Burning Chest Pain Symptoms, Causes & Common Questions

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.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: nausea, sore throat, pain below the ribs, cough with dry or watery sputum, deep chest pain, behind the breast bone

Urgency: Primary care doctor

Acute costochondritis (chest wall syndrome)

Acute costochondritis is the inflammation of the flexible cartilage that connects each rib to the breastbone. Costochondritis is caused by excessive coughing or by straining the upper body, as with weightlifting. It is a common occurrence seen in children, teenagers, and adults.

Symptoms include a sudden, sharp, aching pain anywhere in the chest wall, especially near the breastbone where it connects to the ribs. The pain gets worse with deep breathing or with almost any movement.

Treatment involves rest along with over-the-counter, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Injections of corticosteroid medication to ease pain and inflammation are occasionally used.

Rarity: Uncommon

Top Symptoms: rib pain, chest pain that is worse when breathing, chest pain, rib pain when moving, pain when pressing on the chest

Urgency: Phone call or in-person visit

Atypical chest pain

Atypical chest pain describes the situation when someone's chest pain is unlikely to be related to heart or lung disease. There are many other possible causes that could explain chest pain, like sore chest wall muscles or psychological factors like stress and anxiety.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath

Symptoms that always occur with atypical chest pain: chest pain

Symptoms that never occur with atypical chest pain: fever

Urgency: Primary care doctor

Stomach ulcer

A peptic ulcer is a sore in the lining of the stomach or the first part of your small intestine (the duodenum), which causes pain following meals or on an empty stomach.

Rarity: Uncommon

Top Symptoms: fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, moderate abdominal pain, abdominal cramps (stomach cramps)

Symptoms that never occur with stomach ulcer: pain in the lower left abdomen

Urgency: Primary care doctor

To diagnose this condition, your doctor would likely ask the following questions:

• Do you notice your heart beating hard, rapidly, or irregularly (also called palpitations)?
• Where is your chest pain exactly?
• Do your symptoms occur after an emotional time or recent stress?
• Have you been feeling more tired than usual, lethargic or fatigued despite sleeping a normal amount?

The above questions are also covered by our A.I. Health Assistant.

People who have experienced burning chest pain have also experienced:

• 6% Rib Pain
• 5% Rib Pain On One Side
• 4% Tight, Heavy, Squeezing Chest Pain

People who have experienced burning chest pain were most often matched with:

• 44% Atypical Chest Pain
• 33% Acid Reflux Disease (Gerd)
• 22% Acute Costochondritis (Chest Wall Syndrome)

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

Source: Aggregated and anonymized results from visits to the Buoy AI health assistant (check it out by clicking on “Take Quiz”).