Contents:
- Medical Video: 5 Common Causes of Chest Pain
- 1. Conditions related to muscles and bones in the chest
- 2. Conditions related to the lungs
- Pneumonia
- Inflammation of the lining of the lungs (pleurisy)
- Tuberculosis
- Empyema
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pneumothorax
- 3. Conditions related to the heart
- Heart disease
- Pericarditis
- 4. Conditions that are not related to the heart and lungs
- Gastric Acid Reflux (GERD)
- Other conditions
Medical Video: 5 Common Causes of Chest Pain
Breathing is the way the body gets oxygen. With oxygen, all the processes in the body can run smoothly. Just try to hold your breath, what does it feel like? Then when you breathe again you will feel relieved, right? Now, what happens when breathing that should be relieved actually makes the chest hurt? To find out what causes chest pain when breathing, read on the following reviews.
1. Conditions related to muscles and bones in the chest
Injuries to the chest area can cause chest pain when breathing. Injuries to the chest that can occur such as a broken sternum or bruised muscles due to collision.
When you take a breath, the bones in the chest and muscles will move. Well, if an injury occurs in this area it will certainly cause pain when breathing.
2. Conditions related to the lungs
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a condition of a serious infection of the lungs caused by bacteria. People who experience pneumonia in their small sacs (alveoli) in the lungs will be full of fluid. Therefore, some symptoms will arise due to this condition. One of them is chest pain when breathing.
Other symptoms include fever, increasing heart rate, loss of appetite, and cough that does not heal.
Inflammation of the lining of the lungs (pleurisy)
The lungs are organs wrapped by a special membrane called the pleura. This pleura can experience inflammation due to bacteria, tumors, rib fractures, lung cancer, and chest injuries. This inflammatory condition will cause an effect on the chest pain when breathing.
Because of the pain that is felt, people who experience inflammation of the lining of the lungs tend to take short breaths to avoid the pain in their chest which will become more pronounced when breathing as usual.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Generally, these bacteria attack the lungs. People who experience tuberculosis experience inflammation in the lungs, so that the chest hurts when breathing. Other symptoms that are quite serious are vomiting blood.
Empyema
Empyema is also called pyothorax or purulent pleurisy. This is a condition when pus accumulates in the area between the lungs and the inner surface of the chest wall. This area is known as the pleural space. When an infection occurs, the pleural space will accumulate pus, which thickens more and more. This buildup makes the lining of the lungs and chest cavity stick. As a result, the lungs cannot fully expand and cause pain when breathing.
Pulmonary embolism
Blood clots in the lungs called pulmonary embolism can also cause serious chest pain while breathing. Pulmonary embolism can occur due to an injury such as a broken bone or muscle tear that can cause damage to blood vessels which eventually cause clots.
Certain medical conditions can also cause blood to clot too easily so that pulmonary embolism can form. Conditions such as surgery or chemotherapy for cancer can also cause blood clots to occur more easily.
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax will also make the sufferer feel chest pain when breathing. Pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between the lungs and the chest wall. The causes of pneumothorax vary.
Pneumothorax can occur due to a condition of injury to the chest that penetrates to touch the lungs. For example, a deep chest stab wound, or a rib fracture that pierces the lungs. These injuries can cause air leaks in the lungs.
3. Conditions related to the heart
Heart disease
Disorders of the heart organ can also cause chest pain when breathing. There are several types of heart disease that can cause the following conditions:
- Angina, when there is very little blood flow to the heart
- Heart attack, when blood flow to the heart is closed
- Heart failure, when the heart does not succeed in pumping blood
Pericarditis
The heart is wrapped in a thin membrane called the pericardium. This pericardium can experience inflammation called pericarditis. This condition makes the chest hurt when breathing. Chest pain that is felt when the condition of pericarditis is often felt in the middle chest, or the chest on the left.
Inflammation of the pericardium can be caused by viral infections, bacterial infections, and sometimes drug reactions and radiation therapy to the chest.
4. Conditions that are not related to the heart and lungs
Gastric Acid Reflux (GERD)
Chest pain while breathing can also occur due to gastric acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease, abbreviated as GERD). According to the American College of Gastroenterology, chest pain when breathing because GERD is also called non-heart chest pain.
Of course the chest hurts when breathing because heart problems and GERD have differences. Chest pain when breathing because GERD is felt not from the inside of the chest, but the pain is like on the surface of the skin and feels hot and sore, like burning.
Other conditions
Actually there are many other conditions that cause chest pain when breathing. If you experience this, immediately consult a doctor. Especially if you feel symptoms other than chest pain when breathing. For example, shivering, dizziness, feeling restless or dazed, the heartbeat gets tighter, chest pain when coughing, spasms, until fainting. It's a good idea to immediately seek emergency medical help.
