How To Relieve Side Pain From Coughing

01.07.2023 Chukwudi Eze 0 Comments

What Helps a Pulled Muscle from Coughing? – Intercostal muscle strain can be extremely painful, especially if you are coughing on a regular basis. As every cough can worsen the pain, you will want to try and get some relief. The following methods might help:

Apply an ice pack to your chest Use heat therapy, such as a warm bath, heating pads, or adhesive heat wraps Limit physical activity for a few days to allow time for your muscles to recover Take over-the-counter pain medications Splint the area by holding a pillow against the injured muscle

Your doctor may order the following treatments to further ease your symptoms:

Muscle relaxants Physical therapy (PT) Lidocaine or corticosteroids injections

If symptoms persist for a long time and nothing you have tired is giving you relief, or if you are also having difficulty breathing, seek medical attention as soon as possible to get a proper diagnosis.

Contents

- 0.0.1 Why do my sides hurt so bad when I cough?
0.1 Can you strain your side from coughing?
0.2 Can coughing cause sharp side pain?

1 Why does my left side hurt under my ribs when I cough?
2 Can you sprain a rib from coughing too hard?
3 How do you treat a side strain?
4 How do you sleep with rib pain?
- - 4.0.1 Why do all my organs hurt when I cough?
  - 4.0.2 Does Covid make your sides hurt?
- 4.1 Why do both my sides hurt so bad?
5 Why does my side hurt when I cough or laugh?

Why do my sides hurt so bad when I cough?

Muscle Strains and Painful Coughing If you have a sharp pain in your side when you cough (maybe alongside a cracking or popping sound), you might have strained one of your intercostal muscles.

Can you strain your side from coughing?

Causes of Intercostal Muscle Strain –

Many activities can cause a pull to the intercostal muscles such as straining while twisting, repetitive motions or falling but one of the most common reasons for straining the muscles around the ribs, especially in seniors, is coughing or sneezing.The location of the pain can vary anywhere along the rib cage. See Also:, Since it can be difficult to pinpoint the location and cause, many people will fear a problem with their heart or lungs when they strain the intercostal muscles.

This is especially true in cases where the severity or location of the strain makes it difficult to breathe. If you have been coughing repeatedly or suffer from a sneezing attack, it is more likely that you have pulled one of these muscles. Like any other muscle, overuse will lead to injury, whether the use is intentional or not.

Can coughing cause sharp side pain?

3. Pleurisy – Inflammation to the lining of your lung cavity causes pain with coughing and breathing. This is known as, pleurisy or pleuritis. The pleura lines the area between the chest wall and the lung tissue. It has a fluid that lubricates it and sometimes this can become infected. This causes pain with coughing and/or breathing, and the pain is usually sharp and stabbing. Symptoms

Chest wall pain Cough Trouble breathing Pain with touching the area

Why does my left side hurt under my ribs when I cough?

Your left ribs protect the organs that sit below them, like your heart and your stomach. Pain in this area can be caused by injury, infection, or an underlying condition. If you have pain in your chest, you might worry about a serious condition, such as a heart attack.

While it’s true that pain under your left ribs can be a heart attack symptom, discomfort in that area is not always related to your heart.
Depending on the cause, left rib pain might feel sharp and stabbing, or dull and aching.
For many people, pain in this area is due to a benign (not harmful), treatable cause.

But if you’re having chest pain, it’s best to see a doctor or healthcare professional to make sure it’s nothing serious. Read on to learn about possible causes of left rib pain, diagnosis, and treatments. Chest pain can sometimes signal a medical emergency, such as a heart attack,

pain, discomfort, or a heavy feeling in your chest, usually in the middle or on the left sidepain or discomfort in your neck, jaw, shoulders, arms, back, or above your belly button shortness of breath sweating fatiguenausea and vomiting lightheadedness or dizziness fast or irregular heart rate

If you think you could be having a heart attack, call 911 or local emergency services right away. Your rib cage consists of 24 ribs — 12 on the left and 12 on the right side of your body. Their function is to protect your organs that lie beneath them. On the left side, this includes your heart, left lung, pancreas, spleen, stomach, and left kidney.

When any of these organs are infected, inflamed, or injured, pain can radiate under and around your left rib cage.
It’s also possible to injure your ribs themselves.
Costochondritis refers to inflammation of the cartilage that attaches your ribs to your breastbone.
This condition doesn’t always have a clear cause.

