The lungs as the cause of thoracic pain | Thoracic pain

The lungs as the cause of thoracic pain

  • Pneumonia: In the case of pneumonia, the pain is usually not particularly severe and is dependent on breathing. It also often leads to fever, sputum, severe coughing and malaise.
  • Pneumothorax: In a pneumothorax, air accumulates between the lungs and the chest. The pain comes on quite suddenly due to the sudden tear in the pleura.

    This can be caused by external injuries, for example. The main symptoms here are shortness of breath and unilateral chest pain. A pneumothorax is a first increasing disease and usually has to be treated immediately.

  • Pulmonary embolism: Pulmonary embolism is caused by a blood clot that usually forms in the legs and then “flies” into the vessels of the lung, clogging a vessel there.

    Pulmonary embolism can be fatal if left untreated and a doctor should be consulted immediately. The main symptom here is also shortness of breath and chest pain, which is dependent on breathing. Cardiac arrhythmia can also occur and can easily be mistaken for a heart attack.

    The main risk factors are smoking and taking the pill (see: Risk of thrombosis with the pill). Long car journeys and long-distance flights can also lead to a blood clot, and so a pulmonary embolism can also occur because the blood in the legs flows more slowly due to the slight movement and can thus “clump”.

  • Lung cancer: Lung cancer can also cause chest pain in the final stages. More information about: How to recognize lung cancer

Psychosomatic pain

Likewise psychosomatic illnesses play a role with thorax pain, they are not dangerous contrary to some other specified illnesses, they release however large fear with the concerning. If chest pain/heart pain is caused by psychological problems, one speaks of a heart neurosis. In the case of this heart neurosis, the person affected is convinced that he or she is suffering from a dangerous heart disease. Panic attacks can also lead to a feeling of tightness in the chest.