Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhen Chest Pain Is SeriousHeart-RelatedLung-RelatedMusculoskeletalPanic AttacksOther CausesDiagnosisHome Measures for Relief

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

When Chest Pain Is Serious

Heart-Related

Lung-Related

Musculoskeletal

Panic Attacks

Other Causes

Diagnosis

Home Measures for Relief

Chest pain when taking a deep breath can have several causes. Some reasons for your chest hurting with deep breaths are serious, such as heart attacks or aortic dissections, while others are not emergencies, such asgastroesophagealreflux disease (GERD).

If you experience chest pain while breathing, contact your healthcare provider or seek medical care, especially if the pain comes on suddenly.

Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin

Causes of Chest Pain With Deep Breathing

When Is Chest Pain With Breathing Serious?

Chest pain when breathing isn’t always an emergency, but it can point to a serious problem. That’s why it’s a good idea to seek medical care if you experience this symptom, especially if it’s severe, ongoing, or occurs with other symptoms.

Other symptoms accompanying chest pain when breathing often point to the underlying cause. They include:

If you have this type of pain, you may only experience it when taking deep breaths, or it may be present all the time but get worse when you take a deep breath. It tends to be sudden, sharp, stabbing, and intense.

When to Call a Healthcare ProviderIf pain is severe or persists for more than a couple of daysWhen the symptoms develop suddenly and profoundlyWhen pain interferes with breathingIf you feel lightheaded, dizzy, or like you’re going to faintIf you cough up any blood, however lightIf you have a high fever (over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and/or chillsIf you have rapid or irregular heartbeats

When to Call a Healthcare Provider

If pain is severe or persists for more than a couple of daysWhen the symptoms develop suddenly and profoundlyWhen pain interferes with breathingIf you feel lightheaded, dizzy, or like you’re going to faintIf you cough up any blood, however lightIf you have a high fever (over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and/or chillsIf you have rapid or irregular heartbeats

Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)

Myocardial infarctionshappen when blood flow is cut off to a part of the heart muscle. This means the heart isn’t getting oxygen, and without prompt treatment, the muscle will start to die.One symptom of a heart attack can be the feeling of chest pain with deep breaths.

Getting fast treatment for a heart attack helps limit the damage. Any time you have symptoms that could point to a heart attack, you should get emergency medical help. Common symptoms include:

You may also have:

These symptoms always warrant a call to 911.

Other Cardiac Causes

Other heart-related conditions that cause this type of chest pain include the following:

Worse When Lying Down?Some conditions make it hard to breathe while you’re lying down. This is calledparoxysmal nocturnal dyspnea(PND), and it’s common in people with heart failure orchronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).

Worse When Lying Down?

Some conditions make it hard to breathe while you’re lying down. This is calledparoxysmal nocturnal dyspnea(PND), and it’s common in people with heart failure orchronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).

The lungs don’t have pain receptors. Still, medical conditions involving the lungs can cause pain in several ways. Often, the pain comes frompleurisy, which is irritation of the pleura.

Cancer

Cancerous causes of pleurisy includelung cancer, mesothelioma, and malignant pleural effusions.

Lung Cancer:The most common type of lung cancer islungadenocarcinoma. It tends to grow around the edges of the lung near the pleura.

It’s most common in:

The earliest symptom may be pain from cancer reaching the pleura.

Mesothelioma:Mesotheliomais a type of cancer that arises in the pleura itself. It’s most common in people who’ve been exposed to asbestos.

You can be exposed to asbestos at work or when remodeling homes or other buildings built before asbestos was banned.

Malignant Pleural Effusion:Malignant pleural effusionscause fluid to build up in the pleura. The fluid contains cancer cells. Effusions can occur due to lung cancer, breast cancer, or cancers that spread to the lungs.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that involves episodes (“asthma attacks”) including:

Chest Pain During ExerciseChest pain and trouble breathing during exercise are not considered normal. They may be signs of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) (atype of asthma) or a more serious condition like heart disease.

Chest Pain During Exercise

Chest pain and trouble breathing during exercise are not considered normal. They may be signs of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) (atype of asthma) or a more serious condition like heart disease.

Infections

Infectious causes of chest pain with breathing include:

COVID-19

About 18% of people withCOVID-19have chest pain with breathing.It may be due to cardiac complications or infection of the pleura and cause breathing difficulty. Chest pain without difficulty breathing may be a symptom oflong COVID.

