Symptoms of pain in the costal arch | Ribbed Arch

Symptoms of pain in the costal arch

Complaints in the area of the costal arch can have a wide variety of causes. First of all, a distinction must be made as to whether this pain is due to an accident. For example, pain in this area can occur after a fall on the ribcage.

On the other hand, all organs that are found in this area can also cause pain of various kinds. A rough differentiation is made between colicky pain, which becomes stronger and weaker again in a wave-like pattern, dull permanent pain, constantly increasing pain and pain that can be triggered, for example, by pressure or by deep breathing. Do you have pain between the ribs?

Inflammation of the costal arch

The causes of inflammation of the costal arch are manifold. One type of inflammation is pleuritis (inflammation of the pleura). The pleura lies against the ribs from the inside.

Opposite it is the pleura, which lies directly on the lungs. Together they form the pleura. Both the pleura and the lung are thin skins separated by a gap.

In this gap there is a small amount of pleural fluid, a kind of lubricant that allows the skins to slide smoothly when breathing. A distinction is made between dry and wet pleurisy, which have different causes and show different symptoms. Dry inflammation is caused by, among other things, pneumonia with the pathogens spreading to the pleura, acute bronchitis or inflammation of neighboring organs in the abdominal cavity.

Symptoms may include dry coughing or severe chest pain when breathing, with rattling, creaking noises being heard when listening, as the pleura and lung fur rub against each other due to the inflammation. A wet inflammation can occur as a result of dry pleurisy. Fever can be a symptom as well as increased pleural fluid. If the amount of fluid continues to increase, this is known as a pleural effusion, which can lead to breathing difficulties or pain in the shoulder. This topic might also be of interest to you: Periosteal inflammation of the ribs