The cause of rib pain is usually easy to diagnose when it’s a rib injury. But rib pain can also be caused by a number of diseases or disorders. When this is the case, the root of the problem can be difficult to diagnose. The goal of this article is to describe the typical causes of rib pain, including some that are overlooked by the general public.
Let’s look at rib injuries first.
Fractured (Broken) or Cracked Ribs – When you have this type of rib injury, you generally know it because the pain is extremely sharp and severe. Many people say a fractured rib produces some of the worst pain there is. When you have a fractured or broken rib, you usually know how you got it: perhaps a blow to the body during athletic competition, an auto accident, or a fall. Breathing can become very difficult – even painful. The area around the injury will be sore and sensitive to pressure, and any movement of the torso is likely to produce discomfort.
Cartilage Injury – You probably know what cartilage is. It’s the connective tissue between your ribs and your sternum or breastbone. Cartilage makes it easier for your chest to expand during breathing, and it also gives your ribcage the ability to absorb the shock of a blow. When you have cartilage damage, the pain feels similar to the pain of a cracked rib. Laughing and coughing will cause discomfort. Taking a deep breath will hurt, and an unexpected sneeze can be particularly unpleasant.
Soft Tissue Damage – Dozens of muscles, tendons and ligaments surround your ribcage like latticework. Soft tissues like these can be damaged in various ways: you may try to lift, push or pull something that’s too heavy for you. An injury can also result from “repetitive motion,” that is, performing the same task over and over for a long period of time. This can cause discomfort that may be easily mistaken as rib pain or a rib injury.
There are a number of bone and joint conditions that cause forms of rib pain. Some of the more common include the following.
Joint inflammation – Few of us are lucky enough to completely escape some form of joint inflammation or irritation as we get older. Anytime a joint near the ribcage becomes inflamed, it may seem like the pain is originating in the ribcage itself. There are two conditions that are especially common.
Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis can cause irritation and inflammation in many joints all over the body. This includes the areas where the ribs connect to the sternum and the spine.
Rheumatoid Arthritis – When you have this disease, your body’s immune system attacks itself. Since there are a lot of bones and joints around your ribcage, it’s not unusual for rheumatoid arthritis to strike there.
Some relatively common diseases and illnesses are also characterized by rib pain. Among them are the following.
Pleurisy – Pleurisy occurs when the lining between the ribs and the lungs becomes inflamed (the medical name for this lining is the “pleura”). Rib pain caused by pleurisy can be intense, and breathing can become difficult and uncomfortable.
Pneumonia – Chest discomfort and pain in the ribcage area is one of the characteristic signs of pneumonia. Breathing can be difficult, and laughing, sneezing or coughing can be downright painful.
Tuberculosis – Painful ribs is one of the many symptoms of tuberculosis, along with coughing, fever and fatigue.
Chest pain and soreness in the ribcage area are also characteristic signs of several kinds of cancer, especially multiple myeloma and lung cancer. Rib pain is a symptom in approximately 80 percent of multiple myeloma cases.
Patients who have lung diseases related to smoking or exposure to pollutants frequently experience pain in the ribs. Ribcage discomfort is especially prevalent among those who have mesothelioma and asbestosis.
The following causes for ribcage pain fit into the “miscellaneous” category:
* A gallbladder attack or gallstones.
* Nerve disorders or damage. The disease known as “shingles” is included in this category because it often starts with pain in the rib and torso area before erupting into a skin rash.
* Long time steroid users sometimes develop chronic rib pain.
* Those who are under a great deal of stress are prone to rib pain. These individuals often take deep, rapid breaths and stretch the muscles around the ribcage..
Finally, angina (the medical term for chest pain caused by heart disease) can be mistaken for rib pain.
Obviously, there are dozens of diseases, disorders and conditions that can cause rib pain. Some are relatively harmless and resolve on their own without treatment. Others are very dangerous.
If your rib pain goes on for more than a few days, or seems to be growing worse, you should definitely discuss your symptoms with your doctor.[/body]
Would you like additional information on pain under the ribs? Read Identifying the Causes of Your Ribcage Pain and Fractured Ribs. George McKenzie is a retired TV and radio news anchor and talk show host with a special interest in health and fitness.
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pain at ribs for four years and in right side back in chest .
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