Introduction
Pain caused by breathing is very disturbing. Since inhalation is actively done by muscle work, while exhalation is mainly done by relaxing the respiratory muscles, breathing pain is more pronounced when inhaled. Coughing, sneezing or laughing makes the pain worse.
Respiratory pain can also occur in the back or radiate into the back. Often the cause is harmless. Tension and blockages are common causes.
The causes
The causes of breath-dependent pain in the back are very different. Often the cause is not dangerous. There are tensions, blockages or intercostal neuralgia (a form of nerve pain).
This pain is also motion-dependent. The pain becomes stronger through increased inhalation, sneezing and laughing. In some cases, a fracture of a vertebral body may also become noticeable in this way.
At an advanced age, fractures of the vertebral body can also occur without a major violent impact. Another harmless cause is overstraining of the thorax in the context of infectious diseases that are accompanied by a lot of coughing. Also pleurisy – an inflammation of the conjunctival membranes surrounding the lungs – can lead to breath-related pain in the back.
The rib block
A rib block is a restriction of the mobility of a rib joint. The restricted mobility can cause pain when sneezing, laughing, etc. Although blockages are not serious, they severely restrict the quality of life of those affected.
The cause of rib blockages is poor posture. As a rule, the blockage will unblock itself again. How can a rib blockage be released?
In intercostal neuralgia, the term “pinched nerve” is also used colloquially. The pain becomes stronger by taking a deep breath. Furthermore, they are motion-dependent.
The pain in intercostal neuralgia is caused by nerves. Therefore, in contrast to pain emanating from muscles, it feels burning, stabbing or tingling. The pain is usually unilateral.
An intercostal neuralgia can be accompanied by sensations and can be caused by various diseases. Shingles is a common trigger. A heart attack results in an undersupply of oxygen to the heart muscles.
Classically, a heart attack is accompanied by pain in the chest region that moves to the left arm. In women, the pain is often localized in the upper abdomen. The pain can also radiate from the arm into the back.
Although there is often shortness of breath during a heart attack, the pain itself is not necessarily influenced by breathing. If a heart attack is suspected, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Pulmonary embolism is a very serious disease.
It leads to the occlusion of a pulmonary artery. In addition to shortness of breath, there is also respiratory pain. However, this does not necessarily have to be localized in the back. If the main branches of the blood supply are blocked, the circulation may stop. Those affected must then be resuscitated and taken to hospital as quickly as possible.
