Chest pain near thesternum(breastbone) is the primary symptom.
It is sometimes severe enough for people to seek emergency care because it can mimic a heart attack.
The cause of costochondritis is often unknown but may be the result of repetitive microtrauma to the chest wall.
Verywell / Gary Ferster
In their totality, symptoms like these are easily mistaken for aheart attack.
These tiny breaks and cracks, called microtraumas, can cause scar tissue that makes joint cartilage less flexible.
Coughing and exercise can place extreme stress on these tissues, which the body will respond to with inflammation.
Most cases involve bacteria likeStaphylococcus aureusorSalmonella.
Costochondritis can also sometimes occur with different types ofinflammatory arthritis, includingrheumatoid arthritis,ankylosing spondylitis, andpsoriatic arthritis.
How Common Is Costochondritis?
Females are slightly more affected than males.
Most cases are seen between the ages of 40 and 50.
This is the process used to investigate and weed out other possible causes of your symptoms.
Treatment
Costochondritis is most often a self-limiting condition that goes away on its own.
With that said, symptoms may last for days, a few weeks, or up to several months.
It is typically a non-serious, self-limiting condition that goes away on its own.
Even so, costochondritis can cause significant pain around the middle of the chest, sometimes lasting for months.
Rest, ice system, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help ease symptoms.
Severe cases may benefit from a local shot of cortisone.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Costochondritis.
2020 Oct 6;12(10):e10831.
