Burning in the chest and neck
A burning sensation of the chest down to the neck area speaks either for a reflux of stomach acid that rises up to the larynx or for a disease of the respiratory tract. Depending on the accompanying symptoms and the process of development, diagnosis and therapy are carried out. Sore throat can also be relieved with warming compresses, such as scarves and “cough and bronchial tea”.
If you have a hoarse voice – for example after excessive strain or a night-time drinking session – it helps to take it easy and drink a lot (3 litres or more per day). The drink should be non-carbonated and taken warm rather than cold. For the relief of sore throats, chamomile tea is particularly suitable, which can also be mixed with honey if desired.
Burning in the chest with cold and cough
Especially in the cold winter months one likes to catch a cold. Every cold also includes coughing, which can be quite painful from a certain stage onwards. A severe cough leaves a burning sensation in the chest and upper airways.
This is then usually a case of bronchitis. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, i.e. a section of the lungs in which air is primarily transported. In the early stages of bronchitis, the cough is often still dry, i.e. without coughing up mucus.
Only later does the so-called “productive cough” occur, in which mucusy sputum is accompanied by the cough. This phase is then accompanied by a stinging and burning sensation in the chest and throat region. In addition, headaches, tiredness and a slight fever can occur.
Bronchitis usually heals without consequences within two weeks – but patience is required: A cold can persist for several weeks. At least the unpleasant stinging and burning sensation in the chest will disappear relatively soon. If this is not the case, it can also be a more serious differential diagnosis.
These include pleuritis, i.e. inflammation of the pleura. In this case, the two layers of the pleura rub against each other during breathing and thus cause severe, breath-dependent pain. In addition, a severe feeling of illness and fever can occur.
Chronic coughing can also be caused by the widespread respiratory disease bronchial asthma. The main symptoms of bronchial asthma are dry, i.e. unproductive, cough, which occurs particularly at night. In addition, there is a so-called expiratory stridor, i.e. a “rasping” sound of breathing that occurs during exhalation.
An asthma attack usually occurs suddenly, within a few minutes. This is also an important distinguishing criterion from a cold that lasts for days. Like bronchitis, asthma causes a burning sensation in the chest and a severe cough.
However, therapy during an attack is carried out with spasmolytics, i.e. drugs that relieve the spasms in the lungs. A well-known representative of these spasmolytics is salbutamol, which is applied by inhalation and provides immediate relief after only a few strokes. A dreaded but rare form of productive cough is the haemoptysis.
Blood is coughed up along with the cough, which indicates severe damage to the lung tissue. Coughing up blood can occur in very severe forms of bronchitis, but more frequently in terminal bronchial carcinomas. In the past, blood admixture during coughing was a sign of tuberculosis.
With the eradication of tuberculosis in our latitudes, this differential diagnosis had receded into the background. With the increasing influx of refugees from endemic areas, however, this diagnosis is once again coming to the fore. Central Africa and the Middle East in particular belong to risk areas, which is why travellers who are suspected of having this disease must also be examined for it.
Pulmonary tuberculosis is highly contagious at this stage and requires urgent medical clarification. If breathing difficulties occur in addition to the burning sensation in the chest, the symptoms are most likely caused by the heart or lungs. Diseases of the heart that trigger these complaints can be a heart attack or pericardial tamponade.
A heart attack is usually associated with a feeling of pressure behind the sternum and radiating pain. With a pericardial tamponade, blood enters the pericardium and the heart can no longer reach its full pumping capacity. As a result, not enough blood in the lungs can be enriched with oxygen, resulting in shortness of breath. If the lung is the cause of the complaints, one can think of a pulmonary embolism, which causes shortness of breath because pulmonary arteries are displaced and even in this case not enough blood can be enriched with oxygen. Another reason for the complaints can be a pneumothorax, which is caused by air entering the space between the lungs and the chest (pleural gap).
