It affects more boys than girls, and in adults is more common in women than in men. AsthmaĪsthma is a common condition affecting the lungs. The discomfort can often be worse when breathing in or when moving. Chest discomfort and tightness can occur if these muscles are stretched or torn due to heavy lifting, unexpected exercise, sudden movement or severe coughing. The muscles involved in breathing run between and around the ribs. It can occur at any time and may not go away by resting. A less common and more serious type is unstable angina. The most common type of angina is stable angina, where attacks have a trigger (such as exercise) and then settle with rest. It usually goes away after a few minutes of rest. The main symptom is chest pain or tightness – sometimes described as a feeling of “heaviness” – that can spread to the arms, neck, jaw or back.Īngina is often triggered by stress, your emotions or physical activity. It can be an early warning sign that you may be at risk of a heart attack or stroke. It’s usually caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. AnginaĪngina can occur when not enough blood is sent to the heart muscles. It can often be hard to pinpoint a cause, but triggers can include smoking, being overweight, spicy or fatty foods, pregnancy, stress or anxiety. Most people experience acid reflux at some point during their lives, but you usually need to experience it at least twice a week to be diagnosed with GORD. Symptoms are often worse when bending or lying down, and after eating. This can cause chest tightness, as well as a feeling of having a ‘lump’ in your throat, an unpleasant taste in your mouth or a burning feeling in your stomach. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) occurs when stomach acid travels up from the stomach into the oesophagus (the tube from your mouth to your stomach). Other symptoms of anxiety that may occur at the same time can include difficulty breathing or very fast breathing, a very rapid pulse rate, nervousness and aching, or muscle tightness or tension across the body. It can sometimes be so severe that it can feel as if you’re having a heart attack. Common causes of chest tightness AnxietyĪnxiety can be a very common cause of chest tightness. We look at some of the common causes of chest tightness, when you should see a doctor and how it can be treated. Many people worry they’re having a heart attack if their chest feels tight or heavy, but many relatively harmless conditions are more often the cause of this problem. It’s often described as a feeling of pressure or heaviness on the chest, discomfort in the chest or throat, a feeling of being short of breath or discomfort after eating.Ĭhest tightness is linked to a number of possible conditions.