It can happen for several reasons, such as:

an infectionan injurysevere coughing

Costochondritis causes a sharp, stabbing pain that’s usually felt on the left side of your rib cage. It may get worse when you cough, sneeze, or press on your ribs. A forceful blow or injury to your chest is the most common cause of bruised or broken ribs,

a collapsed lung injuries to your blood vessels or organs, such as your spleen flail chest, which is a medical emergency that happens when you have many fractures in your ribs

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are two different digestive conditions. The causes of IBS and IBD aren’t fully known. IBS and IBD both cause persistent, long-term pain in your abdomen, which is the area from your chest down to your hips.

It’s possible for IBS or IBD to cause pain under your left ribs.
These conditions also cause digestive symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhea, and gas.
Symptoms may come and go.
IBS symptoms tend to improve after you have a bowel movement.
IBD is a more serious condition that causes physical changes to your intestines.

A doctor can see these changes using imaging tests, Your pancreas is a gland located near your small intestine, on the left side of your belly. It makes insulin, which your body uses to turn sugar into energy. It also releases digestive juices into your small intestine to help break down food you’ve eaten.

injurylong-term heavy alcohol use gallstones

Pain caused by pancreatitis can happen suddenly (acute pancreatitis), or it can slowly get worse over time (chronic pancreatitis). Additional symptoms of pancreatitis include:

feverfast heart ratenauseavomitingweight loss jaundice

It’s important to treat pancreatitis to prevent serious complications. Your spleen also sits in the left side of your body, near your rib cage. This organ is an important part of your immune system. It produces white blood cells that fight infection, and it processes other parts of your blood. An enlarged spleen, also called splenomegaly, can cause symptoms such as:

pain or discomfortbloatingfeeling full after eating only a small amount of food

Several things can cause an enlarged spleen, including:

viral infections, such as mononucleosis bacterial infections, such as syphilis parasitic infections, such as malaria blood diseasesliver diseases

Sometimes, your spleen can rupture, usually as a result of trauma. It’s a medical emergency, and you should get medical attention immediately. If your spleen ruptures, the area might feel tender when you touch it. In addition to pain, other signs and symptoms can include:

low blood pressure dizzinessblurry visionnausea

More rarely, a splenic infarct happens when a portion of your spleen necrotizes or “dies.” This happens when the blood supply is lowered or stopped, usually as a result of an injury or conditions that affect your blood. Your kidneys are part of your urinary tract.

They’re located on either side of your spine, but when they become inflamed or infected, the pain can radiate to the front of your body.
When your left kidney is involved, you might feel pain near the left side of your rib cage.
Idney stones are hardened calcium and salt deposits that form into stones.

They can cause a cramping pain as they move out of your kidneys and make their way toward your bladder. In addition to pain in your left rib cage, kidney stones can also cause:

an urge to urinate, with little urine coming out bloody or cloudy urinepain in your side that radiates to the front of your body

Kidney infections occur when bacteria from your urinary tract make their way into your kidneys. This usually happens due to a bladder infection, Additional symptoms of a kidney infection can include fever and nausea. If you’re having symptoms of a kidney problem, it’s important to see a doctor.

You can get a diagnosis and start any treatment that may be needed. Your heart is surrounded by a fluid-filled sac called the pericardium. Pericarditis refers to inflammation of this sac. This can cause a dull ache or a stabbing pain that’s usually worse when you’re lying down. Pericarditis can also cause a high fever,

Researchers aren’t sure why it happens, but it often occurs after you’ve had a viral infection. Pericarditis can lead to complications if it is not treated. Pleurisy happens when the tissue that surrounds your lungs becomes inflamed. Causes of pleurisy include:

pneumonia blood clot in your lung injurycancer that has spread from another part of your body to the tissue surrounding your lungscancers that specifically affect the tissue surrounding your lungs, such as mesothelioma

Pleurisy on your left side may cause pain under your left rib cage, but the main symptom is a sharp, stabbing pain when you breathe. Be sure to see a doctor if you experience any intense chest pain while breathing, To figure out what’s causing pain in your left rib cage, a doctor will give you a physical exam that includes feeling the affected area.

