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Chest pain on inhalation
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Chest pain when inhaling can be caused by a number of reasons. Sometimes chest pain when inhaling can be a sign of a life-threatening disease. And sometimes a person just pulled a chest muscle or sat in a draft. The exact cause of chest pain when inhaling and the symptoms that accompany the pain, as well as treatment, depend on the specific disease.
Main reasons
Chest pain when inhaling or exhaling is one of the manifestations of serious diseases of the lungs, heart or blood vessels, as well as injuries or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Doctors believe that chest pain from lung disease most often occurs due to problems with the pleural membrane that surrounds the lungs. Any disease that affects the membrane of the lungs can cause chest pain when breathing. Between the two layers of the membrane is a small amount of fluid that acts as a lubricant and helps minimize friction in the lungs as they expand during breathing.
There are also many sensitive nerve fibers in the chest (its pleural membrane). Any friction or irritation of these nerve fibers can also cause chest pain when inhaling and exhaling.
Chest pain when breathing in can be caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease. This condition occurs when "juices" from your stomach flow up into your mouth. In addition to chest pain, you may experience pain when breathing in.
Another obvious cause of chest pain is bruised or broken ribs. Trauma to the chest, rib injuries from a car accident, or falls from a great height can all cause rib fractures. These injuries most often cause chest pain when breathing, especially when taking a deep breath. Severe cases may require surgery, applying heat to the chest, or using painkillers, steroids, and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Often, chest pain can be caused by heart and vascular diseases. Some of the most dangerous symptoms that accompany chest pain when inhaling are those that accompany heart and vascular diseases. They can be a manifestation of a heart attack or other cardiovascular diseases. However, chest pain when inhaling and exhaling can be a manifestation of other diseases. Let's consider the nature of this pain in more detail.
Read also: Chest pain when coughing
Chest pain when inhaling: blood clot in the lungs
A pulmonary embolism is a condition in which one or more of the arteries that supply blood to the lungs become blocked. This is due to the presence of a blood clot in the artery. Pulmonary embolism can occur when blood clots travel to the lungs, mostly from the veins in the legs, and get lodged in the blood vessels of the lungs along the way. They can cause inflammation of the lungs, which in turn irritates the nerves of the pleural membrane. And here you go - a person suffers from chest pain when breathing in.
Pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs) is one of the most dangerous causes of chest pain when inhaling or exhaling. However, it is worth noting that not all patients with pulmonary embolism experience chest pain when inhaling. Sometimes this disease is asymptomatic, but no less dangerous.
Symptoms
Symptoms of this disease include sudden chest pain when breathing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, blue skin, sweating, deep vein thrombosis, etc.
The type and severity of chest pain when inhaling varies from patient to patient. No two patients with pulmonary embolism experience the same type of chest pain.
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Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism - the complexities of the process
To understand how pulmonary embolism is diagnosed, you should pay attention to the histories of other patients. Patients with pulmonary embolism are often admitted to the hospital. Their medical histories can give another patient insight into how pulmonary embolism manifests itself. This can be learned by asking your roommates if you are also in the hospital.
Pulmonary embolism is diagnosed using:
- Electrocardiography.
- X-rays.
- Laboratory tests.
- Computer tomography.
- Angiography of pulmonary vessels.
Treatment
Pulmonary embolism can be a life-threatening condition if not treated promptly with anticoagulants or if the clot is not removed surgically.
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Chest pain when inhaling: pneumonia
Pneumonia is a serious diagnosis given to patients with chest pain when inhaling and exhaling. Pneumonia is the most common diagnosis of patients admitted to the internal medicine department. Some patients with pneumonia also have chest pain when inhaling and exhaling.
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Symptoms of pneumonia
- The temperature may rise sharply.
- The person usually coughs, with discharge from the throat.
- There may be harsh, wheezing breathing.
- You may experience chest pain when inhaling and exhaling.
- The voice may tremble.
Diagnostics
- Radiography.
- Chest computed tomography.
- Blood and urine tests.
- Analysis of culture taken from sputum.
- Bronchoscopy and biopsy.
Treatment
Typically, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics for this condition. They are selected depending on the type of pneumonia and the cause that caused it. Inhalers and saline solutions are often used to treat pneumonia with chest pain.
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the lining of the lungs. A viral infection is one of the most common causes of pleurisy, but it can also be caused by rib injuries, blood clots in the lungs, lung cancer, mesotheliomas, or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of pleurisy are sharp pain in the chest when breathing and coughing.
A person suffering from pleurisy most often experiences chest pain when taking a deep breath, simply suffocating. Other symptoms include difficulty breathing, fever, chills, and a dry cough. Although a person may experience sharp stabbing pains in the chest area, pleurisy can also cause dull chest pains. These may be accompanied by a burning sensation in the chest.
