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What Causes Pain Below The Rib Cage And Breathing Difficulty?
Question: I have a pain below my rib cage approx inch or 2 dead center. I am having difficulty breathing. The area is kind of hard. I tried burping to relieve it but it doesn't help What could it be and should I do.
Brief Answer:
Most likely costochondritic pain or Heart burn1
Detailed Answer:
The symptoms you are having can be because of costochondritis or heart burn associated with gastritis.
Costochondritis causes localized rib cage pain and tenderness that can be reproduced by pushing on the involved cartilage in the front of the rib cage.Some times the pain can be felt around the ribs and not on the ribs. Costochondritis is a relatively harmless musculoskeletal chest pain but it can be very painful.Most of the times pain is severe at the junction of rib cage and breast bone.The condition causes localized chest pain that you can reproduce by pushing on the cartilage in the front of your ribcage.According to you, pain increases on breathing ;which is highly characterstic for costochondritic pain.
I would suggest you to go for a X ray chest PA and Lateral view.The main treatment of costochondritis is anti-inflammatory medicine and high dose steroids used for a short period of time.A physcial examination by doctor should be done to check rebound tenderness.
A second possibility can be heart burn due to gastritis for that i would suggest you to take a PPI(Omeprazole) for few days,However most likely it can be costochondritic pain.
Advice
X ray chest PA view.
USG abdomen.
Physical examination by a physician.
Take a mild anti inflammatory like diclofenac along with omeprazole till you consult your primary doctor.
Thanks
Most likely costochondritic pain or Heart burn1
Detailed Answer:
The symptoms you are having can be because of costochondritis or heart burn associated with gastritis.
Costochondritis causes localized rib cage pain and tenderness that can be reproduced by pushing on the involved cartilage in the front of the rib cage.Some times the pain can be felt around the ribs and not on the ribs. Costochondritis is a relatively harmless musculoskeletal chest pain but it can be very painful.Most of the times pain is severe at the junction of rib cage and breast bone.The condition causes localized chest pain that you can reproduce by pushing on the cartilage in the front of your ribcage.According to you, pain increases on breathing ;which is highly characterstic for costochondritic pain.
I would suggest you to go for a X ray chest PA and Lateral view.The main treatment of costochondritis is anti-inflammatory medicine and high dose steroids used for a short period of time.A physcial examination by doctor should be done to check rebound tenderness.
A second possibility can be heart burn due to gastritis for that i would suggest you to take a PPI(Omeprazole) for few days,However most likely it can be costochondritic pain.
Advice
X ray chest PA view.
USG abdomen.
Physical examination by a physician.
Take a mild anti inflammatory like diclofenac along with omeprazole till you consult your primary doctor.
Thanks
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Remy Koshy
Answered by
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