- Chest pain when breathing that lasts more than a few minutes or worsens quickly needs emergency care.
- Chest pain with shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, or nausea requires calling 911.
- Chest pain with coughing up blood or severe difficulty breathing is an emergency that needs immediate ER treatment.
Chest pain when breathing is a common symptom that is often linked to anxiety, stress, excess gas, or muscle strain. In many cases, it is not serious and improves with rest or simple home care.
However, chest pain when breathing can also be related to lung conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, or pneumothorax, as well as inflammation like pleurisy or pericarditis. These conditions may cause additional symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, fever, or dizziness.
Seek emergency care (call 911 or go to the ER) immediately for chest pain when breathing, especially if it lasts more than a few minutes or occurs with severe symptoms like shortness of breath, sweating, or dizziness. Treatment depends on the underlying diagnosis and may include rest, anti-inflammatory medication, imaging tests, or respiratory support.
Main causes
The most common causes of chest pain when breathing include:
1. Gas
Excess gas is a common cause of pain when breathing. The buildup of gas can put pressure on the abdominal organs, causing discomfort that may radiate to the chest and become noticeable during breathing.
What to do: It’s important to use strategies that help relieve gas, such as gently massaging your abdomen, applying light pressure to the area, or drinking herbal teas that support digestion.
2. Anxiety attacks
Anxiety attacks are marked by symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat, quickened breathing, feeling overheated, sweating, and chest pain that may intensify with deep breaths. They usually occur in people with generalized anxiety disorder.
What to do: When you experience an anxiety attack, try to shift your focus away from the trigger by engaging in an activity you enjoy.
Practicing breathing exercises can also help manage shortness of breath. Breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale through your mouth until you start to feel calmer.
3. Muscular injury
Chest pain when breathing is often caused by a muscle strain. It can result from overexertion during exercise or sports, lifting heavy objects, or frequent coughing.
Muscle soreness may also occur after maintaining poor posture or during periods of stress. The pain is usually localized in the center of the chest, around the ribs, or sometimes felt in the back.
What to do: You should rest and avoid heavy lifting while you recover. Applying a cold compress can help ease discomfort. If the pain is severe, see a healthcare provider, as you may need further treatment.
If the pain was caused by exercise, consider consulting a personal trainer for advice on preventing similar injuries in the future.
4. Costochondritis
Costochondritis can also cause chest pain with breathing. This condition is characterized by inflammation of the cartilage that connects the sternum to the upper ribs. In addition to pain with breathing, common symptoms including, chest pain, shortness of breath and sternal pain.
What to do: In some cases, the pain goes away on its own after a period of rest and doesn’t require medical treatment. Because movement can make the pain worse, it’s best to avoid strenuous activity. If the pain becomes very severe, you should see a doctor to confirm the cause and begin appropriate treatment.
5. Cold and flu
A cold or flu virus can cause chest pain when you breathe because of mucus buildup along the respiratory tract. It’s often accompanied by symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, body aches, fatigue, and sometimes fever.
What to do: Symptoms usually improve with rest and increased fluid intake, which help keep the respiratory tract moist and clear out mucus. Maintaining a healthy diet during recovery is also important to support your immune system.
6. Lung disease
It’s common for lung conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, or lung cancer to cause chest pain when breathing. This pain is often felt in the back, since much of the lung tissue extends into that area.
Asthma can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, and pain when breathing. Sometimes, this pain may be related to a temporary condition such as a cold or the flu. However, it can also be a sign of something more serious, like pneumonia. Pneumonia typically causes coughing, fever, runny nose, and sometimes blood-tinged sputum.
Chest pain when breathing can also occur with a pulmonary embolism, a medical emergency in which a blood clot blocks a vessel in the lungs. In this situation, the pain worsens rapidly and may be accompanied by coughing up blood and severe shortness of breath. If you suspect a pulmonary embolism, seek immediate medical attention at the nearest hospital.
What to do: Treatment depends on the underlying lung condition and should be managed by a doctor after the diagnosis is confirmed. The doctor may request additional tests, such as a chest X-ray or CT scan.
If you experience severe shortness of breath, or if pneumonia or a pulmonary embolism is suspected, go directly to the hospital.
7. Pneumothorax
A pneumothorax occurs when air collects in the pleural space, the area between the lung and the chest wall. The trapped air increases pressure on the lung, causing it to collapse. This may lead to symptoms such as severe shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, and pain that worsens when breathing.
Pneumothorax most often happens after a chest injury, such as from a fall or puncture, but it can also develop as a complication of conditions like pneumonia or asthma.
What to do: If you suspect a pneumothorax, go to the hospital for evaluation and diagnostic testing. Treatment focuses on removing the trapped air and relieving pressure on the lung, usually by using a needle to aspirate the air.
8. Pleurisy
Chest pain when breathing is a common sign of pleurisy, a condition that occurs when the pleura (the membrane lining the lungs and the inside of the chest wall) becomes inflamed. The pain tends to worsen during inhalation, as the lungs expand and the irritated pleura rubs against the surrounding structures.
Other common symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, and pain around the chest and ribs.
What to do: You should go to the hospital to have your symptoms evaluated. A healthcare professional will start treatment, which may include anti-inflammatory medications.
9. Pericarditis
Chest pain when breathing may be a sign of pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining around the heart. This condition often causes sharp or intense pain that worsens with deep breaths. Pericarditis usually develops as a complication of another condition, such as lupus, an infection, or physical trauma like a car accident.
What to do: Treatment should be started by a cardiologist and tailored to each person’s symptoms and clinical presentation. In the meantime, getting plenty of rest is essential for a full recovery.
When to see a doctor
Seek emergency medical care right away (call 911 or go to the ER) if you have chest pain with breathing, particularly if it lasts more than a few minutes or includes symptoms like sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or pain spreading to your arm, jaw, neck, or back. According to the American Heart Association, these can be warning signs of a heart attack and should be treated as an emergency.
Based on CDC guidance, calling 911 right away is recommended when heart attack symptoms are suspected, since rapid evaluation and treatment are critical. These could signal a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or other serious condition. A prompt evaluation with tests will identify the cause and guide treatment.