This will help them check for any signs of swelling or inflammation that might be caused by conditions such as costochondritis. If they suspect the pain could be due to a heart problem, a doctor might use an electrocardiogram to measure the electrical activity in your heart. This will help to rule out any serious underlying condition.

Next, they may take blood, stool, or urine samples for testing. Analyzing these results can alert a doctor to signs of kidney problems, pancreatitis, or gastritis. If the cause of your rib cage pain still isn’t clear, you may need an imaging test, such as:

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ultrasound CT scan X-ray endoscopy

This will give a doctor a better view of your bones, organs, and tissues.

Can you sprain a rib from coughing too hard?

Broken or bruised ribs are usually caused by a fall, a blow to the chest or severe coughing.

How do you treat a side strain?

How to treat sprains and strains yourself – For the first couple of days, follow the 4 steps known as RICE therapy to help bring down swelling and support the injury:

Rest – stop any exercise or activities and try not to put any weight on the injury.
Ice – apply an ice pack (or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel) to the injury for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.
Compression – wrap a bandage around the injury to support it.
Elevate – keep it raised on a pillow as much as possible.

To help prevent swelling, try to avoid heat (such as hot baths and heat packs), alcohol and massages for the first couple of days. When you can move the injured area without pain stopping you, try to keep moving it so the joint or muscle does not become stiff.

When I cough I feel sharp pains in my ribs?

1. Costochondritis – This is an inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs. People with this condition typically have pain and sensitivity in the front of the chest- where the ribs join the sternum (breast bone). The exertion of violent coughing or sneezing will cause the ribs to ache in this condition.

Should I stretch a pulled rib muscle?

Stretches for Intercostal Muscle Strain – Gentle physical therapy may be advised to stretch tender muscles after an intercostal muscle injury. Depending on the severity of the injury, exercises may include:

Breathing exercises, which slowly fill the lungs with air to expand the chest and work the intercostal muscles. To do this exercise, it is typically recommended to sit or stand with the back straight, then take a full breath from the bottom of the lungs. It can help to think of breathing from the diaphragm, by slowly expanding the abdominal muscles while inhaling, then pushing air from the lungs using these same muscles. Repeat breathing stretches 5 to 10 times.

View this Upper Back Pain Infographic in our Infographic Center.

Gate pose, a common yoga position that stretches the intercostals at the side of the torso. On comfortable padding, rise up on both knees and extend the right leg straight to the side, with the kneecap facing up and the sole on the ground as much as possible. Extend both arms to the sides. Then, bend the upper body toward the right, so the right arm rests on the extended leg. Continue to reach the left arm overhead so a stretch is felt in the left ribs. Hold the stretch between 15 and 30 seconds, then repeat on the left side. Forward stretch, used to stretch the intercostals toward the back of the torso. Sit on the floor with the left leg straight in front of the body and the right bent so the sole of the foot touches the knee. Then, lean forward as far as is comfortable over the right leg, rotating the torso slightly and touching both palms to the floor, if possible. A stretch should be felt in the back intercostal muscles on the left side. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the opposite side.

A somewhat advanced extension of this stretch involves twisting to place the left hand on the right (bent) knee, bringing the right arm over the head and bending the torso as far as possible over the left (straight) leg. This position produces a stretch in the back right intercostals. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the left.

See Physical Therapy Benefits For Back Pain Always use caution when stretching—never push to stretch beyond what feels comfortable, as doing so may exacerbate a muscle injury. Stretching for longer than 30 seconds is not advised; studies have shown that stretching beyond 15 and 30 seconds is unlikely to elongate the muscle further.1 Page P.

Why does my side hurt when I cough or laugh?

Pleurisy is a type of chest pain, It affects a part of your body called the pleura. The pleura are two thin, sheet-like layers of tissue. One covers your lungs. The other lines the inside of your chest wall. They fit snugly within your chest. There’s a small amount of fluid in the space between the two layers (the pleural space).

This helps the layers glide smoothly as you breathe. These layers keep your bare lungs from rubbing against the wall of your chest cavity every time you breathe in. When the pleurae are swollen and inflamed, they rub against each other in a painful way each time your lungs expand. When you inhale deeply, cough, sneeze, or laugh, you’ll probably feel a sharp, stabbing pain in the area that’s affected.

