Chest Pain and Anxiety in Children: Symptoms and Treatment
Chest Pain and Anxiety in Children: Symptoms and Treatment
Feeling fearful, worried, and nervous are normal emotional responses to stressful events. These feelings can manifest as anxiety. When somebody experiences anxiety, their body's "fight or flight" response can become activated. This causes physical symptoms like muscle tension, an increased heart rate, and shallow breathing. But as a parent of young children or teens, it can be worrying to observe these physical anxiety symptoms.
In some cases, physical responses to anxiety can show up as chest discomfort or chest pain. Anxiety-related chest pain usually isn't directly linked to cardiac issues. However, the sensation can be very unsettling and can mimic the symptoms of more serious medical conditions. What’s more, if a child fears they're having a heart attack, the physical symptoms might get worse.
Good news: There are ways to identify and prevent this anxiety response in those you love most. Let's take a look at what anxiety chest pains feel like for children and how to relieve anxiety chest pain in kids.
Is Chest Pain a Common Symptom of Anxiety?
About 25 percent of people will experience chest pain due to anxiety. Anxiety can present in a variety of ways. Symptoms of anxiety are rarely the same from person to person.
While there are different causes of chest pain, a panic attack or anxiety attack can be one of them. Chest pain can also be a sign of more serious medical conditions and should not be ignored. If a child or teenager experiences chest pain, it's crucial to see a doctor to rule out any underlying conditions.
It’s normal for children to feel worried or anxious from time to time. Approximately 7% of children ages 3 to 17 experience issues with anxiety each year. In most instances, an individual will begin developing symptoms of anxiety before age 21.
A child may have excessive worries about their performance at school or sporting events. They can also feel social pressure when trying to “fit in.” Anxiety becomes a challenge when it causes a child disproportionate distress that interferes with their school, home, and social life. It can show up as worrisome physical symptoms, including, for some people, chest pain.
How Does Anxiety Cause Chest Pain?
During an anxiety attack, the brain dispatches a surge of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol throughout the body, leading to an elevation in both heart rate and blood pressure. This is your body's fight-or-flight response. You might experience physical sensations as a result, such as chest tightness or pain. Difficulty breathing during an anxiety attack can also contribute to this sensation. It puts excessive strain on your chest wall.
When these symptoms manifest unexpectedly during an anxiety or panic attack, they can be easily confused with a heart attack because the feeling is so distressing. For a child or teenager, the fear they experience during an attack can also amplify the perception of pain, making the experience especially upsetting.
What Do Anxiety Chest Pains Feel Like?
Anxiety chest pain can feel different for everybody. It often comes on quickly, especially when it's a symptom of a panic or anxiety attack. A few common characteristics of anxiety-related chest pain include:
- Pressure or tightness: Anxiety-related chest pain creates a sensation of pressure or tightness in the chest. It may feel like something is squeezing or constricting the chest area.
- Burning or tingling sensation: Some individuals experience a burning or tingling sensation in the chest. This can be accompanied by a feeling of warmth or discomfort.
- Sharp or stabbing pain: Perceived as sharp or stabbing in nature, it can be brief and sharp or more prolonged and stabbing.
- Achy or dull pain: Chest pain related to anxiety may feel like a persistent, generalized discomfort in the chest area.
- Radiating pain: In some cases, anxiety-related chest pain may radiate to other areas, such as the shoulders, arms, neck, or jaw. This can be concerning because it may be mistaken for more medically serious heart-related pain.
- Intermittent or continuous: Anxiety-related chest pain can occur intermittently, with episodes of pain coming and going. Or it can be continuous and persistent.
- Exacerbated by stress or anxiety: One key characteristic is that this type of chest pain tends to be exacerbated by stress, anxiety, or panic attacks. It may be more likely to occur during times of heightened emotional distress.
How Long Does Anxiety Chest Pain Last?
Because anxiety symptoms vary among individuals, it's hard to predict exactly how long anxiety chest pain will last. A child might feel concerned they'll experience anxiety chest pain all day. But often, anxiety chest pain goes away in about 10 minutes. Relaxation techniques can help.
