Sep 7 2010
Diagnosing Painful Ribs
Rib pain is often caused by a rib injury, but it can also result from a variety of diseases, disorders and conditions. Some of these are not easy to diagnose quickly. In this article, we’ll look at several of the most common causes of rib pain, along with a few that probably aren’t as well known to those who are not medical professionals.
First, we’ll look at common rib injuries as a cause of rib pain.
Fractured (Broken) or Cracked Ribs – Pain from a cracked or broken rib is generally sharp and extremely severe. Those who have had a cracked or broken rib are likely to say the pain is worse than any other injury they’ve ever experienced. Rib fractures are frequently the result of vehicular collisions or the collision of bodies during athletic events. Painful breathing is a typical symptom. Any movement of the upper body will probably produce sharp pain. The injured area will probably also be sore and sensitive to touch.
Cartilage Injury – You probably know what cartilage is. It’s the connective tissue between your ribs and your sternum or breastbone. Cartilage makes it easier for your chest to expand during breathing, and it also gives your ribcage the ability to absorb the shock of a blow. When cartilage is damaged, the resulting pain feels like a cracked rib. It will be especially noticeable when you laugh, cough, or take a deep breath.
Soft Tissue Damage – Your torso is a network of soft tissue that includes muscles, ligaments and tendons which surround the ribcage. Such soft tissues can be damaged by stretching or straining: you may try to lift, push or pull something that’s too heavy for you. Executing the same motion repeatedly for a long period of time can also injure this type of tissue (this is generally known as a repetitive motion injury). This can cause discomfort that may be easily mistaken as rib pain or a rib injury.
A number of conditions and disorders related to the bones and joints sometimes contribute to rib pain. Some of the more common include the following.
Joint inflammation – As individuals pass through middle age, joint inflammation and irritation become more and more common. Anytime a joint near the ribcage becomes inflamed, it may seem like the pain is originating in the ribcage itself. There are two conditions that are especially common.
Osteoarthritis – There are many places in the body that can be affected by osteoarthritis, including the area where the ribs connect to the breastbone and the backbone.
Rheumatoid Arthritis – When you have this disease, your body’s immune system attacks itself. Rib pain results when rheumatoid arthritis strikesaffects the joints in the torso.
Some relatively common diseases and illnesses are also characterized by rib pain. Among them are the following.
Pleurisy – Medical professionals call the lining between the lungs and the ribs the pleura. When this lining becomes inflamed, the general area of the chest and ribcage will hurt. Rib pain from pleurisy can be intense, and simply inhaling and exhaling can be be uncomfortable.
Pneumonia – Generalized rib pain and discomfort in the chest area is one of the symptoms of pneumonia. Anything that involves movement in the upper torso can be painful, especially laughing, coughing or sneezing.
Tuberculosis – Painful ribs is one of the many symptoms of tuberculosis, along with coughing, fever and fatigue.
Chest pain and soreness in the ribcage area are also characteristic signs of several kinds of cancer, especially multiple myeloma and lung cancer. Rib pain is a symptom in 4 out of 5 myeloma cases.
Patients who have lung diseases related to smoking or exposure to pollutants frequently experience pain in the ribs. Ribcage discomfort is especially common among those who have mesothelioma and asbestosis.
A variety of other diseases also cause rib pain. Here’s a quick list.
* Gallbladder problems like gallstones or a gallbladder attack.
* Spinal or other nerve-related injuries and disorders. Shingles is ia disease which often starts with acute pain in the ribcage area before erupting into an extremely uncomfortable rash.
* Long time steroid users sometimes develop chronic rib pain.
* Anxiety and stress sometimes lead to rib pain. Individuals who are tense take a lot of deep breaths, which can stretch muscles and tendonssoft tissue in the torso beyond their capacity..
Lastly, there’s angina, which is a medical term for chest pain experienced by those with heart disease. Angina can easily be mistaken for rib pain.
Obviously, there are dozens of diseases, disorders and conditions that can cause rib pain. Some can cause a lot of discomfort but pose no serious long term threat to your health. Others are very dangerous.
If you’ve had rib pain for several days, or if your pain is growing steadily worse, it’s probably time to call your doctor.[/body]
Would you like to get additional information on rib pain? Read The Most Common Causes of Ribcage Pain and Why Are Broken Ribs So Dangerous?. George McKenzie is a retired TV and radio journalist with a special interest in health and fitness.
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