Pain when breathing

I just took a deep breath and there was a really sharp pain in the middle of my chest, I tried breathing deeply a few more times and it is still appearing :s-smilie:

Any idea what it could be? I'm not fat/obese/generally unhealthy and I think I am a bit young to be having a heart attack.

It also reminded me about a few weeks ago when I stretched or was lying in a strange position my right lung would have a sharp pain. What is it? :s-smilie:

Reply 1

ISAAC-NEWTON

ok nothing major to worry about unless when you say missle of chest i hope you dont mean it as near the heart.

i used get these quite often, in fact about 2 years ago i had a disastrous time on holiday due these pains. The pain originated from the left corner to the centre of my lung. Every time i tried breath out or in even i would get stabbing pain preventign me to take any other action rather to stay tigth in one position. In some sever cases and increasignly i would be unable to make any movements sidewards as again i'd get these stabbing pains.

When i came back to the uk i was about to go to the doctors but since they hadnt occured in a while i thaught forget it, but gues what they started happening more and more and i remember one occasion beign during my GCSE geography exam - woah! that was like hell lasted ages .
So before i took a trip to the doctors i did research on it and presumed it was pleuracy. However the doctor ruled it out as i never had any kind of pre symtoms such as fever, rash and other flue like symptoms. She told me it was just a chest infection and obviosly i didnt believe her 100% becouse it seemed a bit more than just a chest infection.

So i took the amoxycillin (antibiotics) capsules she prescribed me, and guess what after completing the 15 day course i never experienced the pains for more than 18 months after only until the last few months! But even now theyre nowhere near as severe or frequent as they were 2 years ago.

So my advice is, if you keep experiencing in the coming week then go to youre GP, otherwise it could be an isolated incident thatt can happen to anyone at times.

Keep well. Best of luck :smile:

Reply 2

Ywiss

15

I get this pain as well when I've been sitting awkwardly in the same place for a long time. Apparently it's nothing serious, it's just a piece of cartilage which slips through the rib cage and sort of catches on it when you breathe in deeply. I've found that the best way to solve it is to keep taking shallow breaths which don't hurt and at the same time stretch out my torso as far as it can go - standing up really straight and putting my arms above my head. When I've stayed like that for a few minutes, I cautiously try breathing in deeply again, and the pain has gone. It's a really weird feeling, and it can be quite scary because it feels as if you can't breathe, but apparently it's a relatively benign thing.

Reply 3

Ozy

7

I used to get these pains. I had to stay still with shallow breathing for ages untill it passed. It's weird. Hope you don't have anything serious. :frown:

Reply 4

Spiffy

11

I get those kind of pains before I get a full blown chest infection which happens quite a lot.

Reply 5

Tufts

17

Sorry to hear this my friend.

Doc time!

Reply 6

mangomaz

14

I get this occasionally... don't really think anything of it though because it goes within 30 seconds... Though it happened once when I was walking with my friend and she got SO worried whereas I was like 'aah its fine it happens all the time!'. She didn't look too convinced...! lol.

Reply 7

SB

2

Can be just a trapped nerve around your rib cage, you moved awkwardly and now it's pressing on the bone. Stretch out gently, it might move it back into place, or try twisting from the waist or bending over. Hopefully, it is just that... otherwise, time for a visit to your GP I think!

Reply 8

--

3

I get the same thing, but i've broken a couple of ribs in the past so i assume its just that. Just change your body position and it'll probably go away.

Reply 9

Purple

OP

18

Well its gone now, it started again when I bent down to pick something up though :s:

I dont know how to get to the doctors from where I live :bawling:

Reply 10

Purple

OP

18

Tufts

Sorry to hear this my friend.

Doc time!

It's bird flu from you and your duck :ninja:

Reply 11

EskimoJo

18

Thank heavens! It's not only me then? Can you not move your arm (usually left) too? Lifting it outwards is especially painful. I just sit there and hope no one notices so I don't feel silly! :s-smilie:

Haven't had an episode in at least a year. :smile:

Reply 12

--

3

EskimoJo

Thank heavens! It's not only me then? Can you not move your arm (usually left) too? Lifting it outwards is especially painful. I just sit there and hope no one notices so I don't feel silly! :s-smilie:

Haven't had an episode in at least a year. :smile:

Erm, you need to visit a doctor. Pain in your left arm with chest pain is sometimes associated with a heart attack, chest pain coupled with an effect on your left arm, and especially a painful one, should be checked out.

Reply 13

Purple

OP

18

EskimoJo

Thank heavens! It's not only me then? Can you not move your arm (usually left) too? Lifting it outwards is especially painful. I just sit there and hope no one notices so I don't feel silly! :s-smilie:

Haven't had an episode in at least a year. :smile:

No, that is only you, go to the doctors. You may have a heart problem :s-smilie:

Reply 14

supertramp

9

I get these a lot, to get rid of them you have to breathe in really deeply and sharply, which hurts a lot but gets rid of it.

Reply 15

RetiredAccount89

18

SB

Can be just a trapped nerve around your rib cage, you moved awkwardly and now it's pressing on the bone. Stretch out gently, it might move it back into place, or try twisting from the waist or bending over. Hopefully, it is just that... otherwise, time for a visit to your GP I think!

Is that your medical diagnosis then? a trapped 'rib' nerve..?

This is NOTHING! its just a bit of musculoskeletal pain.
A sharpish pain when you take a deep breath in and move your arms up etc. its just a slight 'sprain' to the muscle and will go away within a few weeks.

It isn't your heart. it isnt pneumonia. And it most certainly isn't a nerve pressing on bone!

Reply 16

supertramp

9

its just a slight 'sprain' to the muscle and will go away within a few weeks.

When I inquired at the doctors I was told it was most likely inflamed rib cartilage.

Reply 17

Ywiss

15

Jamie

Is that your medical diagnosis then? a trapped 'rib' nerve..?

No one's saying that they're qualified to give a medical diagnosis. It says above, "Remember all advice is unprofessional".

Reply 18

RetiredAccount89

18

Ywiss

No one's saying that they're qualified to give a medical diagnosis. It says above, "Remember all advice is unprofessional".

yes, but theres a difference between saying all advice is unprofessional and basically having a load of people plucking out the most random diagnoses and advice with so much certainty it sounds convincing.

Supertramp - yes, inflammed rib cartilage (musculoskeletal pain) sounds about right. Either that or muscle pain from the overlying muscles.

in any case its anything but serious, will get some relief with some painkillers (ibuprofen prob works better than paracetemol for this) and get better ina week or two.

Reply 19

wackysparkle

14

I used to get that - I would just down a whole glass of water in one go and it would disappear then - haven't had that in ages now though - I think it was stress-related

If it happens loads go see a GP

Pain when breathing

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