Non-Infectious Causes

Non-infectious causes of chest pain when breathing include:

Studies of pleuritic chest pain suggest pulmonary embolism is the most common life-threatening cause. It’s the source of pain in 5% to 21% of cases.

Musculoskeletal Causes

Conditions involving bony or soft tissue structures in the chest may cause chest pain when breathing.

Some of these include:

Chest pain is one of the most distressing symptoms of panic attacks. Panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks due to chest pain symptoms.

An older study found that approximately 25% of patients who present to their physician with symptoms of chest pain are ultimately diagnosed with panic disorder.

Other common conditions that may cause chest pain when breathing usually cause other symptoms, as well, including:

Depending on your other symptoms, your healthcare provider may order several tests. These include imaging, bloodwork, and more.

Imaging

Imaging studies include:

Bloodwork

Blood tests your provider may order include:

These look for markers of inflammation. They can help to identifyautoimmune diseasesand other inflammatory conditions.

Other Tests

You may also be sent for:

How Do You Get Rid of Chest Pain When Breathing Deep?

If taking a deep breath causes your chest pain and you’ve ruled out potentially dangerous conditions such as a heart attack with a medical professional, there are several steps you can take at home to try and relieve the pain. Tips to relieve the pain include:

Your healthcare provider may also prescribe you medications to treat the underlying cause or suggest trying other therapeutic options, such as physical therapy, if the cause is musculoskeletal and not improving.

Summary

Many things can cause chest pain when breathing, including heart conditions, lung conditions, infections, and musculoskeletal problems.

Diagnosing the cause of chest pain when breathing can be done using various imaging studies, bloodwork, and other tests. Without the help of a healthcare professional, it is challenging to determine if the chest pain is due to a non-emergent cause, such as strained muscles, or a medical emergency, such as a heart attack.

Err on the side of caution and seek medical care if you experience chest pain.

21 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Reamy BV, Williams PM, Odom MR.Pleuritic chest pain: Sorting through the differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(5):306-312.Mount Sinai.Chest pain.National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Heart attack.Lopez-Mattei JC, Yang EH, Ferencik M, Baldassarre LA, Dent S, Budoff MJ.Cardiac computed tomography in cardio-oncology:JACC: CardioOncologyPrimer.JACC CardioOncol. 2021;3(5):635-649. doi:10.1016/j.jaccao.2021.09.010.American Heart Association.Coronary artery dissection: not just a heart attack.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart valve diseases.American Heart Association.Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).Polikandrioti M.Perceived social isolation in heart failure.J Innov Card Rhythm Manag.2022;13(6):5041-5047. doi:10.19102/icrm.2022.130606.Penn Medicine.Pleurisy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Asthma.MedlinePlus.Empyema.Weng L-M, Su X, Wang X-Q.Pain symptoms in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A literature review.JPR. 2021;Volume 14:147-159. doi:10.2147/JPR.S269206World Health Organization.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Tulay CM, Yaldiz S, Bilge A.Do we really know the duration of pain after rib fracture?.Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2018;15(3):147-150. doi:10.5114/kitp.2018.78437Mount Sinai.Costochondritis.National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms.Markel D.Identifying emergency department patients with chest pain who are at low risk for acute coronary syndromes.Emerg Med Pract.2017 Jul;19(7):1-24Patrini D, Panagiotopoulos N, Pararajasingham J, Gvinianidze L, Iqbal Y, Lawrence DR.Etiology and management of spontaneous haemothorax.J Thorac Dis. 2015;7(3):520-6. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2014.12.50Mahdi A, Nassim G, Mahdi M, Eid F.Not just a rash: Herpes zoster-induced progressive cardiac block.Kans J Med. 2023 Jun 20;16:147-148. doi: 10.17161/kjm.vol16.19522Broers C, et al. (2017).Review article: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.doi:10.1111/apt.14416Watson J, Jones HE, Banks J, Whiting P, Salisbury C, Hamilton W.Use of multiple inflammatory marker tests in primary care: using Clinical Practice Research Datalink to evaluate accuracy.Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(684):e462-e469. doi:10.3399/bjgp19X704309Additional ReadingAmerican Heart Association.Angina (chest pain).Berchuck J, Patel, S.An often-overlooked etiology of pleuritic chest pain.Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2016;31(1):138. doi:10.1007/s11606-015-3316-4Yan G, Littlewood A, Latimer, M.Unusual cause of pleuritic chest pain in a child.BMJ Case Reports. 2016;2016:bcr2016217307. Published 2016 Nov 28. doi:10.1136/bcr-2016-217307