Other anxiety-related symptoms can last up to an hour after the pain improves. If an anxiety attack is the cause of sudden chest pain, the chest pain may be slow to improve.
Self-Help Techniques for Supporting a Child or Teenager with Anxiety
When a child or teenager is in the middle of an anxious moment, they may feel frightened about having worsening symptoms, like a panic attack. The important thing to do in the moment is to help them feel safe.
How do you get rid of chest pain from stress? Every individual is different. But there are some common helpful techniques to help a child or teenager cope with an anxious moment.
These include:
- Breathe slowly and deeply together. Count slowly to five as you breathe in. Then count to five as you breathe out.
- Sit with them and offer calm physical reassurance. Feeling a loved one nearby, holding their hand, or having a cuddle can all be soothing for an anxious child.
- Use all five senses together to connect with what they can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. This can bring them closer to the present moment and reduce the intensity of their anxiety.
- Reassure them that the anxiety will pass and they will be okay. It can be helpful to describe anxiety as a wave that they can ride or surf until it peaks, breaks, and gets smaller.
- Ask them to think of a safe and relaxing place or person in their mind. If this technique is new, discuss it first when the child is feeling more calm. Identify and agree on the place or person so they'll be prepared next time they feel anxious.
- Encourage them to do something that helps them to feel calmer. This could be going for a walk, listening to music, or writing or drawing in a journal.
How to Relieve Anxiety Chest Pain in Children and Teens
Anxiety can often manifest as chest pain. While typically unrelated to heart issues, the sensation can be distressing and mimic more serious medical conditions. Understanding how anxiety and its physical symptoms can impact a child is the first step in helping manage its manifestation.
Parents can help anxious children and teenagers by suggesting grounding techniques and calming activities. Your support is vital during your child's anxious moments. For more tools to help your child, a licensed mental health professional can be a major source of assistance.
Start with a free consultation from a licensed Handspring Health therapist. They'll be able to offer therapy to your child and parenting support for you. Together, you can help your child manage and overcome their distressing anxiety symptoms.
Get the Pediatric Mental Health Care That's Proven to Work
Anxiety Chest Pain vs. Heart Problems: How to Tell the Difference
When a child complains of chest pain, parents naturally worry about heart problems. Here's how to distinguish anxiety-related chest pain from cardiac issues:
Signs It's Likely Anxiety
- Pain occurs during or after stressful situations
- Accompanied by other anxiety symptoms (rapid breathing, sweating, dizziness)
- Pain is sharp or stabbing and may move around
- Improves with relaxation techniques or distraction
- No pain during physical activity
- Child has a history of anxiety or worry
Signs That Warrant Immediate Medical Attention
- Pain during physical exertion
- Pain radiating to the arm, jaw, or back
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
- Fever accompanying chest pain
- History of heart conditions or family history of early heart disease
- Chest pain after an injury
When in doubt, always consult a pediatrician. While anxiety is a common cause of chest pain in children, ruling out medical causes provides peace of mind and ensures appropriate treatment.
5 Grounding Techniques for Children Experiencing Anxiety Chest Pain
When your child is in the middle of an anxiety episode with chest pain, these techniques can help:
- Box breathing: Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts. Repeat 4 times.
- 5-4-3-2-1 grounding: Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
- Cold water technique: Splash cold water on the face or hold ice cubes to activate the body's calming response.
- Progressive muscle relaxation: Tense and release muscle groups starting from the toes and moving up to the head.
- Butterfly hug: Cross arms over chest and alternately tap shoulders while taking slow breaths.
Practice these techniques when your child is calm so they're easier to use during anxious moments.
When to Seek Professional Help for Anxiety Chest Pain
Consider consulting a mental health professional if your child's chest pain from anxiety occurs frequently and interferes with daily activities, prevents them from attending school or social events, is accompanied by panic attacks, doesn't improve with home coping strategies, or causes significant distress for your child or family.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is highly effective for childhood anxiety, helping children understand the connection between thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. A trained therapist can teach your child personalized coping strategies and help break the cycle of anxiety.
Schedule a free consultation with Handspring Health to learn how our therapists can help your child manage anxiety and its physical symptoms.
