chest pain after sneezing

I am a 19 yo white female who has been experiancing excrutiating chest and right arm pain after sneezing. The pain starts in my upper chest, very similar to the pain experianced when one has a brochoncial infection and has been coughing for a long time. It racks around my chest cavity and is a very sharp, prolonged pain. The pain also moves down my right arm, stopping usually before it goes into my palm. I never experiance the pain in my left arm, but it does exist in my left collarbone / shoulder area.
I've browsed around a few forums and think that it could possibly be Musculoskeletal, and perhaps even a cardiac issue. I work in retail, and I casually told a woman I was helping that I experianced painful sneezing (she was in the middle of a sneezing fit when I was helping her). She told me she was a doctor, and that I should get my chest checked out right away, and that it could possibly be cardiac. The fact that I'm so young and have no history of heart issues worries me.
So what are your thoughts? Could I have a heart issue, or do I have something as simple as a pinched nerve?

[SammyCA]

Hi there:

How's it going ?

It's insane. I'm going through exactly the same symptoms. Were you able to diagnose your situation?

[piprose]

Ugh. I've had absoultly no luck. I've been doing some research and have come up blank. Thankfully, I haven't had any painful sneezing in the past few months, but hayfever season is right around the corner, and I'm dreading it....

[alex_nrv]

Hi!
Any news on your status?
Check your INBOX as I sent you a message ;)
TTYL!
-Alex-

[derd]

wow - i have the exact same thing. I get a very intense pain in my chest and down both arms when I sneeze. I did find some responses on Google that may help... you might have to copy and paste into your browser:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=138890

One response by a doctor in there reads: "the symptoms highly suggest pressure on nerves leaving the spinal cord
in the neck: at your age, most likely a bulging disc in the vertebrae."

hope this helps,
- Dave

[aceaviator182]

I have had pain after I sneeze but it does not travel down my left arm it just stays in the area just below my sholder.  I am only 14 and I don't know what it is and it is really starting to worry me.

[bassnrifle]

Gees... I'm 27 Male, Asian, and I'm feeling it right now. I have runny nose and been sneezing since yesterday with horrible pain, Chest, right arm/shoulder and my right palm. I was lean, muscular and physically fit until I stopped going to the gym, and it's been 4 months.

[ed34]

Have any of you ever experienced a pulled chest muscle?  I had one about four years ago when lifting a heavy object and it was agony. For the first week it even gave stabbing pains when I breathed, I had to wear a tight brace around my chest. After a week it still hurt bad if I coughed. It lasted another six weeks. If I lifted anything, it seemed to make it worse. The pain felt like it was inside the chest and going into my shoulder/arm.
I would describe the pain as the stitch you sometimes get when running, but ten fold.
Do you think it could be the problem?
I was told to keep it warm, preferably with one of those heat lotions and to make no sudden movements. I was walking around like a flamin robot for weeks.

[a_d_a_m]

Not sure if this helps but I figured it best to put my experience on here too. I've never had any issues with pain in my arms from sneezing, not until about 2 hours ago from this post.

I do however have a cold now and the sneezing is accompanied by the usual clogged nose, ears, temperature. I feel weak from is, as you do.

When I sneeze, it's quite strong and the feeling in my arms is similar to an electric shock. Most people will relate it to the feeling you get if you trap a nerve or stop the flow of blood to your arm. You feel it most at your elbows but gradually over a couple of minutes it ends at your finger tips with a very slight pins and needles feeling.

I'm guessing it's related to the amount of pressure the sneeze causes along with tensing your body as you do it.

Definately related to blood flow and weakness of the body.
I'm sure when my cold goes away I won't have pains like this when I sneeze.

Oh, and I'm 32, had recent blood test and would consider myself average on the Health scale.