Pain when breathing | Pain on the chest

Pain when breathing

If the chest hurts when breathing, in most cases the lung is the trigger. The most common diseases are bronchitis (inflammation of the airways) and pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs). Pleuritis (inflammation of the pleura) or rib fractures are also possible, as is pneumothorax (air in the chest that constricts the lungs).

Other diseases such as a tumor or tuberculosis are also possible, but very rare. Allergic reactions must also be taken into consideration, but allergic asthma is always associated with shortness of breath. You can find out how to recognize a pneumonia in our article How do I recognize a pneumonia?

Pain when coughing

Painful coughing is a common complaint in respiratory tract infections (pharyngitis, bronchitis, pneumonitis). The inflammation irritates the mucous membrane and makes it sensitive to stress. If you now cough vigorously to get rid of the mucus filled with bacteria, this can lead to pain. In the case of persistent infections, the respiratory muscles can also get “sore muscles” from the cough and then become painful under further strain. Other illnesses such as pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura) or a lung tumor are also possible, but much less common.

Pain in the heart

If the chest hurts in the area of the heart, the heart is rarely the trigger. Much more common are radiating muscle pain, an irritation of the esophagus caused by reflux disease, spinal pain or psychological stress. Nevertheless, heart pain should always be taken seriously, as dangerous heart disease can hide behind it in rare cases.

These include CHD (coronary heart disease), cardiac arrhythmia, an inflammation of the pericardium and of course heart attack. Therefore, it is always advisable to consult a physician in case of chest pain in order to exclude heart disease, especially if the pain occurs over a longer period of time or becomes stronger. For information on how to protect yourself from a heart attack, see our article Preventing Heart Attack.