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Chest Pains Lots of things cause chest pains. How do you know if you should call 911? Some chest pains are minor problems such as muscle aches and gas bubbles. Others are more serious such as an inflammation of the lining of the heart or lungs, ulcers, gallbladder attack, acid reflux or blood clots to the lung. Most importantly, some pains can be the only warning sign of a life-threatening heart attack, where a few minutes can make the difference between life or death. Heart pains generally are located under the breastbone or across the upper chest. They may also go down either arm (not just the left arm), up to the neck or jaw, or through to the back. Most people describe heart pain as a deep pressure, ache, burning or squeezing. Some say it is like a belt tightening around their chest or a heavy brick laying on them. Rarely is heart pain sharp like a knife or excruciating like hitting your thumb with a hammer. Often heart pain is accompanied by other symptoms, most commonly profuse sweating, nausea, dizziness or difficulty breathing. Heart pains are often provoked or worsened by emotional stress or physical activity, but they can also come on when you are doing nothing more than reading or watching TV. They don't come and go in a few seconds, rather heart pains generally build up and go away over a minute or two.
Don't goof around with chest pains. Stop doing whatever you are doing. Don't wait until morning to see if they will be better. You should call 911 immediately if you have unexplained chest pains that:
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