People dramatically gripping their chests and collapsing to the ground is so clichéd that it is known as the Hollywood heart attack. However, unlike in the movies, the heart is not at all involved in many cases of chest discomfort, particularly when it is transient.
According to the American Heart Association, chest discomfort accounts for about four million outpatient clinic visits and over 6.5 million ER visits in the US annually. Interestingly, though, the majority of these cases are not linked to the heart.
To be clear, any type of discomfort in the chest, including pain, tightness, pressure, squeezing, or burning, should never be disregarded. Additionally, you should notify your doctor if you experience any new chest pain. However, Dr. Daniel Sands, a primary care physician at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, argues that knowing its several potential origins might help you discover remedies and allay worst-case anxieties.