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Suggest Treatment For Sinus Infection And Severe Pain In The Chest
Question: I have just seen my doctor who diagnosed a sinus infection and prescribed antibiotics. But I also have a severe pain in my chest. He sounded my chest and said it was fine. He said I most likely have an infection of the pectoral muscle. I felt quite alarmed by this and wondered if you could explain?
Brief Answer:
?? missed diagnosis perhaps, but should respond to antibiotics either way
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. An infection of the muscle would most probably be an abscess (accumulation of blood, pus and infective tissue), which is diagnosed by a physical examination of the region and is not diagnosed by any breathing sounds or crepitations, that does not add up for me.
The pain in your chest could be indicative of a respiratory infection and if there was no significant local finding, then this should be the diagnosis.
Although, the prescribed antibiotics should take care of the infection you have, which in my opinion could be a respiratory tract infection which should respond well to the antibiotics and resolve.
So, although the listed diagnosis by your doctor could be questionable, I do think you should respond well to the prescribed antibiotics either way ma'am.
I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
?? missed diagnosis perhaps, but should respond to antibiotics either way
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. An infection of the muscle would most probably be an abscess (accumulation of blood, pus and infective tissue), which is diagnosed by a physical examination of the region and is not diagnosed by any breathing sounds or crepitations, that does not add up for me.
The pain in your chest could be indicative of a respiratory infection and if there was no significant local finding, then this should be the diagnosis.
Although, the prescribed antibiotics should take care of the infection you have, which in my opinion could be a respiratory tract infection which should respond well to the antibiotics and resolve.
So, although the listed diagnosis by your doctor could be questionable, I do think you should respond well to the prescribed antibiotics either way ma'am.
I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
But I never knew you could have infections in your muscles. How does that happen? Why would anyone get an infection in their muscle? My doctor said it was my pectoral muscle. It's my upper chest. I feel alarmed by the amount of pain I'm in. Especially since starting on the antibiotics, but isn't that often the case- that antibiotics can make you feel worse until the infection has been killed off? Thanks.
Brief Answer:
Usually an abscess, wrong to call it an infection of the muscles
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again.
It would be wrong to say that it is an infection of the muscles, it is more like a cavity formed due to the introduction of bacteria to the region deep within the muscles; one of the more common causes being unhygienic or improper way of giving an intramuscular injection through which bacteria is introduced into the muscles causing its multiplication and the formation of a cavity with pus, blood and necrotic tissue (also called an abscess).
Antibiotics do not necessarily make you feel worse, but in majority of cases the difference is felt only after 24-48 hours from initiation of the antibiotics. During this duration the bacteria would have reached its peak and would be causing more severe symptoms, but after this duration has lapsed the effect of the antibiotics kicks in and you start to feel an improvement.
I hope and pray the bacteria is susceptible to the antibiotics used and that you recover at the earliest. You can also use any mild pain management medication that you have until the antibiotics begin to take control.
Best wishes.
Usually an abscess, wrong to call it an infection of the muscles
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again.
It would be wrong to say that it is an infection of the muscles, it is more like a cavity formed due to the introduction of bacteria to the region deep within the muscles; one of the more common causes being unhygienic or improper way of giving an intramuscular injection through which bacteria is introduced into the muscles causing its multiplication and the formation of a cavity with pus, blood and necrotic tissue (also called an abscess).
Antibiotics do not necessarily make you feel worse, but in majority of cases the difference is felt only after 24-48 hours from initiation of the antibiotics. During this duration the bacteria would have reached its peak and would be causing more severe symptoms, but after this duration has lapsed the effect of the antibiotics kicks in and you start to feel an improvement.
I hope and pray the bacteria is susceptible to the antibiotics used and that you recover at the earliest. You can also use any mild pain management medication that you have until the antibiotics begin to take control.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
In November of last year I had a caudal epidural injection in my spine to ease the pain due to spinal stenosis. The 1st night afterwards, I woke up with a terrible pain in my chest and felt I couldn't breathe very well. This lasted a couple of days in it's acute form.However it never really left and have always had a duller pain there. Could this have caused the abscess? Thankyou
Brief Answer:
Spinal anaesthesia cannot cause pectoral abscess
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
An abscess usually develops in or under the region where the needle is introduced, and so an epidural injection cannot cause an abscess in your pectoral muscles. May be there was a temporary side effect, but we should look out for other causes like a GIT cause with the help of an endoscopy, respiratory infection causing chest pain, cardiac causes, etc.
I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you, please do write to me for any further clarifications.
Best wishes.
Spinal anaesthesia cannot cause pectoral abscess
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
An abscess usually develops in or under the region where the needle is introduced, and so an epidural injection cannot cause an abscess in your pectoral muscles. May be there was a temporary side effect, but we should look out for other causes like a GIT cause with the help of an endoscopy, respiratory infection causing chest pain, cardiac causes, etc.
I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you, please do write to me for any further clarifications.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Remy Koshy
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