Is my chest pain an emergency?
Five quick questions. Takes under a minute. If at any point you feel worse, stop and call 999.
If you have crushing chest pain right now, or you're struggling to breathe, don't do the quiz. Call 999.
Do you have chest pain, pressure or tightness right now?
Include aching, heaviness, squeezing, or a feeling like bad indigestion.
Has it lasted more than 15 minutes?
Or does it keep coming back over the last hour?
Do you have any of these as well?
- Pain spreading to your arm, jaw, neck, back or stomach
- Short of breath
- Sweating, or cold and clammy
- Feeling sick or being sick
- Light-headed, dizzy or faint
Does any of this apply to you?
- You've had a heart attack, angina, a stent or heart surgery before
- You have diabetes
- You're over 50, or over 40 and smoke
- The pain came on during exertion, stress or cold weather
- The pain is new, or feels different from anything you've had before
The pain has stopped. How long did it last, and how did it feel?
Call 999 now
Your answers match the warning signs of a heart attack. Don't wait to see if it improves.
Call 999- Say: "I think I'm having a heart attack."
- Sit down, ideally on the floor against a wall.
- Chew one 300mg aspirin if it's within reach and you're not allergic.
- Unlock the front door. Don't drive yourself.
Call 111 now
This doesn't match the classic pattern of a heart attack, but new or unexplained chest pain always needs assessing today. NHS 111 will ask more questions and may send an ambulance, book you an urgent appointment or reassure you.
Call 111Or use 111 online. If the pain comes back, gets worse, or you develop any other symptoms, call 999.
See your GP
Brief, sharp pain that's worse when you press on the chest, twist or breathe in, is usually from the chest wall or muscles rather than the heart. It still deserves a proper check, so book a GP appointment, especially if it keeps happening.
Call 999 straight away if it comes back as pressure or tightness, lasts more than 15 minutes, or you feel sweaty, sick, breathless or faint.
Read about other causes of chest pain.
How this works: the questions follow NHS and British Heart Foundation guidance on when to call 999 for chest pain. It errs on the side of calling for help. It can't examine you and it can't rule out a heart attack. If your gut says something is badly wrong, trust it and call 999 regardless of the result.