Diagnosis

A visit to a doctor is necessary to diagnose back pain when breathing. By describing the symptoms in detail and giving an exact description of the situations and the location of the complaints, the doctor can usually already narrow down the most likely causes. For further clarification, a physical examination is essential, in which the doctor palpates the spine and muscles, for example, and listens to the lungs and heart. These examinations often allow a diagnosis to be made. Supplementary examinations could be an ECG, an ultrasound scan or an MRI.

Associated symptoms

Pain when breathing in the back can be accompanied by various other symptoms. This depends on the underlying cause. Back pain occurring in the context of infections is usually accompanied by cough, rhinitis, sore throat and other cold symptoms.

Fever can also occur. In the case of tension or dislocated vertebrae, there is usually a pressure pain in the affected region and a palpable hardening in the muscles. Pulmonary embolism is usually accompanied by shortness of breath, a rapid heartbeat and pain, especially when breathing in.

Sometimes sweating and fever occur. Pain when breathing in the back and chest can occur in the context of flu-like infections or problems with the musculoskeletal system. Flu-like infections with coughing can cause severe strain on the chest muscles.

This is then irritated and hurts when breathing. Inflammation of the pleura can also cause such breath-related pain. If there are no symptoms of a cold, the symptoms can also be caused by tension or dislocated vertebrae.

Last but not least, the heart should always be taken into account when dealing with chest pain. Heart attacks can trigger chest and back pain, even if these complaints are not typically breath-dependent. Nevertheless, a medical clarification is generally recommended for chest pain.

Respiration-related pain in the chest area, which occurs mainly during inhalation, can also indicate a pulmonary embolism. In this case, the pulmonary arteries are blocked by blood clots. This can come from the deep veins of the legs, for example.

Pulmonary embolism should be considered if the person affected was last immobile, had to take physical rest for a long time due to an injury, has a tumor disease or has returned from a long flight, train or car journey. In most cases, breathing difficulties also occur. Pain when breathing in the back combined with lung pain can occur in the context of flu-like infections.

If the infection spreads to the deeper respiratory tract or lung tissue, bronchitis or pneumonia can occur. This can lead to breath-dependent lung and back pain – especially when there is a strong urge to cough. A resulting pleurisy can also cause severe pain. In these cases, medical treatment is absolutely necessary in order to achieve the fastest possible healing and avoid complications. and pain when breathing in right