If you struggle with health anxiety, you’re likely familiar with three recurring fears: “every symptom means cancer,” “chest pains signal a heart attack,” and “Dr. Google always points to the worst.”
The article explains that while symptoms like chest pain can be alarming, they’re often not as serious as they seem. “Stabbing pains in your chest” may feel terrifying, but without other signs—like shortness of breath or pain down the left arm—it’s unlikely to be a heart attack.
Instead, it might be something harmless like **precordial catch syndrome**, a brief, sharp chest pain that typically passes in minutes and isn’t dangerous.
The message is clear: don’t jump to worst-case scenarios, especially when symptoms appear alone.
