Chest pain or tightness is a common symptom of asthma. It may feel like a tight band of pressure is wrapped around your chest. Treatment may involve using a rescue inhaler.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung condition that may cause symptoms that affect your breathing.

One of the most common symptoms of asthma is chest tightness or pain, along with wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Asthma chest pain might occur right before or during an asthma attack.

While chest pain isn’t unusual in people with asthma, it may be a sign of another condition.

Keep reading to learn more about what causes chest pain in people with asthma, how to treat it, and when you should connect with a doctor.

Chest pain or tightness is one of the most common symptoms of asthma.

According to Asthma and Lung UK, asthma chest pain may feel like:

  • a tight band that wraps around your chest
  • a dull ache
  • a sharp, stabbing pain
  • a stomach ache

Some people also describe asthma chest pain as the feeling of having a heavy brick sitting on your chest.

Chest pain is a subjective symptom, which means doctors can’t measure its severity. Instead, they must rely on a description of the pain.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects your lungs, which are behind your ribs in the chest cavity.

Exposure to an asthma trigger can cause your immune system to mistakenly attack it as a foreign invader, which may lead to:

  • inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways)
  • airway smooth muscle tightness
  • extra mucus production
  • reduced airflow

All of these factors affect your lungs and can contribute to chest pain or tightness during an asthma attack.

What causes chest pain after an asthma attack?

Chest pain after an asthma attack may be due to feelings of soreness from the coughing, wheezing, deep breathing, or other symptoms you experienced during the flare-up.

In rare cases, asthma attacks may cause severe trauma to your lungs. This can lead to two lung complications that can cause chest pain and require immediate medical attention:

  • Pneumomediastinum: This lung condition is when you have trapped air in your chest cavity between the lungs and other organs, such as your heart.
  • Pneumothorax: This lung condition, known as collapsed lung, occurs when air escapes from your lungs into the chest cavity, causing pressure to build up.

There are many different types of asthma triggers, including environmental irritants, allergies, emotions, exercise, indoor irritants, and other health conditions.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), some common asthma triggers include:

Limiting your exposure to triggers is key to managing symptoms and preventing asthma chest pain.

Treatment for asthma chest pain will depend on whether it happens before, during, or after an asthma attack.

If it happens just before or during an asthma attack, treatment will most likely involve using a rescue inhaler, which contains a short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) medication. SABAs help relax your airways and relieve inflammation.

If you frequently experience asthma attacks or chest pain, speak with a healthcare professional. This may be a sign that your current asthma treatment plan isn’t working or an underlying health condition is causing your chest pain.

When should you go to the hospital for asthma and chest pain?

Get immediate medical attention for asthma if you or someone you’re with has a severe asthma attack that doesn’t improve after taking 10 puffs of a rescue inhaler.

You should also get immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:

  • sudden, sharp pain in your chest
  • chest pain that feels like squeezing, pressure, or burning
  • chest pain that spreads to the jaw, arms, or back
  • difficulty breathing
  • rapid heartbeat
  • dizziness, confusion, or faintness
  • severe chest tightness, coughing, or wheezing

Asthma may not be the reason for your chest pain. Many other conditions can cause this symptom, some of which include:

Chest tightness is one of the characteristic symptoms of asthma, but it may also be a symptom of another health condition.

You may experience chest tightness just before or during an asthma attack. Using your rescue inhaler could help relieve symptoms and prevent a serious asthma attack.

Consider speaking with a healthcare professional if you frequently experience asthma chest pain and need to use a rescue inhaler. They could examine your symptoms and help modify your treatment plan.