What does short, sharpe burst of pain on the left side of your chest mean?

Nerve pain: Fleeting, sharp shooting pains lasting seconds in the chest area may be due to pinching of the nerves that run between the ribs. These may be accentuated with a deep breath. Heart pains are not usually sharp and fleeting. Rib problems may cause sharp pains but usually have a tender spot also. Fleeting pains in the esophagus and lung pains are less likely causes of fleeting sharp chest pains.