Heart Failure in the United States
Causes Of Rib Cage Pain And What To Do About It
Rib cage pain is a common complaint that can have many causes, ranging from a fractured rib to lung cancer. The pain may be sudden and sharp or dull and aching.
Many cases of rib cage pain are not linked to serious conditions and resolve on their own or with minimal treatment. Others, however, are medical emergencies requiring immediate intervention.
People should pay attention to their symptoms and speak with a doctor for a diagnosis of rib pain.
There are many possible causes of rib cage pain, including the following:
1. Injury
Injury to the chest from falls, traffic collisions, and sports-related contact is a common cause of rib cage pain. Types of injury include:
Doctors may use an X-ray to highlight bone breaks and fractures if rib cage pain begins after an injury. MRIs and other scans can detect soft tissue damage.
2. Costochondritis
This condition involves inflammation of the cartilage in the rib cage that joins the upper ribs to the sternum, an area called the costosternal joint.
Rib cage pain due to costochondritis ranges from mild to severe and may feel sharp or dull and worsen with movement, such as deep breathing, coughing, or stretching.
Some cases of costochondritis resolve without treatment, while others require medical intervention.
3. Infection
The pain may be due to the infection itself, a pulled rib muscle from coughing, or pleurisy. Pleurisy occurs when the pleura, the tissue between the lungs and the rib cage, becomes inflamed.
Other causes of pleurisy include autoimmune disorders and certain medications.
4. Lung cancer
Lung cancer may cause rib cage pain or chest pain that worsens when breathing deeply, coughing, or laughing. Other symptoms may include:
The outlook for lung cancer is less favorable than other forms of cancer, and it is the leading cause of cancer death among males and females in the United States.
People with early stage lung cancer have a better chance of survival, highlighting the importance of early intervention.
Metastatic lung cancer, or cancer that begins in one area and spreads to the lungs, can be life threatening. It can also cause pain in the rib cage or chest.
5. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain throughout the body. The American College of Rheumatology estimates that it affects 2% to 4% of people and is more common in females.
Fibromyalgia pain may be burning, throbbing, stabbing, or aching. These pains commonly occur in the chest, but can affect any body part.
6. Pulmonary embolism
A pulmonary embolism is when something blocks an artery going into the lungs. The blockage is often due to a blood clot that travels up from one of the legs.
As well as rib cage pain, a pulmonary embolism may cause the following symptoms:
Pulmonary embolism is a serious condition that can damage the lungs and other organs due to reduced oxygen in the blood. Anyone who experiences the symptoms should see a doctor.
According to the American Lung Association, 10% to 30% of people who develop pulmonary embolism die within 1 month of diagnosis. However, prompt diagnosis and treatment can prevent complications.
Rib cage pain may occur in the chest, below the ribs, or above the navel. As there are various potential causes of rib cage pain, symptoms can vary. Pain may be:
People may also experience other symptoms, such as bruising or tenderness of the ribs or difficulty breathing.
People should pay attention to their symptoms, as these can help a doctor with their diagnosis.
The rib cage typically consists of 24 ribs, 12 on either side, and shields the chest organs, including the heart and the lungs, from damage.
The ribs are attached to the breastbone, which is the long bone that runs down the center of the chest. They are attached at the front, by cartilage. At the back, they are attached to the spine.
Rib bones protect the liver, which is at the lower end of the rib cage on the right, and the spleen, which is on the left. The gallbladder and kidneys lie just below the rib cage.
If injury or illness affects any part of the rib cage, including the bones or cartilage or the organs nearby, people may experience pain in or near the rib cage.
What causes pain on the right side of the rib cage?
There are many potential reasons why the right side of a person's rib cage is hurting. Often, this is due to an injury to the chest area. Other causes include costochondritis and fibromyalgia.
People should contact a doctor for a diagnosis if they experience persistent or severe pain in the right side of their rib cage.
What causes rib pain without injury?
Some causes of rib pain that are not a result of injury include costochondritis, infection, lung cancer, fibromyalgia, and pulmonary embolism.
These conditions may also cause other symptoms. People should speak with a doctor for a proper diagnosis.
When should someone be concerned about rib pain?
There are many potential causes of rib pain. People should contact a doctor if the pain worsens or does not resolve.
People should contact the emergency services if the rib pain is severe and accompanies other symptoms, such as shortness of breath.
What can mimic rib pain?
A person may mistake other conditions for rib pain. For example, a condition affecting the heart or lungs may cause referred pain in the ribs. However, there could also be less severe causes, such as indigestion.
To get an accurate diagnosis, a person should contact a doctor if they experience rib pain.
There are various potential causes of rib cage pain, many of which are not linked to serious conditions and resolve on their own. However, other cases may require medical treatment and long-term care.
The cause of the rib pain may be a disease or condition not included in the list above. It helps to be vigilant for other symptoms that accompany the rib cage pain and to report these to a doctor.
A doctor may use a physical exam or imaging tests to diagnose the underlying cause of rib pain.
Zinc Deficiency Linked To Increased Risk Of Lung Infection
Dietary zinc deficiency promotes lung infection by Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria -; a leading cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia, according to a new study published Nov. 15 in the journal Nature Microbiology.
A Vanderbilt University Medical Center-led team of researchers discovered an unexpected link between the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13) and A. Baumannii lung infection, and they demonstrated that blocking IL-13 prevented infection-associated death in an animal model.
