Pain when breathing in the back left side can manifest as a sharp, dull, or aching sensation, often changing with movement or respiration. While this discomfort can sometimes indicate a serious medical issue, it is frequently linked to less severe, more common conditions.
Common Explanations for Your Pain
Musculoskeletal issues are a frequent cause of pain when breathing in the back left side. These include muscle strains or sprains from heavy lifting, sudden movements, or repetitive actions. Overstretched or torn muscles can cause sharp pain that worsens with breathing or movement, sometimes with spasms or stiffness. Rib injuries, such as fractures, also lead to significant pain that intensifies with deep breaths or coughing.
Pleurisy, an inflammation of the pleura (thin tissue layers surrounding the lungs), is another common explanation. When inflamed, these layers rub during breathing, causing sharp, stabbing pain that worsens with deep breaths or coughing. This pain might extend to the shoulder or back and can be caused by viral or bacterial infections like the flu or pneumonia.
Respiratory infections like bronchitis or pneumonia can also contribute to back pain when breathing. Pneumonia, an infection causing lung inflammation, may lead to chest, stomach, or back pain that worsens with breathing and coughing, along with a productive cough and breathlessness. A persistent cough from these infections can strain back and core muscles, causing pain when breathing.
Digestive issues, particularly gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can cause referred pain in the back. When stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, it can irritate nerves connected to the back, often felt as a burning sensation or a dull ache between the shoulder blades. This pain may intensify after meals or when lying down, sometimes mimicking cardiac chest pain.
Urgent Medical Considerations
While many causes of back pain with breathing are benign, some conditions demand immediate medical attention. A heart attack can present with pain that spreads to the back, especially the upper back, feeling like pressure or tightness. Though chest pain is most recognized, a heart attack can also cause discomfort in the arms, jaw, neck, or stomach, along with shortness of breath, sweating, and lightheadedness. Women, in particular, may experience back pain as a primary symptom.
A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious condition where a blood clot blocks a lung artery. This causes sudden shortness of breath and sharp chest pain that worsens with breathing, often with pain in the chest, arm, back, shoulder, neck, or jaw. Other symptoms include rapid breathing, a fast heart rate, coughing (sometimes with blood), and lightheadedness or fainting. A PE requires prompt medical intervention.
A pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and chest wall, causing pressure against the lung. Symptoms include sudden chest pain on one side, often sharp, stabbing, and worsened by breathing, along with shortness of breath. A larger pneumothorax can lead to more severe symptoms such as bluish skin, chest tightness, and rapid heart rate.
Aortic dissection, a tear in the inner layer of the aorta (the body’s main artery), can also manifest with severe back pain. This pain is often described as sudden, sharp, and tearing or ripping, often in the chest or upper back, and can spread down the back or to the neck. Accompanying symptoms may include sudden severe abdominal pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or loss of consciousness.
When to Seek Medical Help
If you experience back pain when breathing, certain symptoms indicate the need for immediate medical attention. These include sudden, severe pain, especially with difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Pain that radiates to other areas, such as the arm, jaw, or neck, or a tearing sensation in the chest or back, also requires emergency care.
Other symptoms requiring an emergency room visit are coughing up blood, lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting. Fever alongside back pain and breathing difficulties, or any sudden weakness or numbness in the legs or buttocks, also warrants immediate medical evaluation. If the pain is severe and not relieved by rest or typical pain management, or if it worsens progressively, seek urgent care.
For less urgent but persistent pain, a regular doctor’s visit is advisable if discomfort lasts over a week or interferes with daily activities. This allows for a thorough assessment to determine the underlying cause. Prompt consultation ensures appropriate diagnosis and management, preventing potential complications.
Understanding the Diagnostic Process
When seeking medical help for pain when breathing in the back left side, the diagnostic process begins with a comprehensive medical history and physical examination. The doctor will ask about the pain’s nature, onset, associated symptoms, medical background, and lifestyle factors. During the physical exam, the doctor will listen to your heart and lungs, check blood pressure, and assess for tenderness or abnormalities in your back and chest.
Following initial assessment, several diagnostic tests may be ordered. A chest X-ray is a common first step, providing images of the lungs, heart, and chest/spine bones, helping detect issues like pneumonia, rib fractures, or a collapsed lung. Blood tests may check for infection, inflammation, or blood clots, such as a D-dimer test for pulmonary embolism.
Depending on initial findings, more advanced imaging tests might be necessary. A Computed Tomography (CT) scan offers detailed cross-sectional images of the chest and back, identifying conditions like pulmonary embolism, tumors, or complex musculoskeletal issues. An electrocardiogram (ECG) may assess heart activity and rule out cardiac causes, especially if heart attack symptoms are suspected. These steps help healthcare providers accurately diagnose the pain’s source and guide appropriate treatment.