Why Do My Ribs Hurt When Coughing? Explaining Common Causes

Understanding Rib Pain While Coughing

It's common to experience rib and chest discomfort when coughing intensely or repeatedly. In most cases, this occurs due to straining the muscles and joints between the ribs. However, frequent or worsening rib and chest pain can also indicate more serious medical conditions requiring evaluation.

Causes of Rib Pain from Coughing

Rib pain triggered by coughing has several possible causes:

• Muscle strain from intense bouts of coughing
• Inflammation around rib cartilage and joints (costochondritis)
• Stress fractures in the ribs from chronic coughs
• Lung infections like pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchitis
• Heart conditions like pericarditis, heart attack

When Rib Discomfort Is Serious

While occasional rib soreness after forceful coughs is rarely serious, seek prompt medical care if you experience:

• Very sharp, stabbing pains in the ribs or chest
• Inability to catch your breath or get air in properly
• Rib pain unaffected by holding your chest still or changing positions
• Swelling and skin color changes around painful rib areas

Muscle Strains and Costochondritis

For most healthy adults, rib achiness that occurs with vigorous coughing is caused by strained muscles or costochondritis. These conditions lead to painful inflammation but generally resolve with rest and care.

Muscle Strains

Violent bouts of coughing engage many muscles between the ribs, shoulders and along the chest. Like with exercise, coughing strains can overstretch muscles leading to microscopic tears and inflammation.

Costochondritis Causes and Symptoms

Costochondritis occurs when the cartilage attaching ribs to the breastbone becomes inflamed, often due to repetitive stress and strains. Intense coughs commonly trigger costochondritis flares. Typical symptoms include:

• Sharp, aching rib and chest pain made worse by coughing
• Soreness focused at cartilage rib joints along the sternum
• Pain triggered by pressing along rib borders
• Temporary relief from anti-inflammatories and rest

Recovering from Strains and Costochondritis

Treatment focuses on resting the ribs from repetitive strain, applying ice/heat packs, and using over-the-counter NSAID pain/anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen until inflammation resolves. Seeking medical guidance is wise if pain persists beyond a few weeks.

When Coughs Reveal Serious Illness

While most post-cough rib discomfort is temporary, breath-related chest and rib pain can indicate lung infections, heart issues or fractures requiring prompt medical attention.

Pleurisy and Pneumonia

Lung inflammations like pleurisy and pneumonia commonly produce painful coughs. Pleurisy causes inflamed lung linings and surfaces rubbing together. Pneumonia leads to infected, fluid-filled pockets that irritate lung nerves. Both create deep coughs that can strain rib muscles and fracture rib bones over time.

Heart Conditions

Experiencing coughs plus crushing, squeezing chest pains and shortness of breath can indicate an impending heart attack or acute pericarditis inflammation around the heart. These require emergency cardiovascular treatment, so when in doubt seek immediate medical aid.

Rib Fractures

Chronic, frequent bouts of hard coughing over weeks or months can actually weaken rib bones, causing stress fractures. This leads to extreme tenderness concentrated along a rib area. Fractured ribs limit normal breathing and require weeks in a brace for bones to mend.

When Musculoskeletal Conditions Cause Chronic Rib Pain

For some people rib pain worsens through life as musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia cause systemic inflammation and joint damage.

Fibromyalgia

Widespread chronic pain and tender points throughout the chest and rib areas affects over 75% of people with fibromyalgia. Flare ups triggered by coughing and chest expansion are common. Lifestyle adjustments, massages, and medications help manage the root condition.

Osteoarthritis

As cartilage wearing osteoarthritis progresses, inflammation emergres in small rib joints as well as the spine and major joints. Periodic aching and stiffness around rib joints that worsens with weather shifts, activity and forceful breathing are typical.

Psoriatic Arthritis

About 30% of people with psoriatic arthritis develop costochondritis inflammation where ribs meet the sternum. Forceful coughing and deep breathing exacerrates searing joint pain. Early diagnosis and disease-modifying treatments can limit damage before debilitating fusion begins.

When Rib Pain Should Lead You to Seek Medical Care

Occasional muscle soreness along the ribs and chest is expected with vigorous coughing. But recurrent or worsening symptoms suggest something more clinically significant may be developing that warrants medical assessment.

See Your Doctor for Ongoing Rib Discomfort

Schedule a medical evaluation if rib and chest pain related to coughs lingers beyond a week or two without relief from conservative home treatment. Describe pain triggers, locations and severity to aid diagnosis.

Seeking Emergency Aid for Worrisome Symptoms

Promptly call emergency services or head to an ER if coughs are producing symptoms like:

• Sudden, crushing chest pains spreading to jaw, arms
• Breathing struggles or inability to fully inhale
• Coughs producing blood-tinged mucus
• Fevers, chills, chest pressure suggesting pneumonia

Rapid treatment for emerging heart and lung conditions can prevent grave outcomes in such cases.

Preventing Recurrent Rib Pain from Coughs

Work with your doctor to control any underlying chronic coughs causing recurrent rib pains. Steps like stopping smoking, treating acid reflux, using cough suppressants, or curing infections can make a big difference long term.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.