Costochondritis: List of Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Are you tired of reading numerous articles about Costochondritis available on the internet?
If yes, then don’t worry! We will resolve your every query in this noteworthy guide that covers everything you need to know about the causes, symptoms and remedies which can be taken to prevent Costochondritis.
Stay with us till the end of the article to get the easiest and the most effective ways to cure Costochondritis.
Let us first understand about…
Costochondritis
When inflammation occurs in the cartilage of the rib cage, it is termed as Costochondritis. Because of this condition, the most affected area is the cartilage where the upper portion of the ribs gets attached to the costosternal junction.
The pain which occurs due to this inflammation can vary from mild to severe. When the pain is mild, the person can feel it by applying a little pressure to the affected area of the cartilage.
But when the pain is severe, it goes on to a level where the person is not able to do the daily routine work and the sufferer can sense frequent pain shoot ups in the chest.
Symptoms Of Costochondritis
The person who is suffering from Costochondritis may seem to have pain on either side of the breastbone, both on the upper and the middle rib region.
This pain can also get transferred to the back of the sufferer or even to the abdomen. The pain is likely to get worse when the person tries to sneeze, cough or also stretch his body.
Causes of Costochondritis
The main reasons which cause Costochondritis are listed below:
- It can be caused due to the presence of tumors in the costosternal joint region.
- It can also happen when a person is involved in substantial physical activities like weight lifting, heavy exercises which are full of strain etc.
- If a person has arthritis, then it can turn into Costochondritis.
- If a person has suffered from a trauma to his/her chest, which can be due to an accident or impact on the chest in the past.
- This joint inflammation can also be caused due to certain chronic diseases like tuberculosis and syphilis.
Diagnosis of Costochondritis
If the sufferer is feeling intense chest pain and at the same time has trouble in the breathing process, then the person should immediately visit a doctor as he could be suffering from Costochondritis.
As soon as a massive chest pain occurs in a person, he/she should immediately rush to the nearest hospital for diagnosis as the chest pain can increase and can turn out into something huge.
Thus, if the person can get care at the right time, the chances of diagnosing Costochondritis at the very early stage are very much on the table.
The doctor whom you are visiting will first perform a physical examination of your body.
The doctor will make you do certain stretching activities and also manipulated your rib area to see the amount of flexibility in that particular region and also to find where ae the pain points.
Specific tests would also be performed like blood tests and chest x rays to be sure that any other reason is not present behind this particular disease.
Electrocardiography can also be ordered by the doctor to be performed on the patient as this pain can be caused due to coronary artery disease.
Ways to Treat Costochondritis
There are many ways in which the problem of Costochondritis can be treated. Some are as follows:
Medication
Majority of the cases in which the person is suffering from Costochondritis, the doctor orders intake of particular medicines to cure the disease.
If the person is suffering from mild pain, then the concerned doctor may issue nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to the patient. Ibuprofen is an example of the same.
The following is a list of the medications that can be prescribed by the doctor:
- Heavy pain killers
- Antidepressants like amitriptyline
- Medications – antianxiety
- Strong nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Intake of oral steroids or even through an injection in the area which is affected.
Changing the Lifestyle
The lifestyle of a person in many ways is responsible for Costochondritis.
If a person is suffering from Costochondritis, then your doctor may tell you to change the way you are living your daily routine.
As discussed above, the doctor may advise you to do heavy exercises like weight lifting or any such practice which can cause strain in the rib cage region.
The doctor can advise you to the following things:
- Undergo sessions of physical therapy.
- The doctor can also advise the patient fixed amount of hours as bed rest per day so as the body can fully recover from Costochondritis.
- The doctor can also advise hot and cold therapy using a heating and ice pack. This will reduce the inflammation in the affected area.
Apart from the above steps, your concerned doctor may also check your body at a different scale of the pain levels and change the lifestyle of yours accordingly.
If the person is getting benefited from the prescribed lifestyle, then the doctor continues the same.
If the lifestyle doesn’t have any effect and no improvement in the condition of the patient can be seen. The doctor may advise some physical workouts and other movement activities of the affected region to set the rib cage again.
Final Verdict
It is essential to understand that the steps mentioned above are the most common methods to cure the problem of Costochondritis.
In this guide, we have tried to cover the symptoms, causes and the remedies for the particular inflation disease of Costochondritis.
That’s not all! It should always be kept in mind that all these methods should not be done regularly as this will affect the natural process of the body.
Also, it should always be kept in the mind that one should not practice this without consulting any physician as they can have a reverse effect on the body of the individual.
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