What causes pain in the right side of the chest?
Dec 31, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Xiao Ning
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, right-sided chest pain may be caused by factors such as muscle strain, intercostal neuralgia, pleurisy, costochondritis, pneumothorax, or other conditions. If experiencing discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly. In daily life, it is advisable to maintain a healthy lifestyle, adjust dietary habits, eat清淡 (light or bland) meals, reduce cholesterol intake, avoid spicy foods, and engage in appropriate physical activity.
Generally, right-sided chest pain may be caused by factors such as muscle strain, intercostal neuralgia, costochondritis, pleurisy, pneumothorax, and other conditions. If discomfort occurs, timely medical consultation is recommended. Detailed explanations are as follows:
1. Muscle Strain
Prolonged heavy physical labor, vigorous exercise, or poor posture may lead to overuse or strain of the right chest muscles, causing pain. It is important to balance work and rest appropriately, avoid excessive fatigue, warm up and stretch properly before exercising, and maintain correct posture.
2. Intercostal Neuralgia
When the intercostal nerves are compressed, irritated, or inflamed, they may cause episodic or persistent pain on the right side of the chest. Maintaining good sitting and sleeping posture, avoiding prolonged pressure on the intercostal nerves, practicing deep breathing exercises, and enhancing the flexibility of the intercostal muscles are recommended.
3. Costochondritis
Costochondritis may be related to viral infections, strain, or trauma. It causes pain at the cartilage of the right chest ribs, with increased pain upon pressing. Symptoms may include localized swelling and tenderness. Pain can be relieved by medications such as celecoxib capsules, diclofenac sodium sustained-release tablets, or etoricoxib tablets, as directed by a physician. Local nerve block therapy may be necessary when required.
4. Pleurisy
Pleurisy is usually caused by bacterial infection, viral infection, autoimmune diseases, or chest trauma. Inflammation of the pleura can cause chest pain on the right side, especially worsening during deep breathing or coughing. It may be accompanied by symptoms such as fever, difficulty breathing, and coughing. Pain can be relieved by medications such as cefuroxime axetil tablets, ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, or aspirin tablets, as directed by a physician. Thoracentesis may be necessary to drain pleural effusion when required.
5. Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is usually caused by chest trauma, lung disease, or spontaneous factors. It can cause sudden right-sided chest pain accompanied by chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Treatment options such as thoracentesis or closed thoracic drainage may be selected according to the severity of pneumothorax under a doctor's guidance.
In daily life, it is recommended to maintain a healthy lifestyle, adjust dietary structure, eat light meals, reduce cholesterol intake, avoid spicy foods, and engage in appropriate physical activity.
