Costochondritis is chest wall pain. It is caused by 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 appeared after a while. 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.
Signs
There are many symptoms of costochondritis. The main symptom is that he feels like a person having a heart attack. Sharp pain in the chest. It usually feels like pain on the left side of the chest, but it can be on both sides. It feels difficult to breathe mainly because of the pain. It is even more painful if someone deep breathing is scolded or tortured.
One way to tell the difference between a heart attack heart and costochondritis is that with costochondritis the pain is focused. A small area with heart attack pain is usually everywhere. Plus, heart attacks feel worse with physical activity and stress. The pain is constant with costochondritis. It is never allowed to guess between the two. Always go to the hospital if a person even thinks there is a chance that they will experience a heart attack.
Examine
Costochondritis is not something 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 the person by pressing down on the area where the ribs join the sternum, the breastbone. The doctor will also check for swelling and tenderness in the area.
Causes
It is true that costochondritis is not always the reason someone has it. Sometimes people get it for no reason. But some doctors think there are a few reasons for people getting it. This is possible because there could be an infection in the costo-external joint. It could also result from an injury such as a blow to the chest area. People with Fibromyalgia might also get Costochondritis.
Cure
If someone is diagnosed with costochondritis, there are some things that can help a person dealing with pain. Anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, and Aleve can help with pain. Sometimes muscle relaxers can be helpful. If someone has trouble sleeping at night because of pain, he should take a Tricyclic Anti-depressant. Even sometimes a heating pad placed several times a day, lowered can help with pain.
Prognosis
Sometimes the pain with costochondritis can last a few days with treatment. I may take others for a month or two for the pain to go away. The best thing to do is to talk to a doctor if anyone thinks they have or have costochondritis. Treatment can really help especially if the costochondritis is chronic.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/costochondritis/DS00626
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000164.htm
