cardiovascular causes:

– heart attack
– angina (discomfort due to blockage of a blood vessel that ends up in the heart)
– pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart)
– myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscles)
– cardiomyopathy (impairment of heart muscle function)
– aortic dissection (a rare condition in which the main artery of the heart ruptures)

Gastrointestinal causes:

– gastroesophageal reflux/heartburn
– swallowing problems due to a disorder of the esophagus
- gallstone
– inflammation of the gallbladder
– inflammation of the pancreas

Due to impaired lung function:

– pneumonia
– viral bronchitis
– pneumothorax (leakage of air from the lung into the chest)

Muscle or bone problem:

– rib injury
– muscle strain or chronic pain syndrome
– compression fracture (pressure is exerted on an adjacent nerve)

Other causes:

– herpes zoster
– panic attack