Why Does My Chest Hurt When I Work Out?

Exercise is critical to staying healthy. But if your chest hurts once you start exerting yourself, it might be enough to keep you on the couch.

You shouldn’t just stop exercising, even if you feel fine when your heart rate isn’t up. The fact that you’re experiencing chest discomfort once your heart starts beating faster means something is going on in your body.

Here at Manhattan Integrative Cardiovascular, David Bolon, MD, can help you determine what’s causing your chest pain during exercise. At our office in Midtown East Manhattan, New York City, he and our team can diagnose the root cause of your discomfort and help you get the treatment you need to protect your heart. 

Causes of chest pain during exercise

Discomfort in your chest once your heart rate goes up can come from several causes, including:

Angina

This condition causes pain or tightness in your chest due to a lack of blood flow to your heart. You might also experience shortness of breath, a tight sensation in your arms or jaw, and nausea. 

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

You get hypertrophic cardiomyopathy when issues with your heart’s walls make your heart work harder during exercise, causing pain, shortness of breath, and even fainting. 

Muscle strain

Injury to the muscles in your chest can cause discomfort as you move during exercise. 

Asthma

The problem might not lie with your heart but instead with your lungs. If they struggle to function during exercise because of asthma, it can cause chest pain. 

Heart attack

If this is the first time you’ve experienced chest pain during exercise, it could be a heart attack. Other symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Dizziness
• Jaw pain

Seek emergency medical care right away if you have these symptoms. 

Finding out what’s causing your chest pain

If you have chest pain every time you exercise, visit Dr. Bolon. Some additional signs of a heart problem that worsens with exertion include:

• Abnormal heartbeat rhythm, like heart palpitations
• Dizziness
• Nausea paired with excessive sweating
• Pain in your arms, neck, shoulder, or back
• Shortness of breath

Here at our office, Dr. Bolon has a range of tools he deploys to find out what’s causing your chest pain. For example, he might order a stress test to see how your heart performs while you exercise. With expertise in diagnosing cardiovascular problems, Dr. Bolon helps you determine what’s behind your discomfort during exercise. 

This way, you can apply the treatment you need, whether an inhaler for your asthma or a heart attack prevention plan. 

To get to the root of your chest pain issue, call our team at (716) 303-4738 or book your appointment online today.