21 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Reamy BV, Williams PM, Odom MR.Pleuritic chest pain: Sorting through the differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(5):306-312.Mount Sinai.Chest pain.National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Heart attack.Lopez-Mattei JC, Yang EH, Ferencik M, Baldassarre LA, Dent S, Budoff MJ.Cardiac computed tomography in cardio-oncology:JACC: CardioOncologyPrimer.JACC CardioOncol. 2021;3(5):635-649. doi:10.1016/j.jaccao.2021.09.010.American Heart Association.Coronary artery dissection: not just a heart attack.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart valve diseases.American Heart Association.Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).Polikandrioti M.Perceived social isolation in heart failure.J Innov Card Rhythm Manag.2022;13(6):5041-5047. doi:10.19102/icrm.2022.130606.Penn Medicine.Pleurisy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Asthma.MedlinePlus.Empyema.Weng L-M, Su X, Wang X-Q.Pain symptoms in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A literature review.JPR. 2021;Volume 14:147-159. doi:10.2147/JPR.S269206World Health Organization.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Tulay CM, Yaldiz S, Bilge A.Do we really know the duration of pain after rib fracture?.Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2018;15(3):147-150. doi:10.5114/kitp.2018.78437Mount Sinai.Costochondritis.National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms.Markel D.Identifying emergency department patients with chest pain who are at low risk for acute coronary syndromes.Emerg Med Pract.2017 Jul;19(7):1-24Patrini D, Panagiotopoulos N, Pararajasingham J, Gvinianidze L, Iqbal Y, Lawrence DR.Etiology and management of spontaneous haemothorax.J Thorac Dis. 2015;7(3):520-6. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2014.12.50Mahdi A, Nassim G, Mahdi M, Eid F.Not just a rash: Herpes zoster-induced progressive cardiac block.Kans J Med. 2023 Jun 20;16:147-148. doi: 10.17161/kjm.vol16.19522Broers C, et al. (2017).Review article: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.doi:10.1111/apt.14416Watson J, Jones HE, Banks J, Whiting P, Salisbury C, Hamilton W.Use of multiple inflammatory marker tests in primary care: using Clinical Practice Research Datalink to evaluate accuracy.Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(684):e462-e469. doi:10.3399/bjgp19X704309Additional ReadingAmerican Heart Association.Angina (chest pain).Berchuck J, Patel, S.An often-overlooked etiology of pleuritic chest pain.Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2016;31(1):138. doi:10.1007/s11606-015-3316-4Yan G, Littlewood A, Latimer, M.Unusual cause of pleuritic chest pain in a child.BMJ Case Reports. 2016;2016:bcr2016217307. Published 2016 Nov 28. doi:10.1136/bcr-2016-217307

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Reamy BV, Williams PM, Odom MR.Pleuritic chest pain: Sorting through the differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(5):306-312.Mount Sinai.Chest pain.National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Heart attack.Lopez-Mattei JC, Yang EH, Ferencik M, Baldassarre LA, Dent S, Budoff MJ.Cardiac computed tomography in cardio-oncology:JACC: CardioOncologyPrimer.JACC CardioOncol. 2021;3(5):635-649. doi:10.1016/j.jaccao.2021.09.010.American Heart Association.Coronary artery dissection: not just a heart attack.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart valve diseases.American Heart Association.Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).Polikandrioti M.Perceived social isolation in heart failure.J Innov Card Rhythm Manag.2022;13(6):5041-5047. doi:10.19102/icrm.2022.130606.Penn Medicine.Pleurisy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Asthma.MedlinePlus.Empyema.Weng L-M, Su X, Wang X-Q.Pain symptoms in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A literature review.JPR. 2021;Volume 14:147-159. doi:10.2147/JPR.S269206World Health Organization.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Tulay CM, Yaldiz S, Bilge A.Do we really know the duration of pain after rib fracture?.Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2018;15(3):147-150. doi:10.5114/kitp.2018.78437Mount Sinai.Costochondritis.National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms.Markel D.Identifying emergency department patients with chest pain who are at low risk for acute coronary syndromes.Emerg Med Pract.2017 Jul;19(7):1-24Patrini D, Panagiotopoulos N, Pararajasingham J, Gvinianidze L, Iqbal Y, Lawrence DR.Etiology and management of spontaneous haemothorax.J Thorac Dis. 2015;7(3):520-6. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2014.12.50Mahdi A, Nassim G, Mahdi M, Eid F.Not just a rash: Herpes zoster-induced progressive cardiac block.Kans J Med. 2023 Jun 20;16:147-148. doi: 10.17161/kjm.vol16.19522Broers C, et al. (2017).Review article: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.doi:10.1111/apt.14416Watson J, Jones HE, Banks J, Whiting P, Salisbury C, Hamilton W.Use of multiple inflammatory marker tests in primary care: using Clinical Practice Research Datalink to evaluate accuracy.Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(684):e462-e469. doi:10.3399/bjgp19X704309

