Sharp pain when taking a deep breath, front to back squeeze-left side.

  Hello- Im a 29 year old female, non smoker in great health. Weight is 130 and Im 5'6. For the past month, whenever I take a breath, deep but not real deep,cough, sneeze etc. I have a sharp pain, on my left side only, that feels like someone squeezes me real tight from front to back. Followed by a sharp stab as I take the breath farther in. This is a constant thing, not just sometimes like after I excersise, or every couple days. Its always there. Also, I feel shortness of breath.
  I went to see my family Doctor, and he is a very busy man. When I told him of my symptoms, his reply was: "I have faith in your good health, so lets give this 3 weeks and then we will look into it."
  Please, if you could offer any ideas of what this could be, I would really appreciate it. I have 2 more weeks to go to see him again!
  Thanks so much. Rebecca

[CCF CARDIO MD APS]

Dear Rebecca,
First I will talk of shortness of breath, as this is a very non-descript symptom
in that it has many potential causes and many forms that vary from concerning
(pulmonary hypertension, asthma) to benign and not concerning (anxiety and deconditioned.)
A full history and physical is necessary to discern the cause of your shortness of breath.
As for the pain with inspiration, cough, and or sneeze that you experience, it sounds
like pleurisy, which is a term used for irritation of the lining of the lungs (called pleura), this
can occur at any age and usually resolves without intervention(treatment), i.e. on it's own.  The causes
of pleurisy are many and can be as simple as a viral infection, and often the cause is never known.
In the meanwhile it is best to take motrin and or tylenol as prescribed by your doctor to alleviate the
pain while you 'wait it out' so to speak.  Good Luck.
Information provided in the heart forum is intended for general medical informational purposes only, actual
diagnosis and treatment can only be made by your physician(s).