Chest and arm pain together require immediate attention as they may signal a heart attack, angina, or injury. Left arm pain is common in heart attacks, while right arm pain is typical in angina. Minor injuries can also cause pain in both areas. Severe pain without a specific cause should always be taken seriously.
The most common causes of chest and arm pain are potentially very serious, and these two symptoms together require immediate attention. In most cases, when they occur together, they signal an angina attack, a heart attack, or an injury. Sometimes, the two symptoms are coincident and their causes may be easier to determine.
Heart attack or myocardial infarction is clearly one of the most feared possible diagnoses when chest and arm pain occur together. Most often, if there is arm pain, it is in the left arm and people often experience other symptoms such as jaw pain, shoulder pain, shortness of breath, and weakness. The discomfort is said to radiate down the arm and can come and go. The type of chest pain involved varies: It can be a squeezing or burning pain similar to heartburn, but more intense.
Angina is a condition that also indicates heart disease and can cause pain of varying degrees that usually occurs episodically. Unlike a heart attack, one or both arms may feel pain, while the center of the chest feels pinched or has a strong feeling of pressure. It is useful to remember that the right arm is typically affected by angina, while generally only the left arm is affected by a heart attack. Both angina and a heart attack can have other similar symptoms, such as shortness of breath, pressure in the chest, pain in other areas of the body, and dizziness. Another useful differential is that angina sensations tend to dissipate after an attack, but severe heart attacks can cause continued effects or physical decline.
Sometimes people may notice chest and arm pain from minor or moderate injuries. If one of the shoulders is injured, their connection to the chest and arm muscles can occasionally cause painful sensations in both. In a minor injury, this pain is usually bearable and not as intense as that created by a heart attack or angina, and it can be made worse by moving the shoulder. The cause of the pain is easier to diagnose if people have knowingly sustained an injury to both areas of the body or the shoulder, but occasionally people will suddenly notice pain in these areas, without being aware of how they were injured. A simple muscle pull, which could occur in many different ways, could cause this scenario.
If the pain feels light and people can point to a direct cause, it may not be necessary to see a doctor right away. Severe pain, especially without a specific cause, should always be taken seriously. While such a situation may be perfectly benign, it is risky to ignore it.
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