Someone with chest pain may feel discomfort, tightness, or burning in the chest area. Sometimes, the pain can get worse when taking a deep breath, moving, or coughing.

Your child had chest pain and was sent to a cardiologist (a doctor who specializes in problems with the heart) to be checked. The cardiologist did some testing and did not find a serious cause for your child's chest pain. You can now care for your child at home.

Follow the cardiologist's instructions for:

• Giving your child any pain medicines, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, or a store brand). Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often.
• Don't give aspirin to your child. It can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.
• Any activities your child should avoid.
• Any exercises or stretches your child should do.
• Any other things to try when your child has chest pain, such as:
  • Having your child take slow, deep breaths
  • Gently massaging the area
  • Putting a warm or cool washcloth on the area
• Whether your child needs any other testing or needs to see other medical specialists.
• When to follow up.

Your child:

• Isn't feeling better in about a week
• Has worsening chest pain
• Has chest pain when exercising
• Has a fast heartbeat or feels a fluttering or a pounding in their chest
• Feels faint, dizzy, or weak
• Has chest pain and a fever

Your child:

• Has trouble breathing
• Passes out

What types of tests do healthcare providers do for chest pain? First, a healthcare provider does an exam to check for soreness, injury, lung infection, or irregular heartbeat. Then they may do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), which uses small sticky patches placed on the chest to check how the heart is beating. They may also do an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to check how well the heart and its parts are working. These tests are all painless. Sometimes other tests are needed.

What causes chest pain? Chest pain can happen from:

• Injury or strain to the muscles or bones
• Asthma
• Lung infection (pneumonia)
• Gastroesophageal reflux (when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, also called heartburn)
• Stress
• Heart problem, but this is very rare in children

Sometimes, it's not clear what's causing chest pain. However, most of the time, chest pain in kids and teens isn't serious.