Chest Tightness Or Pressure

What Causes Chest Tightness?

Chest tightness can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'troubling' to 'generally fatal'.  Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms.  In order to diagnose chest tightness, we could:

  • Research the topic
  • Find a doctor with the time
  • Use a diagnostic computer system.
The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "chest tightness" as a symptom.  Here are five possibilities:
  • Angina
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis
  • Asthma
  • Electrical Hypersensitivity
  • Anxiety

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:
being lean or underweight
radiating chest pain
frequent rapid, shallow breathing
pain/burning behind breastbone
past and future vaccination
highly elevated basophil count
chronic productive cough
discontinued antianxiety drug use
being anxious/nervous
non-specific arm pain
having asthma
chronic nausea
... and more than 40 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of chest tightness:
Cause Probability Status
Pulmonary Fibrosis 99% Confirm
Electrical Hypersensitivity 26% Unlikely
Angina 3% Ruled out
Asthma 2% Ruled out
Anxiety 0% Ruled out
* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate having chest discomfort, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:
Do you experience tightness or pressure in your chest? Do not mention pain here.
Possible responses:
→ Don't know
→ No
→ Rarely
→ Frequently
→ Most of the time
Based on your response to this question, which may indicate absence of chest tightness, occasional chest tightness, regular chest tightness or chest tightness, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:
Asthma

As the airways become inflamed and filled with mucus, and the smooth muscles in the airways constrict, chest tightness may be experienced as the feeling of not being able to move air in and out of the lungs.  This feeling may in turn increase anxiety, which worsens the feeling of tightness.  These may occur after exposure to a trigger, or a specific irritant, or after exercise.

Concerned or curious about your health?  Try The Analyst™
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Symptom Entry
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Suggestions
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Full Explanations
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Optional Doctor Review
Review (optional)
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