Rt Rib Pain

[buff1961d]

I'm a 51 year old male in good condition/health.  For the past few weeks I've experienced a very sharp pain mid way up under my rib cage.  The pain is occurs after taking a deep breath and always on exhale.  It doesn't happen all the time but when it does it's severe enough to stop me from exhaling and release the exhale in an exaggerated slow release.  I don't have any other conditions/symptoms.  Also, I have not experienced any sort of trauma or pulled muscle they deal.  The pain is very sharp, not dull..

[buff1961d]

Thank you for your feedback.  I'll go see the doctor and see what they say..

[amealer]

If you press on the rib near that area, is it tender?  Also press around the surrounding ribs as well as around the sternum and check for tenderness.  If there is tenderness to the touch, you most likely have COSTOCHONDRITIS, which is an inflammation at the junction of the cartilage and bone in a rib.

The ribs are attached to the sternum via cartilage, to allow them to move during inhalation and exhalation.  For some reason, some people experience periods of brief inflammation at one of these junctions, usually at the 2nd through the 5th ribs.

It is benign, does not indicate anything serious, but hurts nonetheless.  It can hurt so bad that sometimes people think they are having a heart attack.  

NSAIDs are the treatment - ibuprofen, naprosyn, etc.  If severe enough, there are stronger NSAIDs available by prescription.

You can read more about it here:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0915/p617.html

[buff1961d]

Pain is isolated to one area, midway up and under rt ribcage.  Food isn't a factor.  It only occurs if I take a deep breathe and only occurs on exhale, not inhale.  Pain doesn't radiate, it is always isolated.  It doesn't feel like strained or bruised type injury.  It is a pinpointed sharp pain in one area UNDER the rt rib cage midway between bottom of ribs to diaphragm.

[amealer]

Episodic sharp right upper quadrant pain is usually related to gallbladder problems (gallstones or biliary colic).  Have you noticed if these episodes happen to occur within a certain amount of time after eating?  Gallbladder pain usually occurs within an hour after eating a fatty meal.  Pain can also radiate to the right scapula.