Diagnostics
- Chest X-ray.
- Biochemical test for glucose, amylase, LDH.
- Pleural biopsy.
Treatment
As a rule, the treatment of this disease is always complex. The doctor pays attention to the symptoms and prescribes therapy depending on this. Treatment of pleurisy may include anti-tuberculosis drugs, immunostimulants, antibacterial drugs and sometimes chemotherapy.
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a collapsed lung. The lungs are lined with a two-layer serous membrane called the pleura. The space between the inner and outer layers is filled with fluid. When air accumulates in this pleural space, the lungs are no longer able to expand during inhalation and chest pain occurs. The pressure exerted by the air can cause the lungs to collapse.
A severe blow to the chest, puncture wounds, or lung infections can make the body very susceptible to pneumothorax. A collapsed lung can cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs, causing low oxygen levels in the blood.
Symptoms
A pneumothorax can cause debilitating symptoms such as chest pressure, weakness, difficulty breathing, or chest pain when breathing in. The person may choke, turn blue, or even die from lack of oxygen.
Diagnostics
- Computer tomography
- Examination by a doctor, palpation
Treatment
Pneumothorax in the early stages can be eliminated independently, but in severe cases you should immediately consult a doctor.
Hospital treatment may include suctioning air from the lungs.
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Costochondritis (Tietze's syndrome)
Costochondritis is commonly referred to as pain in the area where the cartilage of the ribs attaches to the breastbone. This condition causes inflammation of the costal cartilage where the ribs and breastbone meet. Trauma to the chest from a motor vehicle accident, a strong blow to the chest, or repeated minor injuries to the chest area are common causes of inflammation.
Inflammation of the costosternal region can also be caused by pathogenic (disease-causing) respiratory tract infections.
Symptoms
The main symptom of this disease is a dull pain in the chest when inhaling, exhaling and coughing, as well as a high temperature. The intercostal muscles of the chest help the chest expand and contract during inhalation and exhalation, so inflammation of the costal cartilages often causes painful breathing. The intensity of the pain increases when a person takes deep breaths. Chest pain when inhaling can also increase during coughing and sneezing or even just pressing the fingers on the chest.
Diagnostics
- Examination by a doctor using palpation
- Chest X-ray
- CT scans and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are used only in rare cases
Treatment
Treatment often involves the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants, as well as physical therapy.
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Angina pectoris
Angina is also called chest toad. Chest pain with this disease can appear out of nowhere, it can be caused by severe stress - physical or psychological, or increased loads.
Symptoms include chest pressure or a feeling of fullness in the chest and sharp pains.
The pain of angina can even radiate to the jaw, neck, shoulders, and back. Other symptoms of a heart attack caused by angina include difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, sweating, etc.
An attack of acute chest pain during angina can last up to 15 minutes.
Diagnostics
- Blood test.
- Biochemical markers for the presence of myocardial damage.
- Glucose tolerance test.
- Thyroid hormone level test.
- Echocardiography.
- ECG with physical activity and at rest.
Treatment
Having relieved an acute attack of chest pain with painkillers and a blockade, the doctor may prescribe a diet, quitting smoking and alcohol, as well as β-blockers, acetylsalicylic acid, if there are no contraindications.
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Pericarditis
Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium, which is a thin serous membrane that surrounds the heart. Trauma to the chest area or systemic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus can cause this condition.
Symptoms
Subfebrile temperature, malaise, sharp pain in the left side or in the center of the chest, shortness of breath when lying down and cough are symptoms that can indicate pericarditis.
Diagnostics
- Examination by a doctor.
- ECG screening method.
- Echocardiography, as well as Doppler ultrasonography of blood vessels.
Treatment
Treatment usually involves the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relievers, and corticosteroids.
Check your symptoms
Consult a doctor if you experience these symptoms constantly or periodically. Especially if you have already been diagnosed with any serious lung, heart or vascular disease. Be prepared to answer these questions from your doctor.
- Do you think your chest pain could be related to cardiovascular problems?
- Do you think your chest pain may be caused by lung disease?
- Could your chest pain be related to gastrointestinal problems?
- Have you ever had chest pain that comes and goes?
- Have you had any recent chest injuries?
- Do you experience chest pain when you breathe?
- Do you experience pain in your chest muscle or? Does this pain increase with coughing or deep breathing?
- Are you experiencing chest pain and chills?
- Do you have chest pain and a rash on your body?
- Have you had mild chest pain without heart attack symptoms?
Based on how you answer these questions, your doctor will be able to determine the disease that causes chest pain when inhaling, as well as prescribe the best treatment.
It is essential to see a doctor if you experience dull or sharp chest pain, chest pain when inhaling or exhaling. Severe chest pain that develops suddenly can be life-threatening, so if it occurs, you should seek immediate medical attention.