Costochondritis Symptoms in Women

Chest pain can be caused by various reasons like, heart attack, acid reflux, lung problems, ulcers, etc. Costochondritis is one such medical condition that can cause chest pain. This chest pain is often mistaken for a heart attack or other conditions related to heart. This condition is mostly seen in women and those, who are above the age of forty. In case of women, costochondritis pain is often viewed as breast pain and as a symptom of breast cancer. This article deals with costochondritis symptoms in women.

What is Costochondritis

Costochondritis is a condition, wherein the cartilage that connects the upper end of a rib bone to the sternum, gets inflamed. This condition is otherwise known as costosternal syndrome, costosternal chondrodynia, etc. If the pain is accompanied by visible swelling of the area, then the condition is termed as Tietze syndrome. Both these conditions are considered to be one and the same, but in fact, they are different. While in most cases costochondritis occurs without any apparent cause, but there are certain conditions that may be behind the development of costochondritis. This include trauma or injury involving the chest wall, respiratory infections (especially caused by virus), infections (bacterial) caused by surgery on the upper chest, fibromyalgia, physical strain caused by strenuous exercises, etc. In some rare cases, costochondritis is caused by fungus too. Now, let us take a look at the signs and symptoms of costochondritis in women.

What are the Main Costochondritis Symptoms

As mentioned above, the most common symptom of costochondritis is chest pain. As chest pain is a symptom that is common for a wide range of ailments, it is very much necessary to rule out the possibilities of other conditions, like heart attack, before diagnosing costochondritis. So, you must have a basic idea about how to differentiate the pain caused costochondritis.

Chest pain caused by costochondritis can be sharp, gnawing or dull and will be concentrated on the upper chest wall, where the ribs meet the breastbone. It has been observed that such pain is mostly concentrated on the left side and is aggravated with physical activities or exercise. The pain may also radiate from the chest to the shoulders and arms. Even movements caused by coughing and breathing may worsen the pain. This is due to the stretching of the cartilage caused by the movements. The person may also have breathing trouble. Even though, costochondritis symptoms are almost similar for men and women, sometimes, women may experience slightly different signs. Let us take a look at costochondritis symptoms in women.

Costochondritis Symptoms in Women

As mentioned above, women are more prone to costochondritis. According to some study, almost 70% of costochondritis patients are women. Another statistics show that around 6% to 70% of fibromyalgia patients have costochondritis too. It is worth to mention that almost 90% of fibromyalgia patients are also women. While costochondritis may resolve without treatment in some cases, others may find it recurring or persistent. The latter category is often found to be having fibromyalgia. Costochondritis symptoms in women are similar to those in men, but the chest pain may be mistaken for breast pain or breast cancer or even heart attack.

Now, you have a basic idea about costochondritis symptoms in women. These symptoms are common for kids and men too. Costochondritis diagnosis involves physical examination and a reference to the medical history of the person. As the condition cannot be diagnosed through X-rays or other imaging tests, such tests are usually not conducted. But, it may be done to rule out a whole lot of other medical conditions, like pneumonia. Tests may also be conducted, in order to rule out serious problems like, heart attack that requires immediate medical attention. Once the condition is diagnosed as costochondritis, that does not resolve on its own or is recurring/persistent, costochondritis treatment is given. This includes medications like, NSAIDs, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, etc. Sometimes, a local anesthetic or steroid injection may be administered to the patient, if the pain is unbearable. Antibiotics may be given in case of infection and in rare cases, surgical removal of the cartilage may also be done. These were the costochondritis: causes, symptoms and treatment. However, you must seek immediate medical attention, if you experience chest pain, because it can be an indication of heart attack. Never resort to self medication.