Costochondritis

Costochondritis may cause sharp pain in the front or side of your chest.

The pain may be worse when:

• moving your upper body
• lying down
• breathing deeply
• you press the middle of your chest, or your ribs

You should always get medical advice if you get unexplained chest pain that does not go away.

• you think you have costochondritis

It's important to get chest pain checked to rule out other, more serious conditions.

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online .

• chest pain that started suddenly, or spreads to your arm, neck or jaw, or your chest feels tight – this could be a heart attack
• chest pain with difficulty breathing, your heart beating fast, or you're coughing up blood – this could be a pulmonary embolism
• sudden chest or back pain that can feel like something being torn inside, and causes shortness of breath, and problems with walking, vision and speaking

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.

Costochondritis usually gets better on its own, over time. It can last for a few weeks to several months.

Painkillers that help with inflammation, like ibuprofen, may be recommended to help with the pain.

If you have very bad pain that does not get better over time, you may be offered a steroid injection to help reduce inflammation or local anaesthetic to ease the pain.

It is not always known what causes costochondritis, but it has been linked to:

• an injury to your chest
• repetitive upper body movements, like lifting
• coughing a lot
• infection

Symptoms of costochondritis may include a sharp pain in your chest, which may be worse when moving your upper body, lying down or breathing.

You should get urgent medical help if you think you have costochondritis to rule out more serious conditions.

Painkillers like ibuprofen are often used to treat costochondritis. Sometimes you may be offered a steroid injection to help reduce the inflammation.

Things that may cause costochondritis include an injury to your ribs, repetitive upper body movements and coughing during an illness like the flu.