Hi all~~
I just had a question about some pain that I've been experiencing in my upper back. I was concerned that it could be a lung problem, because it hurts on my upper right back when I inhale deeply, but it also will hurt when I move a certain way (sometimes) and slouch over sometimes, or just for example, when I'm turning around backing up the car. If it hurts when I move around, does that sound more like a muscle problem of some sort, or could it still be a lung problem? I don't really have any other lung issues, it's just that I thought that upper back pain was rare from muscles, so I thought of the lungs. I am a non-smoker, 46 year old female. I do have a cough, but it's nothing new, it's just kind of an off and on thing that seems to come and go like an allergy. It's more like a tickle in the throat, but nothing too bothersome. Well, thanks for any info, this just has me worried. Thanks, Val
I suggest you call your doctor soon. I too had pain in my chest when inhaling and put off going to the doctor for several weeks. Turns out I had fluid buildup around my lung caused by a blood clot that travelled and lodged in the lung. Your symptoms could be something simple or something that needs immediate care, but the one thing I learned is not to disregard abnormal pains in any of your vital regions. I am 47 and a nonsmoker, and they never foundl out where the clot travelled from. Your Doc will undoubtedly order a chest xray for you and go from there.
Thanks for the reply~~since my post, I finally did call my cardiologist, and they couldn't fit me in the same day, but the nurse on the phone suggested that I get it checked that day at the ER, so I did that. I had a chest X-ray, a CT Scan of the chest, blood work, and an EKG. Nothing was found, so that was that. He said that sometimes a clot won't show up on a Chest X-ray, which is why we did the CT scan, which didn't show anything. It still does hurt, not too bad, but it hurts when I breathe in deeply or bend over. I guess at this point, I need to follow up with my regular doctor, and go from there. After feeling relieved about my lungs, and reading up on it some more, I realized it also could be related to my gallblader or pancreas, so now I'm a little concerned about that. The cardiologist said that I needed to be seen that same day, because I guess there is some risk for me with blood clots, since I get frequent palpitations, usually PVC's. I do take an aspirin per day, but now I'm not sure if that is enough.
Anyway, thanks for the advice to get in and get it checked, I sure was nervous in the ER that day, being that my kids were in school, and I didn't know what the result would be, but it was such a relief to find out my lungs were ok. It sure can be nervewracking to do something like that by yourself, though.
Anyway, the CT scan should show it if there was a clot or a PE, right? That seemed to be what the doctor said. He seemed pretty good, so I felt comfortable. Thanks again, Val
