Hi there, I'm not sure if this is the appropriate section, but I think it is the closest. Anyways, I've always had asthma, and about 2 months ago, I was in my Mechanics class welding. So in welding, there are 2 gas containers 1 with oxygen and one with sedoline gas. Upon igniting, sedoline is set in a higher ration than oxygen, and when on fire, at first, it is a the typical yellow flame but coming out of it, is what my teacher explained as carbon, it was in form of black smoke particles and some were even peices (like small flakes) of carbon. He warned us that it can cause cancer, so when seeing all the carbon in the air, I pretty much tried to hold my breahte as much as possible every class. Going back to the process of welding, after you get the yellow flame right at the start, you make then flame go blue by adding oxygen.
Anyways, there are vents in the pretty much enclosed room (it has a opened door). But obviously the vent is absolutely not strong enough, as i can still see quite a bit of carbon flying around. I was welding for about 3 classes (exactly an hour each) or so, in the same carbon filled environment. After the 3rd or 4th class i had, not sure, i came home and coughed quite a bit and my lungs hurted a little when i coughed. And I had some fleme as well, just pretty much the same kind of stuff as it would be when my asthma would act up.Then after a few days after, i had tightness of breath (feels sort of tight in my throat when inhaling. Anyways, as a few days went by and using the Symbicort inhaler, all those problems were gone. However, i began feeling pain in my rib cage area. It came occasionally, didn't hurt more if I breathed or move or anything, just came occasionally. There were about 10 different spots around the sides and the front of my rib cage which were the only spots that hurted. The pain came ocasionally at one sometimes 2 spots at a time. for the first month or so, it rarely came, unless I go near car exhuasts and what not, then I feel a bit more pain then usually for that 1 day or so (not really sure about this, but I sort of guessing since it has been a while already. So if you calculated it, it has been around a little less than 2 months since the pain began. But more recently, about 2 weeks I'm thinking, the pain has begun going to my back rig cage area more often. And soon, the pain became much more frequent and obvious as of late. In the first month, usually if I was doing something and ignoring it, I usually didn't feel any pain the entire time. But now, even if I try to ignore it, I still feel it. I went to the doctor aobut 2 weeks ago, telling him i had a little bit of coughing and barely but so fleme adn that my lungs hurted(wrong word, should have said rib cage) and he told me to continue the inhlaer for aout 10 days along with some antibiotics. I'm almost done my pills now, so I looked up the internet cause i was worried. I found that there was a problem similar to mine Costochondritis. I looked at a picture of it and it showed where it afects. Those areas also affect me. But then I didn't think it could be my problem, knowing that I had pain a lot else where in my rib cage area.
Sorry for such the long read, but please give me some advise and as to what you think this may be. I am not sure if this has to do with the carbon inhalation in the first place, or it may be a coincidence that it occured the same time as me welding.
SOmethings to note: It has been going on for almost 2 months now and still going. Also note that: About 50 others of my grade have also participated in this welding course, and continuing it (I think the welding course is about 10- 15 classes to finish, but I stopped at around 3-4. It appears no one else has issues in that same poorly vent room. Also, even with my new pain areas in my back, it is still the same few spots that are hurting.
** In all areas where i feel the pain, when i apply pressure on it, it alwasy works. Also, sometimes when in do apply pressue in those areas, I can feel that area hurting when i touch it.. Think of it as the same as touching a bruise.

Thanks so much doctors.