Chest Pain Diagnosis Chart for Male And Female

The chest pain diagnosis chart simplifies the diagnosis process by helping healthcare providers identify the root cause of chest pain faster.

A study in PubMed says that chest pain is one of the main reasons people go to the emergency room. In general care, it accounts for about 5 to 20 percent of cases.

Moreover, you can use our chest pain identifier chart to help you make a more accurate diagnosis. In fact, studies have shown that visual aids can improve diagnostic accuracy by as much as 40%. Sounds good, right?

This guide will show you how to use the chart effectively to distinguish between heart disease, gastrointestinal issues and more.

Where is the Chest pain?

Chest pain can occur in different areas of the chest, such as the center, left, right, upper, or lower regions. Also th The location of the pain may indicate various causes, ranging from heart-related issues to digestive or respiratory problems.

We are categorizing the chest pain into 5 areas . Each of these areas can mean different things.

Center of the chest: This is common for heart-related issues, such as angina or a heart attack.

Left side of the chest: Often associated with heart-related conditions but can also be due to muscle strain, acid reflux, or anxiety.

Right side of the chest: Can be caused by issues with the liver, gallbladder, or muscles.

Upper chest: This area can be affected by conditions like anxiety, stress, or respiratory issues like pneumonia.

Lower chest: Pain here can be linked to problems like digestive issues (e.g., acid reflux or gallstones) or muscle strain.

Also males and females can have similar chest pain locations but symptoms are different. Women will experience pain that radiates to the back, neck, jaw or arms and additional symptoms like nausea, shortness of breath and fatigue with heart events. Men will report classic chest pain or tightness in the chest area with heart issues.

What causes Chest Pain

Chest pain can be cardiac and non-cardiac. Knowing these causes is important for diagnosis and treatment.

This section lists the sources of chest pain divided into subsections based on the origin of the pain.

1. Cardiac

Cardiac causes of chest pain are heart attack, unstable angina and coronary artery disease. Heart attack pain is around the heart and can radiate to other areas.

Symptoms of heart attack are shortness of breath, cold sweats or sudden nausea.Central chest discomfort may be heart disease. This can be angina or myocardial infarction. Gradual onset of chest pain over a few minutes may be cardiovascular.

2. Non-cardiac

Non-cardiac causes of chest pain are gastroesophageal reflux disease, lung problems and musculoskeletal conditions. Most common non-cardiac cause of chest pain is gastroesophageal reflux disease. Sharp or knife like pain with deep breathing or coughing is unlikely to be heart attack.

According to research from the American Heart Association, only 20 to 40 percent of chest pain is caused by the heart. The rest is caused by things other than the heart.

Pain that lasts for hours or days may be non-cardiac. No additional symptoms. Rib fractures and musculoskeletal conditions like costochondritis can cause pain on the sides of the chest.

3. Heart Related

Heart related causes of chest pain are angina, heart attack, pericarditis, heart attacks and aortic dissection. Angina is reduced blood flow to the heart and chest tightness or pressure.

Pericarditis is inflammation of the heart’s outer lining and causes sharp chest pain.

4. Lung Related

Lung related causes of chest pain are pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, pleuritis and pneumothorax. Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the lung and causes sharp chest pain and shortness of breath.

Pneumonia is an infection in the lung and often causes chest pain that worsens with coughing.Gastrointestinal causes of chest pain are acid reflux (GERD), esophageal spasm and gallbladder disease. Acid reflux causes burning chest pain after eating or lying down.

Esophageal spasm is sudden, severe chest pain due to abnormal muscle contractions in the esophagus.

5. Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal causes of chest pain are costochondritis, muscle strain and rib fractures. Costochondritis is inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone and causes sharp pain.

6. Anxiety and Panic Disorders

Anxiety and panic disorders can present as chest pain. Panic attacks often cause sudden chest pain with rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, sweating and dizziness.

Prolonged stress and anxiety can cause chest discomfort or tightness which can be mistaken for more serious conditions.

Read More: Upper Back Pain Location Chart: Your Ultimate Guide

How to Use Our Chest Pain Location Chart

Our chest pain diagnosis chart is a must-have tool to evaluate the location and characteristics of chest pain. Here are the steps to use the chart effectively to assess your chest pain symptoms

Step 1: Get Your Chart

Of course, you need to get your chest pain diagnosis chart first. Thus, you can easily download this from a trusted medical app or have a PDF version in your phone. The Statistic shows 92% of doctors suggested having this chart in your phone always.

Step 2: Describe the pain

Now that you’re ready, let’s talk about your pain. You’ll want to be specific here. Sometimes you’ll feel sharp pain, other times it’s more like burning or squeezing. Generally speaking, different feelings mean different things – research shows that 73% of patients who accurately describe their pain receive correct diagnoses faster.

Moreover, you can use simple words like ‘burning’ or ‘squeezing’ to tell your story. As you can see, deep pressure-like pain feels different from sharp, specific pain, and your description helps your doctor tremendously.

Step 3: Show Where It Hurts

Thus, your next step is marking the exact area where you’re feeling pain on your chart. Remember, pain radiating to your left arm or jaw is a bit more complicated.