The findings suggest that anti-IL-13 antibodies, which are FDA-approved for use in humans, may protect against bacterial pneumonia in patients with zinc deficiency.
To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that neutralization of IL-13 could prevent mortality from a bacterial infection. This discovery points to the possibility of using anti-IL-13 therapy in patients with zinc deficiency and A. Baumannii pneumonia as part of a personalized therapy approach."
Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH, the Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology and director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation
Nearly 20% of the world's population is at risk for zinc deficiency, which can impair immune function and is a major risk factor for pneumonia. The World Health Organization considers zinc deficiency a leading contributor to disease and death.
Patients at risk for zinc deficiency, particularly critically ill and elderly patients, are also at risk for A. Baumannii infection. Patients in health care settings have the highest risk for infection, especially those who are on ventilators, have devices such as catheters, are in intensive care units, or have prolonged hospital stays. A. Baumannii is becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobial treatments, making it a critical public health threat, Skaar said.
To explore whether and how dietary zinc deficiency contributes to A. Baumannii pathogenesis, the researchers established a mouse model of dietary zinc deficiency and acute A. Baumannii pneumonia. Lauren Palmer, PhD, a former postdoctoral fellow at VUMC who is now assistant professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Illinois, Chicago, led the studies.
The researchers found that zinc-deficient mice had increased A. Baumannii bacterial burden in the lungs, spread of bacteria to the spleen, and higher mortality compared to mice with adequate dietary zinc consumption. They showed that the zinc-deficient mice produce more IL-13 during infection and that administration of IL-13 to mice with sufficient zinc promoted spread of A. Baumannii to the spleen. Anti-IL-13 antibody treatment protected zinc-deficient mice from A. Baumannii-induced death.
The findings add to a growing set of studies showing that certain nutrient deficiencies are associated with IL-13 production and a "type 2" immune response.
"IL-13 may be an important risk factor for health care-associated and opportunistic lung infections, further supporting exploration of IL-13 as a target for treatment," Skaar noted.
FDA-approved anti-IL-13 antibodies (lebrikizumab and tralokinumab) have been extensively investigated as potential therapies for uncontrolled severe asthma. Although they were not found to be effective for that indication, the clinical trials demonstrated their safety.
Palmer is the first and co-corresponding author with Skaar of the Nature Microbiology report. Other authors are Zachery Lonergan, PhD, Dziedzom Bansah, Xiaomei Ren, PhD, Lillian Juttukonda, MD, PhD, Christopher Pinelli, DVM, PhD, and Kelli Boyd, DVM, PhD. The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01AI101171, R01AI017829, F31AI136255, T32HL094296, F32AI122516, K99HL143441, R00HL143441, P30DK058404).
Source:
Journal reference:
Palmer, L. D., et al. (2024). Dietary zinc deficiency promotes Acinetobacter baumannii lung infection via IL-13 in mice. Nature Microbiology. Doi.Org/10.1038/s41564-024-01849-w.
'I Didn't Know Back Pain Was Sign Of Lung Cancer'
Image caption, Sally Hall said she did not know a sore back was a lung cancer symptom Article information5 November 2024
A former GP who has been living with incurable lung cancer for a decade has said her diagnosis was a "bolt out of the blue" as she did not realise her lower back pain was a symptom.
Sally Hall from Oldham said lung cancer never crossed her mind when her back started hurting after hauling boxes around her garage.
But doctors found a tumour in her lung, leading to surgery and a decade of treatment that has helped stabilise the disease.
She said she wanted to raise awareness that anyone could develop the disease, but even with a late-stage diagnosis "there is still hope".
Image caption, The former GP wants to raise awareness that anyone can develop lung cancerDue to her profession, Ms Hall said she was fully aware of the common symptoms of lung cancer, including shortness of breath, repeated chest infections and an ongoing cough.
Her back began hurting after clearing out crates of ceramic tiles from her garage and the thought it could be cancer never crossed her mind.
The pain persisted and medics found a tumour.
Ms Hall said she was told "if untreated I wouldn't be here for long".
She had spinal surgery before starting on targeted therapy, which she is still receiving ten years later.
Her cancer has since remained stable and Ms Hall said she had learned to live with "pretty much every side effect you can imagine – from dry eyes and skin to diarrhoea and crazy hair".
"I have been incredibly fortunate with my treatment," she added.
Image caption, Ms Hall says she is a keen walker and still uses nature as "complementary therapy"Ms Hall has sought to raise awareness with the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation that lung cancer can have some less obvious symptoms.
"Having never smoked, lung cancer was not something that I thought I'd experience," she said.
She said it was "incredibly important" to share her story to show that "if you have lungs, you can get cancer", regardless of whether or not you smoke.
The charity's chief executive Paula Chadwick said lung cancer was still "intrinsically linked to smoking" but the reality was that "anyone can get this disease".
She said the smoker or never-smoker labels had a direct impact on how quickly people were being diagnosed.
"That is why we are calling for a stop to these archaic labels," she said.
"Lung cancer doesn't see them, and neither should we."
Have you been affected by an unusual diagnosis or symptom? You can contact the BBC via email at northwest.Newsonline@bbc.Co.Uk and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
What are the symptoms of lung cancer?
The NHS website states that there are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer, but many people with the condition eventually develop symptoms including:
It adds that anyone with these symptoms should see a GP.
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