Heart: An hollow organ located in between the lungs just behind the breastbone. It supplies blood to all parts of the body.
The liver is partly protected by the rib cage. In fact, it is so tightly packed into the ribcage that a slight impression is often left on the top of the liver. The liver is the largest organ in the body. It is shaped like a wedge and weighs 1.2-1.5kg.
Heart: Your heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout your body. It's located in the middle of your mediastinum. Your heart is surrounded by a protective sac called your pericardium. Thymus: Your thymus supports your immune system and is most active before puberty.
The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury.
Rib cage pain can be caused by a variety of things, ranging from pulled muscles to a rib fracture. The pain may occur immediately upon injury or develop slowly over time. It can also be a sign of an underlying medical condition. You should report any instance of unexplainable rib cage pain to your doctor immediately.
Costochondritis is inflammation where your ribs join the bone in the middle of your chest (breastbone). It can cause sharp chest pain, especially when moving or breathing. It usually gets better on its own over time.
See your doctor right away if you have heart attack symptoms or symptoms that cause you sharp, consistent pain that gets in the way of your daily life. You should also see your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms: sternum and general chest pain that has no obvious cause.
You want to call 911 if you are having sudden, crushing chest pain or if your chest pain radiates into the jaw or the left arm. You want to call 911 if your chest pain also causes shortness of breath, or dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.
You can have pain in this area because of infection, inflammation, injury, or the breakdown of cartilage affecting the sternum itself. Problems with nearby organs like the heart, lungs, and esophagus can also cause pain in this area. This includes a heart attack, pleurisy (a lung inflammation), and acid reflux.
What is the most common cause of right upper quadrant pain? Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis) is the most common diagnosable cause for pain in the right upper quadrant. Cholecystitis usually occurs when the main opening to the gallbladder becomes blocked, either by a gallstone or biliary sludge.
Costochondritis is a harmless swelling (inflammation) of cartilage in your chest. The cartilage connects your ribs to your breastbone (sternum), creating the costochondral joint. Costochondritis feels like a sharp or aching pain. The pain can start suddenly or develop slowly and spread across your chest.
(GERD), caused by stomach acid splashing up into the esophagus, can cause a burning sensation or a tightness under the breastbone (sternum), which may resemble the pain of heart disease.
Heart-related chest pain
Crushing or searing pain that spreads to your back, neck, jaw, shoulders, and one or both arms. Pain that lasts more than a few minutes, gets worse with activity, goes away and comes back, or varies in intensity. Shortness of breath.
Chest pain can stem from a heart problem, but other possible causes include a lung infection, muscle strain, a rib injury, or a panic attack. Some of these are serious conditions and need medical attention.
The pain of a heart attack differs from that of a strained chest muscle. A heart attack may cause a dull pain or an uncomfortable feeling of pressure in the chest. Usually, the pain begins in the center of the chest, and it may radiate outward to one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
Gastrointestinal conditions such as acid reflux can also cause pain behind the sternum. People may believe that their sternum pain is a heart attack symptom. However, it is possible to differentiate the two.
When you're anxious, your brain sends a surge of adrenaline and cortisol through your body. These hormones immediately trigger a rapid rise in your heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, many people experience chest pain and sweating, or have a hard time breathing.
While a bruised sternum can feel serious because it's so close to your heart, it usually heals on its own within a few weeks. While you heal, try to avoid as much heavy lifting as possible. If you start to notice other symptoms, such as jaw pain or dizziness, contact your doctor right away.
The most common symptom of both acute and chronic pancreatitis is pain in the upper abdominal area, usually under the ribs. This pain: May be mild at first and get worse after eating or drinking. May become constant, severe, and last for several days.
Costochondritis Symptoms
When you press on your chest, it feels tender and painful. The pain usually gets worse when you move around, breathe deeply, or sneeze.
Spleen pain is usually felt as a pain behind your left ribs. It may be tender when you touch the area. This can be a sign of a damaged, ruptured or enlarged spleen.
Pain below your ribs can be caused by your GI tract, like GERD, indigestion, gallbladder disease, or constipation, or problems with your lungs, like pneumonia. You may also have nausea, bloating, chest pain, coughing, or pain that's worse when you breathe in. Chandra Manuelpillai, MD.
Inflammatory conditions
Inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease — which can cause severe inflammation in the intestines and affect digestion — may also cause gas pain in the chest.
The thymus is a small organ located just behind the breast bone (sternum) in the front part of the chest.