- Your Burning Chest Pain May Also be Known as:
- Burning behind the sternum
Top 7 Burning Chest Pain Causes
1.Acid Reflux Disease (Gerd)
Acid reflux disease, also known as GERD, occurs when the acidic contents of the stomach come back up into the esophagus. The most common symptoms are heartburn and regurgitation.
You should visit your primary care physician if you get heartburn regularly. The doctor may be able to prescribe medications such as proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers to reduce the acidity of the stomach. Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and spicy food may help reduce heartburn as well.
- Rarity:
- Common
- Top Symptoms:
- nausea, sore throat, cough with dry or watery sputum, pain below the ribs, deep chest pain, behind the breast bone
- Urgency:
- Primary care doctor
2.Chronic Gastritis
Chronic gastritis is longterm inflammation of your stomach. If it doesn't go away, this can become an ulcer. Causes include taking a medication that affects the stomach, an infection by a bug called, "H. Pylori", or your immune system reacting to yourself
You should see your doctor in the coming day. There, they would assess whether you require a breath test for the bug, H. Pylori, and/or a test where they put a camera down the throat to look at the stomach wall. Treatment is dependent on the outcomes of the doctor's visit. If it's just because of a medication, the first treatment would be to stop it. If it's an infection, antibiotics would be appropriate. An autoimmune reaction might require supplements with Vitamin B12. Taking an antacid may be necessary for more than one of these scenarios.
- Rarity:
- Common
- Top Symptoms:
- nausea or vomiting, stomach bloating, loss of appetite, moderate abdominal pain, bloating after meals
- Urgency:
- Primary care doctor
3.Heart Attack
Most heart attacks happen when a clot in the coronary artery blocks the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart. Often this leads to an irregular heartbeat - called an arrhythmia - that causes a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart.
You should go to the ER immediately since the longer the heart goes without blood, the worse the irreversible damage will be. Hurry!
- Rarity:
- Uncommon
- Top Symptoms:
- chest pain, being severely ill, shortness of breath, nausea, tight, heavy, squeezing chest pain
- Symptoms that always occur with heart attack:
- being severely ill
- Urgency:
- Emergency medical service
4.Acute Gastritis
Acute gastritis is the sudden onset of nausea, vomiting, and/or upper abdominal pain that's caused by inflammation of your stomach lining. If it doesn't go away, this can become an ulcer. Causes include taking a medication that affects the stomach, an infection by a bug called, "H. Pylori", or your immune system reacting to yourself.
You should see your doctor within a few days. There, they would assess whether you require a breath test for the bug, H. Pylori, and/or a test where they put a camera down the throat to look at the stomach wall. Treatment is dependent on the outcomes of the doctor's visit. If it's just because of a medication, the first treatment would be to stop it. If it's an infection, antibiotics would be appropriate. An autoimmune reaction might require supplements with Vitamin B12. Taking an antacid may be necessary for more than one of these scenarios.
- Rarity:
- Uncommon
- Top Symptoms:
- nausea or vomiting, nausea, stomach bloating, loss of appetite, mild abdominal pain
- Symptoms that never occur with acute gastritis:
- fever
- Urgency:
- Primary care doctor
5.Autoimmune Inflammation of the Esophagus
This condition, officially known as eosinophilic esophagitis, occurs when a certain type of white blood cell (eosinophil) builds up in the lining of the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. The buildup leads to inflammation of the tissue, causing pain and difficulty swallowing.
You should visit your primary care physician to treat this condition. This is an immune disorder and is commonly treated with corticosteroids.
- Rarity:
- Rare
- Top Symptoms:
- chest pain, trouble swallowing, feeling of a lump in the throat, burning chest pain, trouble swallowing solids
- Urgency:
- Primary care doctor
6.Achalasia
Achalasia is a disorder of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. This condition affects the ability of the esophagus to move food into the stomach.
You should visit your primary care physician within the next 24 hours, where imaging and exploration of your swallowing issues can be fully worked up. With diagnosis, treatment is typically surgical and outcomes are good.
- Rarity:
- Rare
- Top Symptoms:
- regurgitation, heartburn, unintentional weight loss, pain below the ribs, hiccups
- Urgency:
- Primary care doctor
7.Spasm of the Esophagus
The esophagus is the muscular tube that passes behind the heart, and carries food, liquid, and saliva from the mouth to the stomach. In a condition called diffuse esophageal spasm (DES), the tube contracts uncontrollably, causing trouble swallowing and chest pain.
You should visit your primary care physician if the pain you are experiencing is severe. Some prescription medications (such as trazodone and calcium channel blockers) may help.
- Rarity:
- Rare
- Top Symptoms:
- deep chest pain, behind the breast bone, trouble swallowing, heartburn, dry cough, burning chest pain
- Symptoms that never occur with spasm of the esophagus:
- shortness of breath
- Urgency:
- Primary care doctor
Questions Your Doctor May Ask About Burning Chest Pain
- Q.Is your chest pain getting better or worse?
- Q.Have you been feeling more tired than usual, lethargic or fatigued despite sleeping a normal amount?
- Q.Any fever today or during the last week?
- Q.Do you currently smoke?
If you've answered yes to one or more of these questions, check our burning chest pain symptom checker.
Take a quizBurning Chest Pain Symptom Checker Statistics
People who have experienced burning chest pain have also experienced:
- 6% Rib Pain
- 5% Rib Pain on One Side
- 5% Cough
People who have experienced burning chest pain had symptoms persist for:
- 49% Less Than a Day
- 23% Less Than a Week
- 13% Over a Month
People who have experienced burning chest pain were most often matched with:
- 12% Acid Reflux Disease (Gerd)