Internal Medicine

Lung pain when coughing

introduction

Coughing can cause pain for a number of reasons.

The symptoms typically referred to as lung pain, however, are not pain of the organ itself. Rather, the envelopes surrounding the lungs are the organs that trigger the pain stimulus. In order to feel pain, impulses must be sent from the affected organ to the brain via pain-conducting nerve fibers.

The lungs themselves have no such pathways, which is why we cannot perceive any pain in the lungs. Instead, pain stimuli come from areas such as the airways, the pleura, the pleura and the rib cage.

Causes of Lung Pain When Coughing

The most common cause of pain when coughing is diseases of the chest and its muscles. For example, tension in the intercostal muscles or sore muscles can be felt when the chest is enlarged, such as when coughing.

Furthermore, irritation of the nerves running here, the so-called intercostal nerves, can cause pain when coughing. This, in turn, can arise from diseases of the nerves themselves or problems with the ribs. The former include intercostal neuralgia or shingles which is triggered by a virus and is accompanied by the formation of blisters in the affected skin area. Rib diseases that cause pain when coughing include rib blocks, bruises or even fractures.

Inflammation of the tissues around the lungs is another cause. These are projected directly onto the lungs by the body and are therefore perceived as lung pain. Inflammation of the pleura or lungs manifests itself as pain when coughing, as can pneumonia. Far more common, however, are pain associated with a cold or bronchitis, i.e. infections of the upper respiratory tract.

Dry tickly cough

In contrast to coughing with sputum, dry, irritating cough is usually not associated with an infection.

Rather, chronic irritation of the respiratory tract is often the reason for the dry cough. Allergy sufferers in particular suffer from dry, tickly coughs, as their airways are very sensitive to external stimuli. However, people who inhale harmful substances permanently or at least for a longer period of time can also be affected by dry, dry coughs. Smokers therefore often suffer from dry coughs, but even those who are exposed to toxins at work can have a hyperreactive (overreacting) airway system. The reaction of the mucous membrane in the airways consists of a chronic inflammatory reaction, which can be accompanied by pain when coughing.

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During sports

A phenomenon known as exertional asthma can occur during exercise. If, for example, the air is particularly cold when exercising, this can lead to an overreaction of the airways, so that affected athletes have to cough a lot during sports.

If you've already caught a respiratory infection, such as a common cold, exercise can also make symptoms worse. Those affected have to cough more often due to the increased strain on the lungs. Because the airways are inflamed, the cough can be painful.

In addition, breathing-dependent pain from side stitches can occur during exercise. The pain in the stitch is particularly pronounced when coughing.

Other accompanying symptoms

The accompanying symptoms vary depending on the cause of the lung pain when coughing.

The cough is often due to infections of the respiratory tract, which can also lead to a runny nose, sore throat, fever, tiredness and other cold symptoms. When coughing, a distinction is made between a dry cough without sputum and a rather wet cough with sputum.

Other symptoms that can accompany lung pain when coughing are pain in the chest, back, shoulder or abdominal pain.

Sore throat

If sore throats occur as symptoms accompanying lung pain when coughing, an infection of the upper respiratory tract should be assumed as the cause of the symptoms.

Viruses or bacteria usually settle in the airways from the oral cavity to the small branches in the lungs. This triggers a defense reaction of the immune system, which leads to inflammation in the mucous membrane. Due to the irritation of the mucous membrane in the throat, a sore throat can occur when coughing, the same mechanism also occurs with lung pain, since the pain here mostly comes from the deeper airways.

Back pain

Back pain can be the cause of lung pain when coughing, and it can also be a result of cough-related complaints.

Anyone who frequently suffers from tension in the back muscles can pass this on to the chest via the muscles or the nerve fibers. When you cough, the muscles between your ribs suddenly become very tense. If they are already irritated by tension, pain can be triggered by coughing.

Conversely, lung pain can radiate into the back when you cough. The nerve tracts in particular play a role here. These run from the chest through the spine to the brain. Occasionally, the brain cannot properly assign the pain and therefore projects it onto the lungs on neighboring structures such as the back.

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fever

Fever is a very non-specific symptom of the body and generally indicates an inflammatory response in the body.

The fever can often be observed as a defense mechanism against infections. Due to the increased temperature, the body tries to kill the pathogens. Therefore, fever is a common symptom of infections of the respiratory tract and lungs, from the common cold to severe pneumonia. The fever tends to be higher with bacterial infections than with viral infections. Severe inflammations such as pneumonia are usually associated with a higher fever than a pure upper respiratory infection.

Diagnosis of lung pain when coughing

The lung pain when coughing is initially a symptom that can indicate many diseases.

The most important step in the diagnosis is the doctor-patient discussion. The person concerned is asked by the doctor about the type of complaints as well as the trigger and course of the disease. This often gives the most important clues as to the cause of lung pain when coughing.

This is followed by a physical examination, during which the lungs should be listened to; a look into the throat can also be useful if you have a cold. If there are indications of problems with the chest, it should also be scanned. If the cough is severe, imaging, usually an X-ray, is often performed.

Therapy of lung pain when coughing

The therapy for lung pain when coughing depends on the cause of the symptoms.

If the problem is purely mechanical, for example due to muscular overexertion or tension, a wait-and-see therapy approach, which provides for a purely symptomatic treatment of the pain, is often most sensible. The focus here is on physical protection. The pain can also be treated with pain medication such as ibuprofen, novalgin, and acetaminophen.

If an infection is the cause of the lung pain when coughing, the pathogen should also be combated with the therapy. In the case of a bacterial infection, this can be done through antibiotics. There are usually no drugs against viruses; purely symptomatic therapy should also be used here. In addition to pain relief, this includes fever therapy, also with ibuprofen or paracetamol. Accompanying symptoms such as a sore throat and runny nose are best treated with sufficient fluid intake. Nasal spray and cough drops can also alleviate the symptoms.

If you suffer from lung pain from chronic inhalation of toxins that irritate the airways and settle in the lungs, further contact with these substances should be avoided. Appropriate masks should be worn if the substances are inhaled for occupational reasons. Tobacco smoke and nicotine can be avoided by not consuming cigarettes.

Home remedies for lung pain

Lung pain when coughing can be treated with various home remedies.

Most of these are aimed at relieving common cold symptoms. These include calf wraps to lower the fever. Various teas with anti-inflammatory agents (sage, ginger, lemon, honey) can relieve the infection in the respiratory tract. Often the most important thing is adequate fluid intake, so the stereotypical chicken broth is also very helpful.

Duration and prognosis of lung pain when coughing

Lung pain when coughing will then subside when the cough trigger is treated.

If there are causes such as infectious diseases, these are usually healed within one to two weeks. Serious infections such as pneumonia or inflammation of the pleura and the pleura can last much longer.

Muscular problems in the chest are usually healed within a few days. As a rule, the cough and with it the lung pain will go away after a while. However, those who suffer from a chronic cough can also have permanent lung pain when coughing.

Course of the disease in lung pain when coughing

Usually the cough starts before the lung pain occurs. The cough is an early defense mechanism of the body, the lung pain only occurs when the tissue is more severely inflamed.

If pain occurs depending on the cough, the inflammation is usually more severe, which is why you have to reckon with a longer recovery time than with a pure cough. The symptoms usually worsen within the first days or weeks, after which they should subside again. Severe inflammation of the lungs can lead to high fever and life-threatening complications.

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