Tender Breastbone
Possible Causes for a Tender Breastbone
A painful and tender breastbone area can be caused by many different things. Determining the direct cause for the pain you feel in near the breastbone is important for you to be able treat the condition and reduce the pain. For many people, this breastbone tenderness and pain is extremely acute and can impact their daily lives. Depending on the cause, treating this type of pain may take several weeks to complete. Some conditions that show symptoms of sternum pain may be life threatening or extremely serious, so it is best to diagnose the cause of your breastbone pain as quickly as possible.
The ribcage is composed of many ribs that protect the inner chest cavity, and these ribs are connected to the breastbone by cartilage. The entire chest area is also surrounded by muscles and tissues. Any damage or infection of any of these components of the chest area can lead to pain and tenderness. Muscle sprains, tears or strains near the chest can occur from improper exercise or sudden twists and turns. Even improper lifting heavy can damage these muscles and cause significant pain. Injuries to these muscles, or the bones of the sternum and ribcage, will also lead to the development of pain and soreness; bruising from blunt force trauma or piercing injuries are also causes. Another cause of chest pain is due to Costochondritis. This condition occurs when the cartilage that connects the bones of the ribcage to the sternum become infected. The infection causes the cartilage to become swollen and irritated. This creates severe pain in the breastbone area, especially when the patient breaths. Any type of activity that causes severe or repetitive injury to this cartilage can allow an infection to set in. This can include injuries from car accidents, sports injuries or even overuse. Some people who experience chronic pain from the condition known as fibromyalgia may feel pain in their chest area.
A tender breastbone may also be felt as pain located underneath of the sternum itself. It is often very hard to determine if the pain that you are feeling is a result of a problem under the bone or with the surrounding bones and tissues. Pain in the center of the chest can be sometimes be attributed to gastroesophageal disorders. A common cause of pain under the sternum is heartburn. Heartburn is often described as fluid from the stomach entering the esophagus, leading to a burning feeling and pain in the center of the chest. Other gastroesophageal disorders such as acid reflux disease and stomach problems such as peptic ulcers may also cause the patient to feel pain near their sternum.
Serious heart conditions can cause chronic breastbone pain or very acute symptoms of pain. These diseases and disorders include: Coronary Heart disease, Stable Angina, Unstable Angina, Ischemic cardiomyopathy, Pericarditis, Myocarditis, and heart attack. These disorders may represent a medical emergency when pain is felt under the breastbone area and treatment should be sought quickly. Normally a painful and tender breastbone caused by a serious heart condition will have other common symptoms. These may include but are not limited to changes in blood pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, heart rate changes, abnormal heart rates and nausea.
Disorders that affect the lungs also create pain and discomfort near the sternum. A Pulmonary embolism occurs due to a blockage of blood flow in the lungs, often causing chest pain to develop. This causes sweating, swelling in the legs and difficulty breathing as well. A Pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Other lung conditions that can cause pain in the chest are bronchitis, pneumonia and cancers of the esophagus.