Costochondritis or costochondritis is inflammation of the cartilage that connects the sternum to the ribs. Costochondritis is one of the causes of chest pain, both in children and adults.
Chest pain caused by costochondritis can be mild or severe. In some cases, the symptoms of costochondritis can resemble chest pain from a heart attack.
Costochondritis often resolves on its own within a few weeks. However, sometimes treatment by a doctor is needed, especially if symptoms do not improve or get worse.
Symptoms of Costochondritis
Symptoms of costochondritis are chest pain that can appear suddenly or develop slowly. Pain tends to be felt in the left breastbone, with the following characteristics:
- The chest feels like it is being stabbed or pressed.
- Pain is felt in more than one rib.
- Pain may radiate to the abdomen and back.
- Pain worsens when moving, lying down, coughing, sneezing, or taking a deep breath.
When to go to the doctor
Chest pain can be caused by many conditions. Some of these conditions have the potential to be fatal, such as a heart attack or stroke. Consult a doctor if you experience chest pain accompanied by nausea, cold sweats, and shortness of breath.
Consult again with your doctor if you have been diagnosed with costochondritis, but the chest pain persists despite taking medication.
Examination also needs to be done quickly if symptoms of infection appear, such as redness, swelling, and pus coming out of the rib area.
Causes of Costochondritis
It is not known what causes costochondritis. However, there are a number of factors thought to be associated with this disease, namely:
- A severe cough that causes chest pain.
- Injury to the chest, for example from a blow or an accident.
- Excessive exercise or lifting weights that are too heavy.
- Infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. For example, aspergillosis, respiratory tract infections, syphilis, and tuberculosis.
- Arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or rheumatoid arthritis.
- Benign or cancerous tumors.
Diagnosis of Costochondritis
Before carrying out a supporting examination, the doctor will ask about the symptoms experienced by the patient. Then, the doctor will perform a physical examination by palpating the patient's rib area.
Pain caused by costochondritis can be similar to pain from heart disease, lung disease, or disorders of the joints and digestive system. Therefore, the doctor will perform an EKG, cardiac echo, X-ray, CT scan, or MRI, to rule out the possibility of pain caused by these diseases.
Costochondritis Treatment
Costochondritis often resolves on its own within a few weeks or months. However, patients can take some simple steps while waiting for symptoms to improve, such as:
- Get enough rest.
- Do chest stretching exercises.
- Warm or cold compresses on the painful area.
Consult a doctor, if the chest pain that is felt is quite disturbing. Doctors can prescribe a number of medications, such as:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), eg ibuprofen or diclofenac.
- Pain relievers containing tramadol.
- Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline.
- Antiseizure medications, such as gabapentin.
- Inject corticosteroids into the painful area.
In addition to drugs, doctors can also run therapy transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in patients. TENS aims to block pain signals from reaching the brain.
If all of the above methods are not able to relieve pain, the doctor will perform surgical removal of the inflamed part of the rib. Surgery is performed as a last resort for the treatment of costochondritis.
Costochondritis Complications
Costochondritis is a disease that can last for a long time. In such conditions, the patient's quality of life can be disrupted. Although it has been treated, costochondritis can come back, especially if the sufferer does excessive activities, such as lifting heavy objects.
Costochondritis Prevention
As explained above, it is not known exactly what causes costochondritis. Therefore, this disease is difficult to prevent. However, you can prevent some of the triggering factors by doing the following:
- Wash hands regularly.
- Avoid people who are suffering from respiratory infections.
- Wear a mask when you are outside.
- Do not do sports or lift heavy weights.
Wearing protective clothing when driving or doing sports that involve physical contact that can cause a collision.