Pain in the ribs under the left breast | Pain in the ribs on the left side

Pain in the ribs under the left breast

The localization of pain on the left under the chest often leads to the assumption that the heart is affected and even that a heart attack has occurred. Nevertheless, an illness of the ribs or the structures of the chest is much more likely and harmless. Particularly in young people, stabbing pain on the left under the chest is often a temporary symptom.

Pain that is dependent on movement and breathing is an additional argument against heart disease. Below the left breast, the pain can also originate from the upper abdomen and indicate increased pressure on the diaphragm. Pain below the chest?

The accompanying symptoms

The accompanying symptoms depend on the underlying disease and can vary greatly. Superficial injuries of the thorax can be accompanied by other typical signs of injury such as swelling, redness, visible malpositioning and bruising. In severe cases, the pain also causes a restriction of breathing with resulting shortness of breath. Inflammation of the pleura, on the other hand, can be accompanied by general symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough and shortness of breath. If diseases of the thoracic or abdominal organs are the cause of the rib pain, further symptoms such as an increased heart rate, lowered blood pressure, fever, cold sweat and numerous other accompanying symptoms can occur.

The diagnosis

The diagnosis is initially made on the basis of a detailed anamnesis (recording of the patient’s medical history) and physical examination.In this process, the complaints and accompanying symptoms are precisely recorded, which already provides important information on the underlying diagnosis. The severity of the symptoms influences the sequence of the diagnostic procedure. Severe rib pain on the left side can be a sign of a heart attack, which is why it should first be ruled out by means of an ECG and laboratory tests.

Injuries to the ribs can then be diagnosed on an X-ray. If there are indications of an organic cause of the disease, the organs can be better visualized with further blood tests and radiological procedures. For this purpose, a CT examination can be performed, which provides a significantly higher resolution and diagnostic accuracy than the X-ray image.