Definition – What is pain when breathing under the ribs?
Pain under the ribs is often characterized by its breath-dependent occurrence. In most cases, the pain increases when breathing in, as the pressure in the chest increases. When breathing out, on the other hand, the pain improves in most cases.
Flat breathing should also improve the pain. The term “under the ribs” can be understood in two ways. On the one hand, it can refer to the location within the thorax, i.e., quasi behind the ribs, and on the other hand, pain under the ribs can also be located at the transition to the abdominal cavity.
Causes of pain when breathing under the ribs
In principle, all structures of the body that are above, below, behind and between the ribs can cause pain when breathing under the ribs. The most serious causes can be found in the organs that lie within the rib cage. For example, diseases of the lungs, heart and esophagus can cause pain when breathing under the ribs.
Less worrying diseases that can cause pain when breathing usually affect the muscles (diaphragm, intercostal muscles, back muscles) as well as the bones (spine, ribs) or the nerves that run from the spine along the ribs to the chest. These can be important causes of pain when breathing under the ribs: You will be informed about these in the following.
- Intercostal Neuralgia
- Rib Blockage
- Diaphragm pain
- Heart attack
- Pulmonary Embolism
Intercostal neuralgia (inter = between, costa = rib, neuron = nerve, -algia = ending for a pain condition) describes pain that originates from the nerves that run between the ribs.
Often the reason is a pinching of the nerve between the rib muscles and a rib. But a constriction of the nerve at the point where it exits the spinal cord can also be the cause of the pain. Since the intercostal neurons (nerves between the ribs) run along the rib, they are also moved by the movements of the rib cage when breathing.
If an entrapment occurs at one point, the nerve is stretched with each breath. This is manifested by sometimes stabbing, pulling or electrifying pain when breathing under the ribs. Each of the twelve ribs of the rib cage is connected to the spine by a joint, ribs 1 to 7 are connected to the sternum by a second joint.
A rib block is characterized by immobility in these joints. In most cases, the joints between the ribs and the spine are affected. In older people, signs of wear and tear are usually the cause of the complaints, but it can also be caused by an injury and acute trauma.
When breathing, the ribs move in their joints, so a rib blockage causes breath-related pain. The diaphragm (diaphragm) is the most important respiratory muscle of the human body. It also serves as the anatomical boundary between the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity.
By tensing the diaphragm, the space in the thorax increases, allowing air to be inhaled. Relaxation forces air out of the lungs again. If the diaphragm is damaged, this can cause discomfort, especially when it is tensed (i.e. during the inhalation phase).
It is suspected, for example, that side stings during sports are related to an overloading of the diaphragm. Injuries to the diaphragm can also cause pain when breathing under the ribs. A pulmonary embolism can be acutely life-threatening.
In this condition, one or more blood clots form, which can lodge in the blood vessels of the lungs, closing them and thus increasing the resistance in the lungs. The symptoms can vary depending on how many vessels in the lung are affected and how large these vessels are. However, the characteristic symptoms of pulmonary embolism are acute shortness of breath and breath-related chest pain.
A heart attack is an acutely life-threatening condition. Reduced blood flow (and thus an undersupply of oxygen and other nutrients) leads to damage to the heart muscles. This becomes noticeable by strong pain in combination with a feeling of pressure and tightness on the chest.The pain caused by a heart attack is not dependent on breathing, but it is often perceived as such by those affected, as the feeling of pressure on the chest is increased when breathing in.
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