My Costochondritis Journey:

Have you ever felt an ache in your chest, an unwelcome companion that messes up your planned day? Let’s explore the world of costochondritis, a condition that can be a mystery, but together, we’ll uncover its symptoms and discover remedies that can bring relief. The remedies may not work for everyone. Living with this condition is not easy but we can't let it rule our live.

Hearing the diagnosis was a shock- I had never even heard of costochondritis, and suddenly, it was affecting every part of my day-to-day life. It started at work, where I began to experience chest pains, which I initially ignored. I was walking downstairs to the café when I started to feel shortness of breath. My chest pains were worse, and I had trouble walking up the stairs. I called the nurse's hotline. They couldn’t tell me what to do but said they would go straight to the emergency room if it were them. I packed up for the day and drove myself to the hospital. They took me right in when I mentioned my chest pains. They ended up giving me pain medication and diagnosed me with costochondritis. They told me to follow up with my regular doctor. Living in this condition is challenging. Some days I have no pain whereas other times I am in extreme pain. I have learned to live with it. It felt like a heart attack or pleurisy. The year before I had experienced a similar situation in Texas. I was working at an Assistant Living facility. And it felt like I was having a heart attack but I kept working thinking that I didn't want the residents to see me like this. Eventually, I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with pleurisy.

After my ER visit, I needed to understand what I was dealing with, so I did some research. According to the Mayo Clinic, Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone (sternum). This condition can emulate a heart attack or other heart conditions. Which was the reason I thought I was having a heart attack. Typically, costochondritis causes pain on the left side of the chest, either where the cartilage meets the rib or the sternum. You can experience pain where the rib cartilage attaches to the sternum, but it can also occur where the cartilage attaches to the rib. (1) Since this can mimic a heart attack, we need to know the symptoms of a heart attack so we can tell the difference between the two.

The doctors haven’t yet identified the cause of this condition, but it may be the result of one or more of the following:

- an illness that causes frequent coughing.

- Heavy lifting or chest exercises.

- Carrying heavy bags or having larger breasts.

- Chest injuries, infections, or surgeries (like bypass surgery). (2)

Living with this condition has been challenging but understanding the causes has helped me to manage it. In the next article, we’ll go deeper into coping strategies and treatments for this condition that have made a difference for me.

Sources

“Costochondritis- Diagnosis and Treatment,” Mayo Clinic, last modified May 11, 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/costochondritis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20371180

“What to Know About Costochondritis,” Medical News Today, last modified May 21, 2024, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318797

© 2024 Lisa Jane