Pain during a deep breath in the lungs and chest signals serious diseases of the digestive system, breathing, pinched nerves. Often such symptoms accompany cardiovascular pathologies, nervous and physical exhaustion.
Sometimes inhalation discomfort occurs during hypothermia, after hard physical work, intense training. The main cause of chest pain is diseases of the circulatory system, heart attack, ischemia.
Pain when breathing deeply is a symptom of many serious medical conditions.
Pathologies of the musculoskeletal system – arthrosis, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region – can provoke the appearance of a pain syndrome.
The main causes of chest and lung pain are:
- a blow or bruise that caused a broken rib;
- pulmonary embolism – a blood clot blocks an artery, the blood supply to the lungs deteriorates;
- pneumonia, pleurisy – damage to the mucous membrane by viruses, which leads to the development of an inflammatory process;
- pneumothorax – collapse of the lung, which can occur after a strong blow, puncture wound, respiratory infection;
- intercostal neuralgia.
In women, chest pain can be caused by hormonal disorders, mastopathy.
In case of chest pain, it is necessary to visit a therapist or family doctor, based on the initial examination and complaints, he will give a referral to a pulmonologist, cardiologist, neurologist, surgeon. At the doctor’s appointment, you should accurately describe the type of pain, accompanying symptoms.
Pain in the chest with a deep breath may be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- With pulmonary embolism, pain when inhaling is accompanied by shortness of breath, blood impurities appear in the cough, the skin turns blue, and sweating increases. The disease is very dangerous and can be fatal.
- Pneumonia is accompanied by wheezing breathing, high fever, and a wet cough.
- With pleurisy, pain when inhaling is acute, a person often lacks oxygen. The disease proceeds against a background of fever, chills, unproductive cough.
- With pneumothorax, breathing is difficult, weakness appears, the person begins to choke. Without timely medical care, death from a lack of oxygen is possible.
- Ischemia, heart attack – burning pain, pulling, can be given to the hand, jaw. Pain syndrome occurs during stress, physical exertion, after eating. Sometimes shortness of breath, vomiting, severe weakness occur.
With intercostal neuralgia, pain usually increases with movement or changes in body position.
If chest pain is caused by diseases of the digestive system, then it increases at night, after eating.
Pain in the sternum when inhaling is a dangerous symptom; you should not mindlessly swallow pills, hoping that everything will go away soon. Timely medical assistance will help prevent the development of serious pathologies and complications.
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Pulmonologist Andrey Malyavin
As a rule, acute bronchitis begins with symptoms that resemble a common cold: fatigue, sore throat, then cough, fever, headaches. Some of the symptoms go away in 2-3 days, and the cough can last for several weeks. Do not suppress a cough, because it is the body’s defensive reaction. When the cleaning mechanism constantly operating in the respiratory system does not cope, a cough turns on. There is no dry and wet cough, which is often operated on, there is a productive and unproductive one. In acute bronchitis, mucus, which is usually easily removed from the body, becomes viscous. Its amount increases, a cork is created that must be thrown away. To do this, it is necessary to dilute the phlegm (using mucolytic drugs) and evacuate the accumulated mucus (using a cough).