costochondritis....

ever feeling pain at your chest as it is being stabbed by something sharp?...adehss...thats what i'm feeling ever since last monday. the pain really hurts me and it trails until i'm jotting this entry.... i actually just dunno whats the exact name of the pain that i felt until i met the doctor today. i did meet the doctor yesterday, but he did not give me an mc as he probably thought that my pain ni will not getting serious agaknye... last2, when i woke up this morning, i just cant move my right hand very much... i cannot exhale and inhale my breath normally.... i cannot rush myself cam slalu. uiks!!...pelikss ni... tak penah2 den rasa camni. then i just "sms"ed my frens, telling them that i'll not be able to go to the office today. then again i went and met the doctor, this time i met the doctor yang slalu deal with my illness. he told me that the pain is called "costochondritis"... uish!!..never ever heard the word before this... terkial2 lidah den nak nyebut penyakit tuss... anyway, the doctor did give me two days of mc. sekarang ni pon still sakit, but dah bley overcome sket as i did take my meds about an hour tadi... so naik kat bilik and terus surf the information regarding this "costochondritis" ni... and all of the information was absolutely precise with what i felt at my chest ni... so here are the information for my own reference as well as for the batikchanting's readers...

Costochondritis -- Tietze's Syndrome
From Jonathan Cluett, M.D.,
- Diagnosing costochondritis

What is costochondritis (Tietze's Syndrome)?
Costochondritis is a syndrome of chest wall pain that is due to inflammation of the cartilage and bones in the chest wall. Also called Tietze's Syndrome, costochondritis occurs when there is inflammation at the junction of the rib bone and breastbone (sternum). At this junction, there is cartilage joining these bones. This cartilage can become irritated and inflamed. Depending on the extent of the inflammation, this condition can be quite painful.

What causes costochondritis?
Most commonly the cause of costochondritis is classified as 'idiopathic,' or unknown. This means that there is no identifiable cause for the condition. This does not imply that idiopathic costochondritis is any less painful of a condition than if the cause can be identified. The most frequently affected age group is young adults between 20 and 40 years old. The most common cause of costochondritis that can be attributed to a source is costochondritis as the result of a traumatic injury.

For example, a car accident where the driver's chest strikes the steering wheel can cause costochondritis by injuring the ribs and cartilage on the front of the chest. Viral infections, usually upper respiratory infections, have also been identified as a cause of costochondritis.

What are the symptoms of costochondritis?
The most common symptom is pain over the front of the upper chest (the area of the sternum). haaa...sinilaa yg den raso sakit tu...upper chest, sobolah kanan... Because of serious conditions, most importantly conditions related to heart problems, costochondritis should only be diagnosed after excluding other more serious problems. Costochondritis pain is usually worsened by activity or exercise. One of the most common symptoms is that the pain is present when taking a deep breath. This stretches the inflamed cartilage and can cause exquisite pain. Often simply touching the area involved will be extremely painful for the patient. Because of the many nerves that branch away from the chest, pain may be experienced in the shoulder or arms as well. When called Tietze's Syndrome, the pain is accompanied by redness and or swelling in the areas most tender.

Treatment of costochondritis
There is no definitive treatment that will cure costochondritis, however there are several helpful things to do in order to help manage the symptoms of this problem:

Rest
In order to decrease the inflammation, you will have to avoid activities that cause pain and exacerbation of the inflammation. Exercise, deep breathing, and strain on the muscles of the chest
may worsen the symptoms of pain and slow the healing process. As a general rule of thumb, avoid or limit activities that worsen your pain.

Ice Packs or Heating Pads
Whichever of these techniques help to decrease your pain may help you better manage your symptoms. These are just two suggestions that may help you with your symptoms.

hmm... the doctor told me, in my case ni...this pain attack my chest was probably becos i did lift something which was so heavy a few weeks back.... which was correct. so suzana... as you are aging, memacam plak penyakit yang menjengahss... :( ...u probably need to do something after this.. go and do activate ur lifestyle as it is actually prerequisitely needed for everybody in this world...cuma rajin ngan malas jek... *wink!*