The costal arch is the cartilaginous connection between the lower ribs and the sternum. This is where many abdominal muscles start which are excessively strained during pregnancy. The liver and gall bladder are also located in this area, which can also cause pain there. Especially in the second half of the pregnancy, some women experience more or less severe pain in the area of the right and/or left costal arch. These can have different causes and can manifest themselves in different ways.
Causes of pain in the costal arch during pregnancy
Often the pain in the region of one or both costal arches is harmless. As the baby grows, this takes up more and more space in the abdominal cavity, putting a lot of strain on the abdominal muscles. Since the muscles originate at the costal arch, there is increased tension, which can manifest itself as pain in the costal arch area.
The expanding uterus can also put pressure on the liver and the gall bladder, which can be very painful but is harmless. Such pain can also occur when parts of the baby’s body are stretched out and press on the organs. Right-sided pain in the area of the costal arch or upper abdomen can also be caused by the so-called HELLP syndrome.
This is a serious complication during pregnancy and must be recognized and treated immediately by the doctor. However, the HELLP syndrome occurs very rarely. Like all muscles of the body, the respiratory muscles can also be affected by muscle soreness due to overstrain.
Coughing is a reflex of the body against foreign bodies in the airways or in case of inflammation of the lungs or bronchi. Extremely severe coughing can lead to exhaustion and pain in the respiratory muscles, which manifests itself as breath-dependent pain in the costal arch. In addition, the lungs may be involved.
In the case of pneumonia, an inflammatory effusion may form in the gap in the lung skin. Since the pleura is extremely sensitive to pain, it can cause additional pain. Due to the displacement of the lung during breathing, the pain is further intensified by coughing. and infections during pregnancy
