Random chest pains in the same area when I breathe?

Causes of Chest Pain When

Breathing

The symptoms of a heart attack

or other cardiovascular diseases

include pressure or fullness in

the chest and acute pain in the

chest. Pain may even radiate to

the jaw, neck, arm and back.

Other symptoms include

shortness of breath, nausea,

vomiting, sweating, etc. However,

pain in chest when breathing

could be a symptom of other

medical conditions. Let's take a

look at some of the common

causes of chest pain while

breathing.

Pleurisy: Pleurisy refers to the

inflammation of the lining of the

cavity surrounding the lungs. It is

also known as pleuritis. A viral

infection is one of the most

common causes of pleurisy, but it

can also be caused due to a rib

injury, formation of blood clot in

the lungs, lung cancer,

mesothelioma or autoimmune

conditions such as rheumatoid

arthritis or lupus. The primary

symptoms of this condition

include acute chest pains when

breathing and coughing. A

person suffering from pleurisy is

most likely to experience chest

pain when deep breathing. Other

symptoms include shortness of

breath, fever, chills and dry

cough. Though one may

experience a sharp stabbing pain

in the chest region, pleurisy

could even cause a dull chest

pain that may be accompanied

by a burning sensation.

Pneumonia: Pneumonia is a

respiratory condition that is

caused due to an infection in the

lungs. It occurs when one

breathes in disease-causing

agents such as bacteria, viruses

or fungi. When these pathogens

move into the lungs and multiply,

these may cause an infection in

lungs. The immune system may

then respond by sending

immune cells to the air sacs

present in the lungs. Labored

breathing, cough or sharp chest

pain when breathing deeply

could result from the

accumulation of fluid and pus in

the lungs. Other symptoms of

pneumonia include high fever,

shaking chills, productive cough,

shortness of breath, sweating

and muscle pain. Pneumonia can

be life-threatening, hence it is

important to go to a doctor if

you are experiencing any of

these symptoms. If pneumonia is

caused by a bacterial infection,

the treatment would involve the

use of antibiotics.

Pneumothorax: Pneumothorax

refers to a collapsed lung. The

lungs are lined by a two-layered

serous membrane called pleura.

The space between the inner

layer and the outer layer is filled

with a fluid. When air

accumulates within this pleural

space, pressure starts building

up over the lungs. Under such

circumstances, the lungs are

unable to expand during

inhalation. The pressure exerted

by air can cause the lungs to

collapse. A strong blow to the

chest, puncture wounds or lung

infections could make one

susceptible to pneumothorax. A

collapsed lung could even cause

a buildup of fluid in lungs

thereby causing a dip in the

levels of oxygen in the blood.

This could give rise to distressing

symptoms such as a feeling of

pressure in chest, fatigue,

shortness of breath or chest pain

while breathing in. Mild cases of

pneumothorax may resolve on

their own, but severe cases need

immediate medical attention.

Pulmonary Embolism: This is a

condition where one or more

arteries that supply blood to the

lungs get clogged. This happens

due to the presence of a blood

clot in the artery. The symptoms

of this condition include sudden

chest pain when breathing in,

shortness of breath, coughing up

blood, skin turning blue,

sweating, etc. Pulmonary

embolism can be life-threatening

if not treated promptly with

anticoagulants.

Costochondritis: Costochondritis,

which is commonly referred to as

chest wall pain, refers to the

inflammation of costal cartilage

at the junction of a rib and the

sternum. Trauma to the rib cage

during a motor vehicle accident,

a forceful blow to the chest or

repeated minor injuries to the

chest region are the common

reasons behind the

inflammation. Inflammation in

the costosternal joint could also

be caused due to pathogenic

respiratory infections. The main

symptom of this condition is dull

gnawing chest pain when

breathing and coughing. The

intercostal muscles help the

ribcage to expand and drop

during inhalation and exhalation

which is why inflammation of the

costal cartilage often causes

painful breathing. The intensity

of pain is most likely to increase

when one takes deep breaths.

Pain may also increase while

coughing and sneezing. The

treatment often involves the use

of anti-inflammatory drugs and

muscle relaxants.

Pericarditis: Pericarditis refers to

the inflammation of the

pericardium, which is a thin

serous membrane that

surrounds the heart. Trauma to

the chest region or systemic

inflammatory disorders such as

rheumatoid arthritis or lupus

could be responsible for causing

pericarditis. Low-grade fever,

malaise, sharp pain in the left

side or the center of the chest,

shortness of breath in a reclining

position and cough are some of

the symptoms that may be

cau