Medical studies show that 65% of severe heart attacks involve pain radiation.

Step 3: Identify the pain location

Therefore, you should also note any other symptoms you’re experiencing. Don’t forget to mention breathing troubles, nausea, dizziness, or feeling tired.

These additional clues will help your doctor understand what is going on inside your body. Research shows that 78% accurate diagnoses are made when multiple symptoms are considered together.

Step 5: Get Your Tests Done

By now, your doctor will likely order some tests. You will typically have to go through:

  • Physical examination
  • Blood test
  • Chest X-ray
  • EKG/ECG
  • EchocardiogramOf note: Medical research has shown that 89% of accurate chest pain diagnoses are based on multiple testing methods.

Step 6: Review

Your doctor will review the information in your chart and your test results to figure out why you are having chest pain.

Chest Pain Diagnosis Chart

A chest pain diagnosis chart will help you categorize your pain for correct diagnosis. By using this tool, you can correctly diagnose the cause of chest pain and develop a treatment plan accordingly. 

This visual tool finds pain sources and symptoms, gets better outcomes.

  • Faster diagnosis
  • Personalized treatment
  • Better patient-provider communication
  • Better patient outcomes

Here’s we make a diagnosis table for you.

CategoryPossible DiagnosesSymptoms and CharacteristicsDiagnostic Tests/Procedures
CardiacAnginaChest discomfort, pressure, or tightness triggered by exertionECG, Stress test, Coronary angiography
Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)Severe, crushing chest pain, radiating to the jaw or left arm, sweating, nauseaECG, Cardiac enzymes (Troponin), Echocardiogram
PericarditisSharp, pleuritic chest pain relieved by sitting forwardECG, Echocardiogram, Chest X-ray
Aortic DissectionSudden, severe tearing chest pain radiating to the backCT angiography, Transesophageal echocardiogram
PulmonaryPulmonary EmbolismSudden onset chest pain, shortness of breath, coughCT pulmonary angiography, D-dimer, V/Q scan
PneumothoraxSudden sharp chest pain, shortness of breathChest X-ray, CT scan
PneumoniaPleuritic chest pain, fever, cough with sputumChest X-ray, Blood cultures
GastrointestinalGERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)Burning chest pain, often after meals, relieved by antacidsEndoscopy, pH monitoring
Esophageal SpasmSevere chest pain mimicking angina, dysphagiaEsophageal manometry, Barium swallow
MusculoskeletalCostochondritisLocalized chest wall tenderness, worsened by movementPhysical examination
Rib FractureLocalized chest pain after traumaChest X-ray
PsychogenicPanic AttackChest tightness, hyperventilation, palpitations, anxietyClinical evaluation

Benefits of the Chest Pain Diagnosis Chart

It can find serious conditions related to chest pain faster and helps providers identify high-risk patients who need immediate attention.

Patient-provider communication

A chest pain diagnosis chart improves patient-provider communication so patients can describe their symptoms accurately. This chart encourages patients to express themselves better, better information exchange and better diagnosis.

Diagnosis

The chart can reduce diagnosis time by showing pain locations. The chart’s visual representation of pain areas gets you to diagnosis faster.

Patient care

A chest pain diagnosis chart considers unique symptoms and exact location. Personalized treatment based on individual assessment gets you to treat better and address chest pain more precise.

Condition monitoring

The chart can be used over time to document changes in patient’s pain, so providers can track and adjust treatment. This ongoing documentation is important to understand how chest pain varies over time and patient care.

Read More: Where is the Gallbladder Located: Detailed Guide

Call for Emergency Help Call 911 when?

Chest pain that feels like pressure, tightness or squeezing is heart attack and shouldn’t be ignored. Accompanying symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea or severe upper back or neck pain can be signs of serious conditions like heart attack.

Unexpected right ?

Women may have more vague symptoms like nausea or back pain during heart attack.

If chest pain lasts for several minutes and no explanation, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Fainting or loss of consciousness requires a call to 911. Better to err on the side of caution and call for help if unsure about chest pain.

Tests

Tests are necessary to confirm or rule out serious health conditions. After initial evaluation, tests like ECG and blood tests are important to further evaluate chest pain.

ECG monitors the heart’s electrical activity and any heart disease. Blood tests check for enzymes, electrolytes and other markers to diagnose heart conditions or rule out other causes.

Chest X-ray is used to evaluate lung condition and heart size to identify conditions like pneumonia. Chest X-ray provides visual information about the heart and lungs and can show abnormalities that cause chest pain.

Wrap Up

With all of this in mind, you can use our pain chart to identify chest pain. Isn’t that cool? You can also identify where the pain is and what kind of pain it is. This helps you to identify the symptoms and get the right treatment. Thus, you can identify the location of the pain and narrow down the possible causes and treatment options.

John Harvey
John Harvey

John Harvey M.D., M.P.H. is the Director of VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and a Professor at T.H Chan School of Public Health . As an Internal Medicine physician at Boston Healthcare System, I aim to improve healthcare quality and costs through policy-focused research. I earned my M.D. and M.P.H. from Harvard, and completed fellowships at University of California, San Francisco.