Pain in chest??

Question

I have had a cough for ...oh... like, a month and a half. I assumed since i live in VT and its cold and cold season here, i was just being reinfected with multiple cold viruses. I also work in an office, so i am exposed to many people everyday. About three weeks ago, i began having a slight pain in my chest (right side) just below my breast. It started out as a small spot, only hurting if i coughed extremely hard. Lately, it has hurt to touch, breathe deeply, cough or sneeze. I have no insurance, so i was hoping to find a simple answer and remedy here. If not, of course, i'll go to the hospital. Any ideas would be extremely helpful. Thank you!!!

Answer 1

HI KissaMoose

Coughing for a month will start to hurt the chest cavity. Coughing is actually a good sign the body is trying to rid of the issue. You have excess mucus in your system and here are a few ideas to rid of the issue.

Natural Cures

Aromatherapy: Steam with thyme, benzoin, eucalyptus, frankincense, myrrh, peppermint, sandalwood, chamomile, or juniper essential oils. Add a few drops of the essential oil to water, bring to a boil, then allow to simmer. Place your head over the pan of simmering water, covering your head with a towel and inhale for 10-20 minutes.

Diet: Eat whole foods, especially lots of raw fruits and vegetables. Also avoid mucus-producing foods, such as sugar, salty foods, dairy products, and starches. In cases of dry cough unrelated to other conditions, umeboshi plum paste can be very soothing.

You can also make a cough syrup from eight ounces of warm pineapple juice and two teaspoons of honey. The bromelain in the pineapple juice is activated by the honey. As an alternative, mix the juice of one lemon with two tablespoons of glycerine, then add 12 teaspoons of honey and stir before each use. Take one teaspoon every 30 minutes, reducing as needed. (Do not refrigerate.)

Another useful kitchen remedy is to slice an onion into a deep bowl and cover in honey, letting stand overnight. The next morning, strain the mixture of juice and honey and take one teaspoon four or five times a day.

Herbs: Coltsfoot, horehound, and mullein are safe and effective for children and adults. Use as an infusion at least three times a day until your symptoms abate.

For a dry irritating cough, use an infusion of marshmallow leaves.

For cough with mucus, make a tea of 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, a pinch of clove, and a pinch of cinnamon powder in one cup of water. In addition, gargle a solution made from one pinch of salt and two pinches of tumeric powder added to glass of water.

For chronic coughs, make a confection of one part sesame seeds (black seeds if possible) and 1/2 part shatavari. Add ginger and raw sugar to taste and take one ounce daily.

Flower Essences: Crab Apple can be helpful if your cough is due to infection.

Homeopathy: For dry coughs: Belladonna, Aconite, Drosera, Bryonia, Phosphorus, Hyoscyamus, rumex, and spongia. These last three remedies must be taken alone, not in combination with other remedies.

For loose coughs: Ipecac, Merc sol., Pulsatilla, Kali bich., and Kali carb are all useful remedies.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment. I suggest several at-home hydrotherapy treatments.

Juice Therapy: Drink lots of fresh-squeezed, organic fruit and vegetable juices. Hot pear juice with cinnamon stick and added cardamon and cumin is a very useful juice remedy for coughs that are not serious in nature.

Nutritional Supplementation: Zinc lozenges, vitamin A, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, vitamin E, and folic acid are all useful nutrients for cough.

Best of health to you

Answer 2

Wow. It seems like your describing something similar to what I experienced as a kid and occasionally as an adult. I get those achy, sharp pain in my chest / rib area. Often the pain is mild but sometimes it's so bad I can barley take a breath. It also feels like it starts at the bottom of my rib cage and then travels up my side as it slowly goes away. I was told by my doctor it was "growing" pains. Then when I was older, I brought it up again and he said it could be a muscle spam. It's been months since I've had one. With me, the pain only last a few seconds and at the most a minute or two. They also only seem to happen once or twice in a day when i do have them. I would suggest that if they occur more frequently, multiple times in a day I'd see someone about it. It could be nothing or it could be something (kind of obvious answer).

Answer 3

I get that pain a lot. I called 911 the first time I had the pain because I thought I was having a heart attack. What I had was inflammation of the chest wall. I was given something for the pain, which can be severe at times (I didn't fill the prescription) because it really just comes and goes and I use ibuprofen when it's severe. I can't say what you have. I really think you should see a doctor, though. Does VT have social services? If your income is low enough, you may qualify for free medical care. Good luck and I hope you feel better!