Coughing and chest pain can be quite unsettling – they tend to make you wonder what’s happening and if you should be concerned. Occasionally, such symptoms stem from something as minor as a cold, while other times they may indicate more serious medical conditions. Let’s consider some potential causes and why it’s a good time to visit your doctor.
Another of the common culprits of a lingering cough is bronchitis. This occurs when your lung airways become inflamed and clogged with mucus. You may begin with a dry cough that becomes productive, or brings up mucus, eventually. With the cough, you may have a runny nose, fever, and be quite fatigued. Bronchitis is usually viral, but tobacco smoke or pollution can also bring it on.
Chest pain can originate from a lot of different areas. Heart issues are a major concern here — conditions such as heart attacks or angina will create pain that radiates to your jaw, neck, or arms. If you believe you’re experiencing a heart attack, don’t hesitate — seek emergency services immediately. Other cardiac problems, such as myocarditis or pericarditis, are inflammation in the heart muscle or the covering over it, and symptoms can be quite similar to a heart attack as well.
Occasionally, lung issues trigger coughing and chest pain. Pneumonia is a good example — it’s an infection that fills your lung air sacs with fluid and pus, which causes a chronic cough and chest pain. And then there’s pleurisy, which is inflammation of the lining of the lungs and can create stabbing chest pain that increases when you cough or breathe.
Chest pain and coughing may also result from long-term causes such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The conditions produce inflammation and narrowing of your airways, which makes breathing more difficult and tends to trigger a chronic cough.
It’s a very big deal to take notice of your symptoms. If you develop sudden, stabbing chest pain, pain that radiates to other areas of your body, or a cough that brings up blood, you need to go see a doctor immediately. And if you smoke or used to smoke and have a persistent cough with chest pain, you should get yourself looked at.
While sometimes chest pain and coughing come from less serious problems, they can also be signs of health issues that need prompt care. Knowing what might be causing your symptoms can help you decide when it’s time to get medical advice, so you can take care of yourself and catch anything serious early.