Do you suffer from chest pains, short-term or persistent? If you occasionally feel short-term stitches in the chest without experiencing other complaints, this may indicate nerve irritation of the nerves of the wall of the chest cavity. Persistent chest pain or stabbing chest pain can indicate several conditions, such as Tietze syndrome or hyperventilation.
Cause of stitches in the chest
- Sharp, stabbing chest pain due to Tietze and Costochondritis
- Sharp, stabbing pain due to pleurisy
- What is it?
- Complication or symptom of an underlying condition
- Stabbing pain on one side of the chest due to pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
- Nagging chest pain due to acute pericarditis
- Pain in the chest or heart area due to hyperventilation
- Short-term stitches in the chest due to nerve stimulation
- Burning pain behind the breastbone due to heartburn
Sharp, stabbing chest pain due to Tietze and Costochondritis
There is little difference between Tietze syndrome and costochondritis. In Tietze’s case, swelling occurs near the sternum. Tietze is limited to the cartilage of the ribs on the sternum. Costochondritis refers to a painful inflammation of the cartilage of the ribs and does not involve swelling. Costochondritis causes breast pain. The pain is usually sharp and stabbing and worsens with movement, exertion and when you breathe deeply. If you apply pressure to the affected area, it will cause sharp pain. The pain is usually limited to a small area but can radiate to a larger area.
Doctor examines patient with stethoscope / Source: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock
Sharp, stabbing pain due to pleurisy
What is it?
Pleurisy, commonly called ‘pleurisy’, refers to an inflammation of the pleura or pleura, the membrane that covers the lungs. Pleurisy is usually caused by a viral infection. It can cause a sharp, stabbing chest pain. The pain can be felt anywhere in the chest, depending on the location of the inflammation. The pain is usually aggravated by inhalation or by coughing and sneezing, because this causes the two parts of the inflamed pleura or mucous membranes to rub together. This friction produces a grinding sound that a doctor can hear with a stethoscope.
Complication or symptom of an underlying condition
Pleurisy does not occur in isolation, but is always a complication or symptom of an underlying condition or disease, such as:
- lung inflammation (pneumonia);
- tuberculosis (TB); or
- cancer.
Stabbing pain on one side of the chest due to pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
Pneumothorax is the medical name for a collapsed lung, which is caused by an accumulation of air in the space between the two lung leaflets, the so-called ‘pleural cavity’. A pneumothorax usually causes sudden, sharp, stabbing pain on one side of the chest (left or right). The pain is usually made worse by inhalation and there is shortness of breath.
Nagging chest pain due to acute pericarditis
Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium. Pericarditis can occur both chronically and acutely. Acute pericarditis is usually caused by a viral infection, but other causes are also possible. The most common symptom of acute pericarditisis is a sharp, stabbing pain in the chest behind the breastbone or in the left side of your chest. However, some people with acute pericarditis describe the chest pain as more nagging in nature and of varying intensity. The pain that occurs with acute pericarditis can radiate to your left shoulder, back and neck. It often intensifies when coughing, lying down or breathing deeply. Sitting and leaning forward can ease the pain. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish pericardial pain from the pain that occurs with a heart attack.
Stomachache / Source: Andrey Popov/Shutterstock.com
Pain in the chest or heart area due to hyperventilation
Hyperventilation means that you breathe too quickly or too deeply, often as a result of fear and tension. Many people don’t realize it themselves. Complaints include shortness of breath and dizziness. Hyperventilation can also cause pain such as muscle pain, (stabbing) pain in the chest or heart area and abdominal pain. In addition, palpitations, tingling and dry mouth, headache and nausea also occur.
Short-term stitches in the chest due to nerve stimulation
Some people occasionally experience short-term stitches in the chest, without experiencing any other complaints. This probably indicates a nerve stimulation of the nerves of the wall of the chest cavity, the so-called ‘chest wall’. The so-called intercostal neuralgia, which refers to a painful condition of the intercostal (intercostal) nerve due to improper functioning and/or damage to this nerve. Sometimes this is the result of an operation on the chest, but in many cases a good pathophysiological explanation for the pain cannot be given.
Burning pain behind the breastbone due to heartburn
Heartburn, heartburn or reflux is the backflow of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus. This often causes burning or pressing pain behind or below the breastbone. The pain can radiate to the neck or between the shoulder blades in the back. Due to the nature of the complaints, this is often confused with heart complaints. You may also experience a sore throat, hoarseness, coughing or the feeling that there is a constant lump in your throat. You may also suffer from (acid) reflux.
read more
- Chest pain: left/right, pain lungs, heart, sternum
- Chest pain: right, left, after eating and when breathing
- Angina pectoris: symptoms, causes, treatment & prognosis
- Stitches in lungs: causes and treatment of stabbing lung pain
- Rib pain: causes of rib pain or sore ribs
