Painful chest

[dinger]

I think I must have strained a muscle in my chest . Can't quite put my finger on how I have done it but been in lot of pain for three days .Any magic remedies .

[Crocus]

Have you picked up something quite heavy, or did anything different as usual Dinger?

[dinger]

I am wondering if I have over stretched when opening windows .Pleased it feels a bit better today . Was getting a bit worried as I was finding it was making me so short of breath .Hopefully on the mend again now .

[keepersdaughter]

Hello Dinger, I felt I had to reply to this as it touched a nerve with me. If it goes on, please do not hesitate to go to the doctor. The bit about short of breath concerned me.
Though, it could me many things. I think I've strained a chest muscle around my ribs and experienced a sort of constrition with breathing, maybe the muscle becomes tightened or something. Anyway, about three years ago when my son was seventeen, he kept complaining of a pain in his chest. He had no other symptons, cold, or flu or such, so I thought he had probably pulled a muscle carrying the enormously heavy backpack filled with school books. I could hardly lift it myself, let alone swing it up and around and carry the thing all day. Anyway, this went on for a couple of weeks, and though he didn't mention it much, (you know teenage boys, don't talk about that stuff much). I will always have it on my conscience(sp) that I didn't take it more seriously. I noticed how he'd huff and puff climbing the stairs from the basement. He doesn't suffer from asthma and is tall and skinny, certainly not overweight, so I took him to the doctor. He took x-rays, ekg, blood work etc. said everything looked fine. Well, I knew something wasn't right, so I said maybe he's coming down with something and, I think to shut me up, he put him on a course of antibiotics. Two days later I got a call from the doctor, 'Mrs ..., can you bring your son to the doctor immediately'. I asked why and they refused to tell me on the 'phone, but insisted we drop everything and get there straight away. Needless, to say I was worried sick. When we got there, our doctor informed us my son had a collapsed lung!. He'd been walking around, going to school etc. for two weeks with a collapsed lung. (Our doctor must have just glanced at the xray and not read it properly. Fortunately the xrays are forwarded to the local hospital where they are read by the radiologists there and he picked it up). The doctor told me to get him in the car and take him to a large hospital north of the city immediately, wouldn't let me take him to the local one, he had made some calls to find the best thoracic surgeon thankfully. They got his lung inflated, he was in hospital for a week, came home collapsed a few days later as it had collapsed again. I was out, but my husband was home fortunately so he drove him back to the hospital. They inflated it again, but it wouldn't stay inflated necessitating surgery. Dinger, it probably is a pulled muscle. Just wanted to make sure you take care of yourself and if it goes on, please don't hesitate to see your doctor.

[Crocus]

Hi Dinger, the short of breath doesn't sound quite right - perhaps you should see the drs.

[Oola]

You could try taking some Ibuprofen and see if that helps. I can suffer from something called Costochondritis, it's to do with the inflammation of the cartelidge between my breast bone and ribs. Moving, opening doors, sneezing and even just breathing can be quite painful when it's at it's worst. It used to get very bad when I was working in an office, but since I've been freelancing I've not had it so much.

You could always go to an osteopath if it continues. My cousin is a qualified osteopath and practices in Clophill just a few mins up the A6 from you if you'd like to see her. One of her practice rooms is in the Clophill Fruit Farm's Centre for Complementary Therapy. Sometimes pains in your chest can be as a result from bad back pains.

[dinger]

Thank you all for your kind answers . I will see what it is like over the weekend but is feeling much better today . I will take heed to what you said also keepers .

[Healing Hands]

Dinger, I do hope you are feeling better, it cannot be nice for you.

[Ivy]

If it's not better on Monday see your GP if it gets worse promise to go to the nearest hospital. It could be anything from harmless to serious. I do not mean to scare you but I nearly lost my mum to something that started like what you described and was in fact a massive heart-attack. Didn't stop her to finish off her round of golf and pick her grand son up from Kindergarten...

[dinger]

thank you ladies and I am taking notice of the advice you are giving me .I am in a high risk family for heart trouble so promise I will take care.

[Crocus]

Do you still have these chest pains Dinger?

[dinger]

The chest pains have gone and I have had a rested weekend so feeling much better . I am a tough old duck so no need to worry about me . Thank you all for your concern.x

[Ivy]

If you feel weak or the pains return see your GP
Ivy ( with a chest pain paranoia)

[dinger]

Don't worry Ivy I promise I will .