What Are Some Ways to Relieve a Tight Chest?

Reviewed by Garrett Kneese, MD, MPH

Family Medicine

Relieving a tight chest can involve using medications, doing breathing exercises, and practicing stress management techniques.

Explanation

There are several ways to help ease a tight chest, and what works best often depends on the cause. For example, if your symptoms are similar to asthma, certain medications—not just bronchodilators but also other asthma drugs—might help reduce the tightness by easing inflammation and letting you breathe better. Breathing exercises can also be very useful. Slow, deep breaths using your diaphragm help relax your chest muscles and open your airways. In addition, techniques like meditation, gentle stretching, or yoga can lower stress and relax your body, which sometimes helps if anxiety is making your chest feel tight. For some people, chest tightness can be linked to stomach issues like acid reflux; in those cases, changing what you eat and taking anti-reflux medicine might be the answer. It’s best to talk with a doctor to understand why your chest feels tight so they can recommend the best plan for you.

(References)

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Zhang JX, Zhan XB, Bai C, Li Q. Belching, regurgitation, chest tightness and dyspnea: not gastroesophageal reflux disease but asthma. World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Feb 7;21(5):1680-3. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i5.1680. PMID: 25663791; PMCID: PMC4316114.
Fox KF. Investigation and management of chest pain. Heart. 2005 Jan;91(1):105-10. doi: 10.1136/hrt.2003.031062. PMID: 15604354; PMCID: PMC1768663.
Campbell KA, Madva EN, Villegas AC, Beale EE, Beach SR, Wasfy JH, Albanese AM, Huffman JC. Non-cardiac Chest Pain: A Review for the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist. Psychosomatics. 2017 May-Jun;58(3):252-265. doi: 10.1016/j.psym.2016.12.003. Epub 2016 Dec 9. PMID: 28196622; PMCID: PMC5526698.

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