Chest pain with fever can be caused by pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy, mononucleosis, heart infections, and other rare but serious conditions. Diagnosis and treatment by a doctor are necessary.
There are many potential causes of chest pain with fever, although only a handful are very common. These include conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy, mononucleosis and some heart infections. The other possible explanations for these symptoms are rare and sometimes quite serious, but even for common causes underlying diseases can be significant. People experiencing these two symptoms should see a doctor, as almost all explanations for them require treatment or monitoring by a doctor.
At the top of the list of common causes of chest pain with fever is pneumonia in all forms. These can be bacterial, fungal or viral and all may require treatment. Pneumonia is a concern because it can gradually impair lung function. People with pneumonia may also have other symptoms such as extreme exhaustion, a severe cough, lack of appetite, and headaches.
Bronchitis is another cause of chest pain and fever, and may have symptoms such as coughing up sputum, nasal congestion, tiredness, and body aches. It occurs when the airways become swollen and can be chronic or occur as a complication of allergies, colds or the flu. The pain may be worse when coughing occurs, but the chest may hurt at all times. Acute bronchitis is most often bacterial in origin and responds to antibiotics.
Pleurisy is a painful condition in which the lining around the lungs becomes inflamed. This can be very painful, may cause coughing and may be present with fever. The cause of this condition is not always clear, and doctors can treat it in a variety of ways, such as using steroids to reduce inflammation or sometimes using antibiotics if they believe the source of the condition is bacterial. It should be noted that some cases of pleurisy do not develop fever.
Although mono is more associated with sore throat and fatigue, some people are more likely to experience chest pain with a fever. This could be complicated if there is significant swelling in the spleen, which could create referred pain in the chest or pain in the lower chest. Although mono often resolves without medication, diagnosis rules out complications.
Another common cause of chest pain and fever is inflammation of the heart. Pericarditis affects the protective sac that covers the heart and myocarditis affects the actual heart muscle. One of these conditions is potentially serious. Rheumatic fever, a complication of strep throat, is another potential generator of chest pain and fever and can damage the heart if left untreated.
Less common causes of chest pain with fever can occur when people have most forms of lung cancer, bacterial endocarditis, lupus, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and tuberculosis. In rarer cases, a hernia can create referred pain in the chest or these symptoms indicate diseases such as sickle cell disease or cystic fibrosis. At the time of the exam, doctors tend to look at all symptoms, study the patient’s history, and possibly conduct tests to arrive at accurate diagnoses and treatment recommendations.
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