Reamy BV, Williams PM, Odom MR.Pleuritic chest pain: Sorting through the differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(5):306-312.

Mount Sinai.Chest pain.

National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Heart attack.

Lopez-Mattei JC, Yang EH, Ferencik M, Baldassarre LA, Dent S, Budoff MJ.Cardiac computed tomography in cardio-oncology:JACC: CardioOncologyPrimer.JACC CardioOncol. 2021;3(5):635-649. doi:10.1016/j.jaccao.2021.09.010.

American Heart Association.Coronary artery dissection: not just a heart attack.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart valve diseases.

American Heart Association.Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Polikandrioti M.Perceived social isolation in heart failure.J Innov Card Rhythm Manag.2022;13(6):5041-5047. doi:10.19102/icrm.2022.130606.

Penn Medicine.Pleurisy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Asthma.

MedlinePlus.Empyema.

Weng L-M, Su X, Wang X-Q.Pain symptoms in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A literature review.JPR. 2021;Volume 14:147-159. doi:10.2147/JPR.S269206

World Health Organization.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Tulay CM, Yaldiz S, Bilge A.Do we really know the duration of pain after rib fracture?.Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2018;15(3):147-150. doi:10.5114/kitp.2018.78437

Mount Sinai.Costochondritis.

National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms.

Markel D.Identifying emergency department patients with chest pain who are at low risk for acute coronary syndromes.Emerg Med Pract.2017 Jul;19(7):1-24

Patrini D, Panagiotopoulos N, Pararajasingham J, Gvinianidze L, Iqbal Y, Lawrence DR.Etiology and management of spontaneous haemothorax.J Thorac Dis. 2015;7(3):520-6. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2014.12.50

Mahdi A, Nassim G, Mahdi M, Eid F.Not just a rash: Herpes zoster-induced progressive cardiac block.Kans J Med. 2023 Jun 20;16:147-148. doi: 10.17161/kjm.vol16.19522

Broers C, et al. (2017).Review article: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

doi:10.1111/apt.14416

Watson J, Jones HE, Banks J, Whiting P, Salisbury C, Hamilton W.Use of multiple inflammatory marker tests in primary care: using Clinical Practice Research Datalink to evaluate accuracy.Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(684):e462-e469. doi:10.3399/bjgp19X704309

American Heart Association.Angina (chest pain).Berchuck J, Patel, S.An often-overlooked etiology of pleuritic chest pain.Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2016;31(1):138. doi:10.1007/s11606-015-3316-4Yan G, Littlewood A, Latimer, M.Unusual cause of pleuritic chest pain in a child.BMJ Case Reports. 2016;2016:bcr2016217307. Published 2016 Nov 28. doi:10.1136/bcr-2016-217307

American Heart Association.Angina (chest pain).

Berchuck J, Patel, S.An often-overlooked etiology of pleuritic chest pain.Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2016;31(1):138. doi:10.1007/s11606-015-3316-4

Yan G, Littlewood A, Latimer, M.Unusual cause of pleuritic chest pain in a child.BMJ Case Reports. 2016;2016:bcr2016217307. Published 2016 Nov 28. doi:10.1136/bcr-2016-217307

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