Diagnosis of burning in the chest
Burning in the chest can have various causes, ranging from harmless complaints such as heartburn to serious heart and lung diseases. It is therefore important for the doctor’s diagnosis to describe the burning sensation in the chest as precisely as possible. How the pain feels, when it occurs and how long are important clues to the cause.
In some diseases the burning sensation occurs in certain situations, for example, depending on movement or breathing. An ECG (electrocardiogram) is often performed to examine the heart. With the help of an X-ray of the chest, the attending physician can identify changes in the lungs and bones, or fluid collections and injuries to the diaphragm.
If heartburn is the cause of the burning sensation in the chest, a gastroscopy can examine the esophagus, and if there are other complaints in the lungs, a lungoscopy (bronchoscopy) may be useful. The attending physician will have a detailed conversation about the symptoms and after the conversation and physical examination will decide what further examinations are necessary to find and treat the cause of the burning in the chest. Coughing is a symptom that can occur in the context of various diseases and serves as a protective reflex to get rid of foreign bodies or germs, “coughing up”.
In the context of a cold, coughing can occur, in which mucus is coughed up. Irritable cough is a dry cough without secretion of mucus. Irritable cough is a classic symptom of acute bronchitis, an inflammation of the mucous membranes in the bronchi.
The inflammation is often caused by viruses in the context of a cold and can spread from the trachea to the smallest bronchi of the lungs. A burning sensation behind the breastbone when coughing is very common. In the case of severe bronchitis, a burning sensation in the chest area may even occur during breathing.
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A burning sensation in the chest while breathing can occur in the event of inflammation of the bronchi (bronchitis), lungs (pneumonia), pleurisy (pleurisy) or rib fractures. Every breath can cause a strong burning and stinging sensation in the chest, which makes breathing much more difficult, so that one has to inhale very carefully. To find out the cause of a burning sensation in the chest when breathing, a thorough conversation about the symptoms and a physical examination are necessary.
During this examination the chest is examined, tapped and listened to. A pulmonary function test and, if necessary, imaging diagnostics such as x-rays, ultrasound or CT can be important for the diagnosis. These pages may also be of interest to you:
- Pain when breathing in
- Pain in breathing
