Introduction
Rib pain on the left side is an unpleasant but in most cases harmless symptom. The anatomy of the left rib cage does not differ from that of the right side, only the organs underneath and thus the organic causes of rib pain vary. The pain can be constant and dull, but also shooting, stabbing and acute. Superficial injuries of the rib cage are particularly painful during breathing, as this causes a displacement of the ribs. Often, however, there are more serious organic causes, which are mistakenly perceived as superficial pain of the ribs.
The possible causes
In most cases, harmless complaints of the outer chest are responsible for the rib pain. In addition to the rib bones, the cartilaginous parts of the ribs, the so-called “intercostal nerves“, as well as the superficial leaf of the pleura can be affected. The ribs may be bruised or broken by an injury, for example, which can lead to stabbing rib pain.
Incarcerations or irritations of the intercostal nerves can suddenly cause unpleasant stabbing chest pain, which is misinterpreted as heart pain. Deeper injuries to the rib cage, on the other hand, can contribute to painful damage to the pleura. However, this can also be co-infected in the course of pneumonia and cause rib pain on the left side.
More rarely, however, diseases of the chest organs or the upper abdominal organs are behind the left-sided rib pain. The heart is the primary target. If the heart is undersupplied with oxygen, sudden stabbing pain can occur on the left side, often radiating into the left arm or jaw. Changes in the upper abdominal organs can also cause pain to be projected onto the left ribs. This can occur, for example, when there is increased pressure on the diaphragm due to enlargements of the spleen or liver.
Pain in the ribs due to coughing
Unpleasant rib pain when coughing is a common symptom. The pain occurs when taking a deep breath and can even impede breathing. Respiratory rib pain is more likely to be a problem of the ribs, rib muscles, intercostal nerves or the external pleura.
Due to the jerky exhalation when coughing, the structures of the ribcage are put under great strain. This causes the ribs to lower suddenly, the muscles tense up and the lungs contract. Injured ribs can be sharply painful, broken ribs can even be displaced by the cough and other structures can become trapped. The pleura also undergoes a shift and friction as a result of coughing, which can cause severe pain in the event of inflammation.
