answer:“Tightness in the chest” is a classic symptom of pending or active heart attack. Of course, it’s not the only symptom – not always – and it doesn’t always mean “you’re having a heart attack”, but it should not be dismissed if you can’t attribute it to a reasonable cause, such as exercise or current hard work, for example. In addition, since heart attack has been proven to be under-diagnosed in women, I would strongly recommend that you consult an actual physician. Here are some links that you may find relevant (from WebMD.com).