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What Causes Pain In The Left Side Of The Chest?

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Posted on Tue, 8 Nov 2016
Question: what could cause me to have pain in my chest and back. i have had it for 4 days. the first day it hurt in thein the front between my breasts. the next day it woke me up hurting on the left side like i slept on my side wrong. as the day went on it eased some. the next night and morning it was worse. it felt as though i has the flu and spent two days coughing constantly(i have not coughed at all) and hurts to take a deep breath. as the day went on it spread to my back, neck, and upper arm. took some ibuprophen it helped. i was able to go to sleep. it woke me again this morning even worse. ibuproghen is not helping anymore.
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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
urgent investigation is required

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

one-sided chest pain warrants immediate investigation to exclude serious causes like pneumonia, pleuritis, pericarditis, etc. Some of them also cause fever but ibuprofen may mask it. Checking your oxygen saturation, a chest-X-ray and clinical examination are of utmost importance in such cases.
Simpler etiologies like herpes zoster (shingles) may also apply but the serious ones must be excluded first.

You'd better visit the ER as soon as possible.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3818 Questions

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What Causes Pain In The Left Side Of The Chest?

Brief Answer: urgent investigation is required Detailed Answer: Hello, one-sided chest pain warrants immediate investigation to exclude serious causes like pneumonia, pleuritis, pericarditis, etc. Some of them also cause fever but ibuprofen may mask it. Checking your oxygen saturation, a chest-X-ray and clinical examination are of utmost importance in such cases. Simpler etiologies like herpes zoster (shingles) may also apply but the serious ones must be excluded first. You'd better visit the ER as soon as possible. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!