What will happen if chest pain is not treated? Understanding the Risks

September 27, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the American Heart Association, every minute you wait to seek help for a heart-related event increases the risk of permanent heart muscle damage and death. Understanding what will happen if chest pain is not treated is crucial for protecting your long-term health and well-being.

Quick Summary

Without a proper diagnosis and treatment, chest pain can lead to serious and potentially fatal complications, depending on the underlying cause. The consequences range from permanent heart damage and heart failure to worsening chronic conditions like GERD or debilitating anxiety and chronic pain.

Key Points

Cardiac Events: Ignoring heart-related chest pain dramatically increases the risk of irreversible heart muscle damage, heart failure, and death, with every minute counting.
Long-Term Organ Damage: Untreated gastrointestinal issues like GERD can cause ulcers, strictures, and even lead to an increased risk of esophageal cancer.
Chronic Worsening: While not always life-threatening, untreated musculoskeletal or chronic conditions can result in persistent pain and reduced quality of life over time.
Psychological Impact: Leaving anxiety-related chest pain untreated can cause anxiety and panic disorders to worsen, negatively impacting cardiovascular health and overall well-being.
The Time Factor: For serious causes like a heart attack, the phrase 'time is muscle' applies, as delaying treatment prolongs damage and worsens outcomes significantly.
Diagnostic Imperative: The only way to differentiate between a harmless and life-threatening cause of chest pain is through a prompt medical evaluation, making self-diagnosis extremely risky.

The Critical Importance of Seeking Medical Attention

While chest pain can stem from various causes—some benign, others life-threatening—the single biggest mistake is assuming it will resolve on its own. Delaying or ignoring chest pain, especially if it is new, severe, or accompanied by other symptoms, is a dangerous gamble with potentially devastating outcomes. Seeking prompt medical evaluation is the only way to accurately determine the cause and receive the appropriate treatment.

Consequences of Untreated Cardiac Chest Pain

Cardiac causes of chest pain are among the most urgent. An untreated heart-related issue can have immediate and permanent repercussions.

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)

During a heart attack, blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, causing heart muscle tissue to die without oxygen. This damage is irreversible. Without timely intervention, the consequences include:

Permanent damage to the heart muscle, leading to a weakened heart.
Increased risk of heart failure, where the heart can no longer pump sufficient blood.
Higher risk of life-threatening arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).
Higher mortality risk, especially with extended delays in care.

Unstable Angina

Unstable angina is a warning sign of a pending heart attack, caused by a blood clot partially blocking a coronary artery. Left untreated, this can progress to a complete blockage, triggering a heart attack. The risk of a fatal heart attack or severe heart damage is high for those who ignore the symptoms.

Aortic Dissection

This life-threatening condition involves a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the body's main artery. Blood forced between the layers can cause the aorta to rupture. Untreated, this is almost always fatal. The chest pain associated with aortic dissection is often described as sudden and severe, with a tearing sensation.

Consequences of Untreated Pulmonary Chest Pain

Beyond cardiac issues, various lung-related problems can cause chest pain and lead to severe complications if not addressed.

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

A PE is a blood clot in a lung artery that can block blood flow to lung tissue. Symptoms can mimic a heart attack and require immediate emergency care. Untreated, a large PE can lead to lung damage, low oxygen levels, and death.

Pleurisy

This condition is an inflammation of the lining surrounding the lungs. While often manageable with treatment, ignoring it can allow the underlying cause, such as an infection, to worsen. Untreated infections can spread and cause more serious complications.

Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung)

A collapsed lung occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and chest wall. Untreated, the lung can remain collapsed, leading to prolonged shortness of breath and other respiratory issues. In severe cases, tension pneumothorax can develop, which is a medical emergency.

Consequences of Untreated Gastrointestinal Chest Pain

What might seem like harmless indigestion or heartburn can be a sign of a more serious issue that requires medical intervention.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Chronic, untreated GERD can lead to significant long-term complications:

Esophagitis: Inflammation of the esophagus lining.
Esophageal stricture: Scar tissue that narrows the esophagus, making swallowing difficult.
Barrett's Esophagus: A small percentage of those with chronic GERD develop this precancerous condition.
Increased cancer risk: Untreated GERD increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

Ulcers and Pancreatitis

Untreated peptic ulcers can lead to bleeding or perforation, which are serious emergencies. Similarly, untreated pancreatitis can cause severe inflammation and damage to the pancreas and surrounding organs.

