What causes chest pain when sleeping on one's side?
Side sleeping with chest pain may be caused by incorrect sleeping posture, myocardial ischemia, costochondritis, or other reasons.
1. Incorrect sleeping posture
If one sleeps on their side for prolonged periods, the tissues within the chest cavity may become compressed. When the sternum and ribs are under continuous pressure, it can lead to pain and numbness in the surrounding nerves and muscles.
2. Myocardial ischemia
Side sleeping can affect blood circulation to the heart, potentially causing insufficient blood supply to the myocardium and resulting in chest pain.
3. Costochondritis
Costochondritis refers to an inflammatory condition affecting the costal cartilage. It typically causes localized swelling of the cartilage along with tenderness and pressure-induced pain, leading to chest discomfort during side sleeping.
Besides the above-mentioned causes, chest pain while side sleeping could also result from intercostal neuralgia, pleuritis, or other conditions. Patients are advised to seek timely medical evaluation at a hospital, undergo appropriate diagnostic tests, and receive targeted treatment based on the specific underlying cause.