Because angina chest pain usually means heart problems, people worry when they or their loved ones develop chest pain. It is important to know that most chest pain is not caused by heart problems. Even pain that seems to be angina may not be caused by heart problems.

While it is impossible to know if pain is heart related without doing tests, we know the following about angina:
* angina is most often a squeezing pain that comes on with exercise and goes away with rest,
* it is usually felt in the center of the chest and also in an arm, jaw or part of the back,
* pain that is sharp and felt in the upper abdomen or lower chest is most likely from the stomach or esophagus,
* pain that comes on when a person is not exercising or is sleeping is probably not angina, and
* pain that lasts for several hours and fades away is probably not angina.

There are many causes of chest pain. Some of these causes are more likely in different people. When a person has chest pain, it is important to consider whether they are more likely to have heart disease or some other problem. To decide how to treat a person with chest pain, a doctor will consider the kind of pain and the chances this pain could be caused by heart disease or another disease. They may just treat the pain to see if it gets better or may do tests to understand more about the pain. Right after you experience a bout of pain, write down everything about it, such as:
* when it occurred,
* what the pain feels like, such as stabbing or dull,
* how long it lasts, when and how often it occurs,
* where it hurts, and
* what makes it better or worse.

The only way to know for sure whether chest pain is caused by heart disease is to perform certain tests. Sometimes these tests require exercise. The heart is examined during or just after exercise to see if it is getting enough blood. Other tests involve putting chemicals into the arteries of the heart that show up on X-ray. This tells if there is a blockage in the arteries. If you or a loved one have developed a new kind of chest pain, contact your healthcare provider if you are concerned.

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