Sharp pain under right rib cage when taking deep breath

Sharp pain under right rib cage when taking deep breath

Precordial Catch Syndrome is characterised by a sharp, stabbing pain that is painful to breathe through.

Have you ever felt a sharp pain in your ribs, that hurt when you breathed in, then quickly disappeared? While you might have panicked for a second thinking it was a heart attack, it’s possible you were actually experiencing precordial catch syndrome, a mysterious condition that can cause sharp and sudden pains in the ribs.

What is Precordial Catch Syndrome?

Precordial catch syndrome (PCS), or as it’s sometimes known, “Texidor’s Twinge”, is a condition that causes a sharp pain in the ribs that comes on and disappears quickly. PCS is often experienced by otherwise healthy children and adolescents.

The syndrome is characterised by a sharp, stabbing pain that is painful to breathe through, often on the upper left-hand side of the ribs. The good news is that the pain will usually go away by itself within a few minutes and doesn’t cause any health problems.

Sharp pain under right rib cage when taking deep breath

Doctors don’t quite know what causes PCS, though it’s thought it might have something to do with irritation of the nerves that line the chest wall. Some also think that PCS is more common during growth spurts. It seems to happen most when a child is at rest, sitting or lying down, and isn’t accompanied by other symptoms. The syndrome becomes much less common after the age of 20.

What to do if my child has chest pains?

It’s always wise to treat chest pain seriously. If there are any other symptoms accompanying your child’s pain, like nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness or shortness of breath, or the pain doesn’t go away quickly, you should seek immediate medical help.

Unexplained chest pain might cause you or your child some understandable anxiety. Even if your child’s chest pain is brief and doesn’t seem to be connected to other health concerns, raise it with your GP. If it’s PCS, have them explain what’s happening to you and your child, so the condition doesn’t keep causing you unnecessary worry.

You can always call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, with any questions about your health or your child’s health. If you think the situation is an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance straight away.

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Overview

Rib cage pain may be sharp, dull, or achy and felt at or below the chest or above the navel on either side. It may occur after an obvious injury or without explanation.

Rib cage pain can be caused by a variety of things, ranging from pulled muscles to a rib fracture.

The pain may occur immediately upon injury or develop slowly over time. It can also be a sign of an underlying medical condition. You should report any instance of unexplainable rib cage pain to your doctor immediately.

The most common causes of rib cage pain are a pulled muscle or bruised ribs. Other causes of pain in the rib cage area may include:

  • broken ribs
  • injuries to the chest
  • rib fractures
  • diseases that affect the bones, such as osteoporosis
  • inflammation of the lining of the lungs
  • muscle spasms
  • swollen rib cartilage

When talking to your doctor, describe the type of pain you’re experiencing and the movements that make the pain worse. The type of pain you’re experiencing as well as the area of pain can help your doctor determine which tests will help them make a diagnosis.

If your pain started after an injury, your doctor might order an imaging scan such as an X-ray. A chest X-ray can show evidence of fractures or bone abnormalities. Rib-detail X-rays are also helpful.

If any abnormalities, such as an abnormal growth, show up on your X-ray or during your physical examination, your doctor will order a soft tissue imaging scan, such as an MRI. An MRI scan gives the doctor a detailed view of your rib cage and surrounding muscles, organs, and tissue.

If you’re experiencing chronic pain, your doctor may order a bone scan. Your doctor will order a bone scan if they feel that bone cancer may be causing the pain. For this examination, they will inject you with a small amount of radioactive dye called a tracer.

Your doctor will then use a special camera to scan your body for the tracer. The image from this camera will highlight any bone abnormalities.

The recommended treatment for rib cage pain depends on the cause of the pain.

If the rib cage pain is due to a minor injury, such as a pulled muscle or bruise, you can use a cold compress on the area to reduce swelling. If you’re in significant pain, you can also take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol).

If over-the-counter medicine doesn’t relieve pain from an injury, your doctor can prescribe other medications, as well as a compression wrap. A compression wrap is a large, elastic bandage that wraps around your chest.

The compression wrap holds the area tightly to prevent further injury and greater pain. However, these wraps are only necessary in rare cases because the tightness of the compression wrap makes it difficult to breathe. This can increase your risk of pneumonia.

If bone cancer is causing the pain, your doctor will discuss treatment options with you based on the type of cancer and origin of the cancer. Determining the origin of the cancer will you’re your doctor whether it started in the rib or spread from another area of the body. Your doctor may suggest surgery to remove or biopsy abnormal growths.

In some cases, surgical removal isn’t possible or may be too dangerous. In these cases, your doctor may choose to shrink them using chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Once the growth is small enough, they may then remove it surgically.

Rib cage pain may be apparent with no movement. You may also experience sharp pain when breathing in or when moving into a certain position.

Contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe pain when breathing in or moving your body into a specific position, or if you have any difficulty breathing.

If you feel pressure or have pain in your chest along with rib cage discomfort, call 911. These symptoms may be the sign of an impending heart attack.

If you’ve recently fallen and you have difficulty and pain while breathing, along with significant bruising in your chest area, call 911 immediately as well.

If you need help finding a primary care doctor or a specialist, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.

You can prevent rib cage pain due to muscle strains or sprains by stretching your muscles, using exercise equipment properly, and staying hydrated.

If an illness is causing your rib cage pain, get plenty of rest and follow your doctor’s treatment plan. Self-care treatments, such as applying ice to injuries or taking hot baths to relax, can also help prevent pain.

When should I be concerned about pain under my right rib?

Any pain you feel under your right rib cage isn't usually anything to worry about, but if the pain is severe or persists, you should see a doctor as it could be caused by an underlying condition.

What does it mean when you get a sharp pain in your ribs when you breathe?

Bruised or fractured rib Symptoms for bruised and broken ribs are much the same: pain, particularly when breathing or coughing. Telltale sign: Injured ribs cause pain when breathing, coughing, twisting or bending. Your doctor may order a chest X-ray to determine if you've fractured your rib.

When I take a deep breath my right side hurts?

If you feel right-sided chest pain while breathing, you may be experiencing pleurisy. According to the National Health Service, pleurisy is a condition that occurs when the tissue between the lungs and ribcage becomes inflamed. The primary symptom is sharp chest pain when you breathe.

What organ is on the right side under the rib cage?

Just under the right side of your rib cage lie several important organs, such as the pancreas, gallbladder, right kidney, and parts of your liver, and small and large intestines. Experts divide the abdomen into four quadrants, and the upper quarter on the right-hand side is the RUQ or right upper quadrant.