I've seen a lot of similarly panicked
posts and I'm really hoping that I'm just
another one but I'm interested in if
anyone has any advice on the following.
I'm a 32 yr old male, smoking a pack a day
since 19yrs old in addition to daily
cannabis smoking (though have been using a
vaporizer). While I'm sure many do not
agree with either of those habits, I'm
hoping I could just get some objective
feedback from someone.
For about a year on and off I have
experienced a dull to sharp pain in my
right chest -- sometimes where the ribs
meet my sternum is sore, sometimes feels
like an air pocket or burp locked in
middle of my chest, sometimes seems to
radiate from middle chest to back area
between shoulder blade and spine, sometime
is knife like sharp but mostly dull.
Sometime I reach under my lower rib and
"grab inside" my cage and it seems to hit
the sensation - other times i poke in
between my upper ribs and it seems to
resonate to my back and relieve pressure.
I freaked when i saw one symptom of lung
cancer is frequent chest and should blade
pain -- I wonder if this is close to it?
Now, I do have lots of daily pains due to
poor sleeping, infrequent exercise etc. I
lost my job so no health insurance and I
am trying to get a chest xray from the
free clinic. That said, I'm getting the
runaround and so the mental fear and
paranoia are mounting.
My question is basically if anyone can
suggest whether this could be anything but
something awful like lung cancer. I know
I run the risk until I stop for good but
I'm starting to feel like there is no way
this isn't something lung cancer related.
Checking symptoms online doesn't help.
The nurse checked my breathing and said I
sound fine except for a bit a of smoker's
lung but that she doesn't think it is
likely that I have anything serious. I am
going to the xray as soon as i get paid at
the end of the week but if i'm making a
big deal out of something that most likely
sounds like nothing I need to hear it. I
just keep thinking that people have been
smoking for twice as long and don't have
anything but i know that is false
comfort.
if it makes a difference -- i rarely get
this after smoking and generally do not
feel the pain when inhaling -- after
exhaling sometimes it will creep up but if
i take a deep breath and hold it i don't
seem to experience any discomfort
any thoughts? will a chest xray even
prove one way or the other what this could
be? please help thank you
|
MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1850 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 19
Thanked:9
Hi and welcome to ehealthforum! Posted: 04-17-08 03:16am
Is the pain from the chest wall made worse
when the rib cage is squashed, like at
night when lying on affected area, wearing
a seat belt or when being hugged?
Was this pain preceded by exercise, minor
trauma, or an upper respiratory infection
(accompanied with hard coughing)?
Is this pain usually sharp and located on
your front chest wall, sometimes radiating
to your back or abdomen?
Do you feel tenderness when you press on
rib joints (where ribs meet your sternum)?
|
colonelmustard
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 2
Posted: 04-21-08 11:27am
I couldn't say that the pain has ever
gotten worse or that it is worse in
certain situation like a hug or crunched
up -- that said, doesn't everyone get a
little lung pinch/chest pain when you curl
your body in a tight ball? i don't know
but definitely don't have noticeable
discomfort from seatbelt or similar.
i'm getting a chest xray hopefully today
otherwise will have to wait until i can
afford insurance and get a doctor a go
through that struggle to convince one that
the discomfort is real.
never had bronchitis, pneumonia, or any
really serious respiratory illness before
or during my 13 yrs of smoking (i quit 12
days ago so it's nothing but i figure i
have to stay positive). no cough either.
only possible stretch is that i was doing
push-ups/sit ups while traveling right
before this became noticeable i think so
it is possible. the pain is more like
soreness than sharp but it does "radiate"
i suppose and it doesn't happen every day
-- currently, i've noticed it for the past
week but have gone a few weeks without
feeling it as well
however, how do i explain this a.m. -- i
have knot like (what i used to think was
common back pains) soreness in my right
upper back between spine and shoulder
blade - this and a little soreness where
my right ribs hit the center of my sternum
and little soreness right edge of my
pectoral muscle. i guess the stress is
probably doing the most damage but there
doesn't seem to be an innocent explanation
for any of this and some people knowing
that i smoke are convinced it can't be a
good thing.
|
MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1850 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 19
Thanked:9
Posted: 04-30-08 05:03am
Have you tried to press on the rib joints
to see if that reproduces tenderness?
Have you been examined with X-ray
already?
If you feel the tenderness by pressing the
spots where ribs meet breastbone
(especially 4th, 5th and 6th rib) along
with the chest pain, you can be very
suggestive for costochondritis (an
inflammation of the junctions where the
upper ribs join with the cartilage that
holds them to the breastbone or sternum).
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