For years now I ve been having these chest pains that happen out of nowhere and I ve had 2 or 3 in the past 2 and a half weeks. Sometimes they go away for a long amount of time like a month but then they come back and it s like whenever I exhale, I get this sharp pain in the left side of my chest like my heart is being squeezed and it s hard to breathe because it really hurts and it usually lasts about 1-3 minutes. Should I start seeking medical attention as soon as possible? What could be wrong?
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. I can understand your concern. Yes, you should definitely get done few reports to rule out heart and lung related causes for your chest pain. You are having squeezing type of chest pain on exhalation. This is seen in heart diseases like coronary heart disease and lung diseases like pleurisy, pneumonia etc. So get done ECG, 2d echo, chest x-ray. If all these are normal then no need to worry about heart and lung related causes. Sometimes, musculoskeletal pain can cause similar symptoms. So avoid heavyweight lifting and strenuous exercise. Take painkiller and muscle relaxant Chat Doctor.  Don't worry, you will be alright. First rule heart and lung related causes. Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.