Pain Under the Ribs

For the purposes of this article, we'll consider "pain under the ribs" to cover pain that occurs within the area protected by the ribcage.

We realize that when you searched for the keywords "pain under ribs" you may have been looking for information about causes of pain in parts of the body below the rib cage (in organs like the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, stomach etc). But there are endless possibilities for pain in that area, and we won't attempt to describe or list them in this article. They would more properly fit under a search for "abdominal pain."

The Usual Suspects for Pain Under the Ribs Disorders and diseases of the heart and lungs are the most probable causes for pain you feel in areas under the ribs of your ribcage.

Angina - The medical name for chest pain that occurs when your heart muscles don't get enough oxygen. Angina is the most common symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD). Other symptoms of CAD include numbness or fullness in the chest, sweating, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, irregular heartbeat and "referred" pain that you feel in your arms, neck, shoulders and jaw.

Pleurisy - Pleurisy can be an extremely painful condition caused by an infection of the lining between the lungs and the ribs. The infection causes the lining to become inflamed, which can trigger sharp pain or a burning sensation. Besides the pain under your ribs, you're also likely to have shortness of breath and a fever. A cough is also common for those with pleurisy.

Pneumonia - Pneumonia is a lung infection that can trigger sharp pain under the ribs that hurts when you breathe. Other symptoms of pneumonia include a high fever, chills, coughing and sputum production.

Tuberculosis - This disease is commonly known as TB, and it starts with an infection in the upper part of the lungs. Common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, weight loss, fever, night sweats, coughing and yes, pain under the ribs.

Asbestosis - Asbestosis is a non-cancerous buildup of scar tissue in the lungs. It's the result of years of exposure to asbestos. Besides pain under the ribs, symptoms of asbestosis include coughing (sometimes with blood), hoarseness, sputum, weight loss and shortness of breath that grows worse with time (also see mesothelioma, below).

Lung cancer - There are a number of types of cancer that can trigger pain under the ribs. The most common is called non-small cell lung cancer. Another less common type is small cell lung cancer. Besides pain under the ribs, other symptoms include a persistent, chronic cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, wheezing, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss.

• Mesothelioma is a special type of lung cancer, almost always caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. It affects the pleural lining of the lungs and sometimes the pericardial lining of the heart.
• Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow. Pain under the ribs is one of the symptoms of this type of cancer.

Liver, bile duct and gallbladder disorders - Sometimes problems with these organs cause pain that radiates into the upper shoulders and back. Pain that feels like it's under the ribs in the area between the shoulder blades is often a sign of a gallbladder attack.

Other Possibilities for Pain Under the Ribs Acute anxiety and stress - These may cause chest pain. Someone with a lot of anxiety tends to draw deep breaths that overextend the muscles, tendons and ligaments around the lungs. Someone under extreme stress may also experience angina if they have a heart condition.

Referred spinal pain - If there's a injury or a condition that affects the spine, the pain can travel along pathways under the ribs.

Chronic steroid use - Steroids can help relieve pain in many ways, and they can be especially helpful for those with joint pain. But research has also shown that prolonged steroid may damage to the body. Pain under the ribs is sometimes a symptom of this kind of problem.

Also see rib pain, ribcage pain and rib pain causes.