Chest pain has many causes, from muscle strain, acid reflux, and anxiety to serious heart and lung problems. Because it can signal a heart attack, it should always be taken seriously until dangerous causes are ruled out. Warning features include central pressure, tightness, or a crushing sensation, pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw, or back, and pain with shortness of breath, cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness, or a feeling of impending doom.
If any of these are present, call your local emergency number immediately — do not drive yourself. Sudden sharp chest pain with severe breathlessness, or pain worse on breathing in with a fast heartbeat, can also indicate a clot in the lung or a collapsed lung and needs emergency care.
Non-urgent causes such as reflux or a pulled muscle are common too, but you should not self-diagnose serious chest pain. If pain is mild, fleeting, and clearly linked to movement or a meal, still mention it to a doctor. Informational only, not a diagnosis.