# Diagnose me! (pain when breathing) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751 "2011-06-08T16:06:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/1 "2011-06-08T16:06:33Z")
I already have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, but I thought it would be fun to see I could figure out what my issue is before I go (and to help ease my mind). Symptoms started Monday late afternoon and are pretty simple: it hurts when I breathe. Deeper breaths hurt more than shallow ones, sneezing, laughing, coughing, hiccups, they all hurt. If I lay down on my stomach it hurts my chest, but I can press on it without pain. It also hurts more to lay flat on my back. The pain is centered from the bottom of my throat down to the bottom of my breastbone with small radiation outwards (lungs?). I am not running a fever, I do not have a cough, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, or any weird pains in my left (or right) arm. I am 41 years old, just had my annual physical and the only “bad” thing was my cholesterol was a tiny bit high (like 5 points above the top normal number). I play tennis a couple/three times a week, but haven’t played since Friday. Friday’s match was without incident (meaning no one hit me in the chest with a ball, I didn’t fall, or otherwise possibly injure myself). I happened to get a chest x-ray yesterday (part of my physical) so if there is anything hinky, the doctor will have that film when I see him today. So, I ask all the armchair Doper doctors: What is wrong with me? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/2 "2011-06-08T16:21:58Z")
Dull pain, or sharp, wincing? In front of the breastbone, or behind? ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/3 "2011-06-08T16:29:18Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Dull pain, or sharp, wincing? In front of the breastbone, or behind? Dull pain when breathing, sharper when I hiccup or sneeze. I’m going to go with behind the breastbone. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/4 "2011-06-08T16:33:36Z")
My WAG-[Pleurisy.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002347/) ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/5 "2011-06-08T16:35:27Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > My WAG-[Pleurisy.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002347/) That sounds like something someone in the 1600’s would get! This is 2011 - try again! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/6 "2011-06-08T16:36:46Z")
I think you’ve been impregnated with an alien that’s just about to pop out. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/7 "2011-06-08T16:38:04Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I think you’ve been impregnated with an alien that’s just about to pop out. I’ll take that over a 3-day long heart attack!! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/8 "2011-06-08T16:42:22Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > That sounds like something someone in the 1600’s would get! This is 2011 - try again! 😛 Pleurisy is still around. I had it a few years back. It’s an easy fix with Prednisone. I don’t remember how it was diagnosed, whether I had an x-ray or not. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/9 "2011-06-08T16:44:58Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Pleurisy is still around. I had it a few years back. It’s an easy fix with Prednisone. I don’t remember how it was diagnosed, whether I had an x-ray or not. How long were you on the Pred? That drug scares me; my mother was on it years and years ago and I just remember she got the dreaded “moon-face” (it caused her to gain all kinds of weird weight). X-ray was taken yesterday, so if that is how it can be diagnosed, and it is pleurisy, then I’m covered! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/10 "2011-06-08T17:03:51Z")
Costochondritis. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/11 "2011-06-08T17:05:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Costochondritis. I thought about that one myself, but that says pain when pushing on the ribs, where I have no pain if push on ribs, breastbone, etc. But I’m still keeping it on the short list. At least it sounds more modern than pleurisy. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/12 "2011-06-08T17:08:09Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > How long were you on the Pred? Not long at all – maybe a day or two. I was amazed at how quickly it worked. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/13 "2011-06-08T17:10:11Z")
Could you have torn or pulled an intracostal muscle? I did this in high school and it hurt like mad fuck to breathe. (Still bothers me 15 years later!) ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/14 "2011-06-08T17:10:15Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Not long at all – maybe a day or two. I was amazed at how quickly it worked. Good! My mom was on it for months (Crohn’s), I don’t think I would have to worry about the weight gain side effect for a couple days. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/15 "2011-06-08T17:12:03Z")
> [@Rasa](#): > > Could you have torn or pulled an intracostal muscle? I did this in high school and it hurt like mad fuck to breathe. (Still bothers me 15 years later!) I suppose it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. But the last time I did anything that could have torn a muscle (playing tennis) was on Friday and this didn’t start until Monday late afternoon. And I didn’t do anything while playing on Friday that gave me pause to think, “That’s going to bother me later.” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/16 "2011-06-08T17:39:20Z")
Pleurisy or costochondritis were the two things I thought of. I had a boyfriend in college who had “walking pneumonia” with similar symptoms, too. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/17 "2011-06-08T18:00:14Z")
I had something similar. I thought it was a heart condition but it turned out to be a mild inflammation in my chest ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/18 "2011-06-08T18:32:48Z")
Pain on breathing is known as pleuritic chest pain. This type of pain is usually caused by irritation of the pleura (the membranes covering the lungs). This can be caused by: Infections like pneumonia Inflammation of the pleura ([Pleurisy](http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Pleurisy.htm)) Blood clots in the lungs (Pulmonary embolism) Collapsed lung (Pneumothorax) In short- just as well you’re seeing your Dr, but we can probably assume that as nothing was remarked on at the time of your xray you probable don’t have one of the more serious causes, as that would have shown up. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/19 "2011-06-08T18:42:10Z")
Make sure your doctor checks for pulmonary embolism (blood clot). The X-ray can be completely normal and it can be fatal. Things to be concerned about: If you are short of breath when you exert yourself If the pain came on suddenly If it hurts more with breathing than with moving If you cough up any blood If you have pain or swelling in either leg If you recently took a long car or airplane ride ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751/20 "2011-06-08T19:21:15Z")
Other possibilities: tracheitis. And out of the box: oesophagitis (you’d have pain when swallowing as well.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-me-pain-when-breathing/584751.md?page=2)