What is Costochondritis?

Costochondritis is chest wall pain. It happens because of inflammation of the ribs and the cartilage that connects the ribs. It usually happens to people over the age of 40, but it can happen at any age even in children. Costochondritis is very painful. It is something that can reappear time after time. Many people have to live with it for the rest of their lives after getting it once. Costochondritis is a very bad condition to have. Consult your doctor if you think you may have it.

Symptoms

There are many symptoms of Costochondritis. The main symptom is that it feels like a person is having a heart attack. There is sharp pain in the chest. It usually feels like the pain is on the left side of the chest, but it can be on either side. It feels like it is hard to breathe especially because of the pain. There is even more pain if a person coughs or is taking deep breaths.

The one way to tell the difference between a heart attack and Costochondritis is that with Costochondritis the pain is focused on a small area while pain with a heart attack is usually everywhere. Plus, a heart attack feels worse with physical activity and stress. Pain with Costochondritis is constant. Never guess between the two though. Always go to the hospital if a person even thinks there is a chance that he or she might be experiencing a heart attack.

Exams

Costochondritis is not the sort of thing that a doctor can tell by having an x-ray done. Usually the only way a doctor can tell if someone has Costochondritis is by doing a physical examination. The doctor examines a person by pressing on the area where the ribs connect with the sternum, chest bone. A doctor will also check for swelling and tenderness in the area.

Causes

The truth is that there is not always a cause for someone to have Costochondritis. Sometimes people get it for no reason. However, some doctors think there are a few a reasons for people getting it. That could be because there might be an infection in the costosternal joint. It might also be due to an injury such as a blow in the chest area. People with Fibromyalgia might also get recurring Costochondritis.

Treatment

If a person does get diagnosed with Costochondritis there are some things that can help the person deal with the pain. Anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, and Aleve may help with the pain. Sometimes muscle relaxants may be helpful. If a person is having trouble sleeping at night because of the pain he or she might take Tricyclic Anti-depressants. Also using a heating pad several times a day set on low may help with the pain.

Prognosis

Sometimes the pain with Costochondritis may just last a few days with treatment. Other times it can take up to a month or two for the pain to go away. The best thing to do is to talk to a doctor if a person thinks that she or he may have Costochondritis. Treatment can really help especially if Costochondritis is chronic.

Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/costochondritis/DS00626
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000164.htm