Understanding chest symptoms after COVID-19

What does chest pain feel like?

Chest pain can appear in different ways. Noticing how your symptoms feel, such as when they happen or what makes them better or worse, can help you better understand what you’re experiencing and how to manage it.

Chest discomfort may feel:

• Like pressure, tightness, or fullness in the chest
• Sharp, dull, or aching
• Burning, sore or tender to the touch
• Localized to one spot, or spreads across a wider area of the chest
• Made better or worse with specific movement

Some people notice symptoms when breathing deeply, coughing, sneezing, or laughing, while others may feel discomfort during physical activity, daily routines, or even while resting.

Is chest tightness the same as chest pain?

People often use these terms interchangeably, but they can mean different things.

• Chest tightness often refers to a squeezing, pressure-like sensation in the chest
• Chest pain is a broader term that can include sharp, dull, burning, or aching sensations

Sometimes these sensations can vary from person to person. A healthcare provider can help determine the underlying cause of chest discomfort.

Remember, it is important to seek urgent medical care if you experience chest symptoms that are sudden, severe, worsening, or accompanied by concerning signs (e.g., shortness of breath, dizziness or vomiting).

Why might chest symptoms happen after COVID-19?

Most people recover from COVID-19, but some may experience symptoms in the weeks or months after the infection. People who had more severe COVID-19, especially those who were hospitalized or experienced serious complications, may be more likely to notice chest symptoms during recovery.

Severe COVID-19 can put stress on the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and nerves, which can contribute to lingering or recurrent chest discomfort. People who had severe COVID-19 are also at heightened risk for future heart-related events.

Learn more about Understanding Long COVID & post-COVID complications.

However, chest symptoms are not limited to people who were severely ill. Even those who had mild or moderate COVID-19 can develop chest pain, often along with fatigue, shortness of breath, or a racing heart.

Symptoms don’t always have one clear cause, and different people may experience them for different reasons. For example, some people may have underlying medical conditions that worsen after COVID-19, or they can develop non-COVID related health issues.

Some possibilities for why chest pain may happen include:

Musculoskeletal chest pain

COVID-19 may cause muscles to ache in your chest. Your chest may feel sore to the touch. This type of pain can happen during movement, physical activity or certain positions, especially if you have been inactive for a long period of time and begin to increase your activity levels.

Non-specific chest pain

This type of pain can feel sharp or dull. It is not triggered by physical activity and causes for this type of pain may be unknown.

Pleuritic pain (chest pain when you breathe in)

This pain is often sharp and may feel worse when you take a deep breath. It can be linked to irritation in the lining around the lungs (called pleurisy).

The Heart health, blood pressure, & blood clot risks after COVID-19 article can support your understanding of how COVID‑19 can impact the cardiovascular system.

When should you seek urgent medical care for chest pain?

Seek urgent medical attention if you have chest pain that is:

• New or unexplained
• Happens alongside symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, heavy sweating, trouble breathing, or if you lose consciousness

If you notice a new type of chest pain, a healthcare provider can help you understand what it might mean and whether any further tests or monitoring are needed, especially if it feels different or causes concern.