Other accompanying symptoms
The accompanying symptoms vary depending on the cause of the lung pain when coughing. The cough is often caused by infections of the respiratory tract, which can also lead to a cold, sore throat, fever, tiredness and other cold symptoms. A distinction is made between a dry cough without sputum and a rather moist cough with sputum.
Other symptoms that can accompany lung pain when coughing are chest, back, shoulder or even abdominal pain. If sore throat occurs as a symptom accompanying lung pain when coughing, one should assume that an infection of the upper respiratory tract is the cause of the symptoms. Viruses or bacteria usually settle in the airways from the oral cavity to the small ramifications in the lungs.
This triggers a defensive reaction of the immune system, which leads to inflammation of the mucous membrane. Due to the irritation of the mucous membrane in the throat, sore throat can occur when coughing. The same mechanism also occurs with lung pain, as the pain here usually comes from the deeper airways.
Back pain can be the cause of lung pain when coughing, and it can also be a consequence of cough-related complaints.Whoever suffers more frequently from tension in the back muscles can pass this on to the chest via the muscles or also the nerve fibers. When coughing, the muscles between the ribs suddenly become very tense. If they are already irritated by tension, pain can be triggered by the cough.
Conversely, lung pain can radiate into the back when coughing. The nerve tracts play a particularly important role here. These run from the chest through the spine to the brain.
Occasionally, the brain is unable to correctly assign the pain and therefore projects it onto the lungs adjacent structures such as the back.
- Pain when breathing at the back
- Causes of back pain
Fever is a very unspecific symptom of the body and generally indicates an inflammatory reaction in the body. Fever can often be observed as a defense mechanism against infections.
By raising the temperature, the body tries to kill off the pathogens. Therefore, fever is a common accompanying symptom of infections of the respiratory tract and lungs, ranging from the simple cold to severe pneumonia. Fever tends to be higher in bacterial infections than in viral infections. Severe inflammations such as pneumonia are usually accompanied by higher fever than a pure upper respiratory tract infection.