Consequences of Untreated Musculoskeletal Chest Pain

While less immediately life-threatening, ignoring musculoskeletal chest pain can result in chronic discomfort and worsened quality of life.

Costochondritis

This inflammation of the chest wall cartilage often resolves on its own, but in some cases, it can become a persistent, chronic condition without treatment. Chronic pain can interfere with daily activities and sleep.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)

TOS involves nerve or blood vessel compression in the neck and upper chest. Untreated, it can lead to complications such as chronic arm swelling and pain, permanent nerve damage, and even gangrene in severe cases.

Consequences of Untreated Anxiety-Related Chest Pain

Panic attacks and severe anxiety often present with chest pain that can be indistinguishable from a heart attack. While not a cardiac event, untreated anxiety can have significant health implications:

Worsening anxiety disorders: Without treatment, anxiety and panic disorders often escalate, leading to more frequent and intense episodes.
Increased cardiovascular risk: Chronic, untreated anxiety can contribute to high blood pressure and other heart-related issues over time.
Avoidance behavior: The fear associated with chest pain can lead to agoraphobia and a fear of exercise, negatively impacting quality of life and physical health.

Comparison of Untreated Chest Pain Outcomes


Cause of Chest Pain	Untreated Consequences	Urgency Level
Heart Attack	Permanent heart damage, heart failure, arrhythmias, death	Emergency: Call 911
Pulmonary Embolism	Lung damage, low oxygen, death	Emergency: Call 911
Aortic Dissection	Aortic rupture, fatal	Emergency: Call 911
Unstable Angina	Progresses to heart attack, death	Emergency: Call 911
GERD	Esophagitis, ulcers, stricture, cancer risk	Urgent: See Doctor
Pneumothorax	Collapsed lung, respiratory failure	Emergency: Call 911
Costochondritis	Chronic pain, reduced mobility	Non-Emergency: See Doctor
Panic Attack	Worsening anxiety, elevated heart risks	Non-Emergency: Seek Mental Health Care

Conclusion

Chest pain should never be taken lightly. The risk profile associated with this symptom is too broad and too serious to ignore. Whether the cause is cardiac, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, or psychological, leaving chest pain untreated can lead to worsening conditions, long-term health problems, and in many cases, life-threatening events. The phrase “better safe than sorry” is profoundly true when it comes to chest pain. Always seek prompt medical evaluation to ensure an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The American Heart Association provides extensive resources on cardiac emergencies and what to do if you suspect a heart attack. Knowing the signs and acting quickly can save your life or prevent irreversible harm. Remember, your health is not a risk worth taking. Don't wait; get it checked out.

Frequently Asked Questions

You should seek immediate medical help by calling 911 if your chest pain is new, severe, and lasts longer than a few minutes. This is especially critical if the pain is accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, or pain that radiates to your arm, back, or jaw.

Untreated unstable angina, a condition caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, puts you at a high and immediate risk of having a heart attack. The chest pain may worsen and last longer, and emergency treatment is necessary.

Yes. Ignoring chest pain can be fatal, particularly if the underlying cause is a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or aortic dissection. Delayed treatment in these cases can lead to irreversible damage and death.

Even non-cardiac chest pain can lead to serious consequences if untreated. For example, ignoring GERD can lead to chronic inflammation, ulcers, and an increased risk of cancer. Neglecting musculoskeletal conditions can result in persistent pain.

While chest pain from a panic attack is not a heart attack, untreated chronic anxiety and panic disorders can significantly impact your health. They can increase your long-term risk of heart disease and lead to debilitating mental health issues.

It can be very difficult to tell the difference. Non-cardiac chest pain is often short-lived (seconds) or gets better or worse with changes in position. However, since the symptoms can overlap, it's always safest to seek medical help if you are unsure.

If costochondritis is left untreated, it can become a chronic and recurring source of chest pain. While it is not life-threatening and often goes away on its own, severe cases may need long-term treatment like physical therapy to resolve.