Submitted by Dr T on December 27, 2010 – 11:35am
Question:
A couple of nights ago I noticed a little pain just left of the center of my chest when I coughed. I am not sick, congested, or feel “bad” at all. The next day when i was taking a shower I noticed pain (bruised or sore feeling) when I touch that specific area of the chest. The pain only occurs when I touch that area or when I cough or sneeze I can feel it a little bit. I can move every way, I can bend, sit, lay down, and pretty much do anything without feeling any pain; I only feel it to the touch. The pain is felt with even a slight rub of my finger to that area and it is not deep in the chest….appears to be only surface and in that small area about the size of my fingertip.I also feel a little tenderness to the touch above the nipple area, also like a bruise or pulled muscle feeling…… icyhot and advil take away the pain, but I can still feel the soreness in those areas even with medication…. I do not believe these symptoms are heart related, rather more muscular and bone related….I have heard that if you can touch the area and produce pain that it is likely not coronary
You are right; your sore spot is most likely musculo-skeletal in origin. If you have no idea how you could have injured that area, neither do I. However, minor injuries often go unnoticed at first. The fact that it is persistent suggests a deeper location rather than your chest muscles. I think more in terms of a bruised rib, or the junction of the rib with the cartilage that connects to your breast bone.
You can read more here:
https://www.cardiachealth.org/ca-blog/chest-pain/
However, since I don’t anything else about you, you may want to read about cardiac pains:
https://www.cardiachealth.org/heart-information/coronary-artery-disease
Your risks for heart disease:
https://www.cardiachealth.org/app/risk-assessment.php
Hope this helps,
Dr T
https://www.cardiachealth.org/