Most of the time, pleurisy happens because of an infection. If your doctor treats your infection, that can make it, and the pain, go away. Things that can cause pleurisy include: Lung infections. Bacterial infections such as pneumonia often cause pleurisy,

Shortness of breath Fast breathing A rapid heart rate Coughing (with or without blood) Lightheadedness or fainting Sweating Anxiety or a feeling of dread

See a doctor right away if you have these symptoms. Collapsed lung (pneumothorax). When air gets into the pleural space, the pressure can make your lung fully or partially collapse. The main symptoms are sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. In worse cases, you may have:

Low oxygen levels Low blood pressure A fast heart rate

Heart problems. A heart attack is one of the things doctors want to rule out when someone complains of chest pain. But often, a heart attack feels like pressure and moves down one of your arms or into your neck or jaw. You may also:

Have nausea Sweat a lot Be short of breath

If you think you could be having a heart attack, call 911 right away. An autoimmune disease. These co nditions happen when your immune system attacks healthy body tissues by mistake. There are many different types. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are two common ones that can trigger pleuritic chest pain. Other symptoms include:

Joint pain Tiredness A fever, facial rash, or dry eyes (for lupus)

COVID-19. A few research papers and case reports have reported that pleuritic chest pain can be a symptom of COVID-19, the infection caused by the coronavirus. But much more research is needed. Other causes. Pleuritic chest pain can also happen because of:

A chest injury Lung cancer Other types of cancer that affect your lungs or pleuraSickle cell anemiaMesothelioma

Pleuritic chest pain. Does it hurt when you breathe in and out? And does the pain get worse when you try to take a deep breath, so you have to take small, shallow breaths? This sharp, stabbing, or burning feeling may be what doctors call “pleuritic chest pain.” This kind of chest pain is usually linked to problems with lung membranes called the pleura.

A sharp, stabbing pain that causes you to take small, shallow breaths because it’s worse when you try to breathe deeplyPain that spreads to your shoulder or backA cough Fever and chills

Your doctor will ask you to describe the type of pain you feel when you breathe or cough, and they’ll ask whether it gets better or worse as the day goes on. They’ll listen to your lungs with a stethoscope to see if they’re making any strange noises. (Doctors often can hear the pleurae rubbing against each other.) You may also need to have tests, such as:

Imaging. If your doctor wants to rule out other problems, they may send you for an X-ray, a CT scan, or an ultrasound, These images can show if pleurisy is causing your pain. Blood tests. These may show if an infection is the culprit. It may also reveal if you have an autoimmune disease like lupus or another problem. EKG, An electrocardiogram of your heart might show that your chest pain is caused by a heart problem, not pleurisy. Thoracentesis. A technician looks at a sample of your pleural fluid under a microscope for problems like infections or cancer. Thoracoscopy. Your doctor uses a thin, flexible tube called a thoracoscope to look inside your chest cavity.

In order to treat your pleurisy the right way, your doctor needs to know what’s causing it:

If it’s bacteria, antibiotics can make you better.If it’s a fungus, they’ll probably give you an antifungal drug.If it’s a virus, you’ll get better on your own in a few days or weeks.

Some people with pleurisy have too much fluid built up between their two layers of pleura. Your doctor may need to remove some of the fluid. They may insert a thin needle into the space between your pleura to do this. Painkillers and steroid medications can help while you’re getting better.

If coughing hurts too much, your doctor might prescribe medication ( codeine ) that can make you cough less.
You might feel better if you lie on the side that’s causing you pain.
As the pain starts to go away, try to breathe more deeply and cough up any phlegm you have.
Complications of pleurisy can be serious.

They include:

Lungs that are blocked or can’t expand the way they should (atelectasis)Pus in your pleural cavity (empyema)A sudden drop in blood flow (shock)A dangerous reaction to infection (sepsis)

Inflammation can also make fluid build up in your pleural cavity. This is called pleural effusion. You might have less pain, but it can be hard for you to breathe. Your doctor might give you medications like diuretics, or you might have a procedure to drain the fluid.

Why does my side hurt like a sharp pain?

Sharp abdominal pain could be from gas, which can be surprisingly painful, but it also may be a sign of appendicitis, gallstones, a blockage in your intestines, kidney stones, pancreatitis, or other serious issues. If it doesn’t go way and you have other symptoms, call your doctor or go to the ER.

Why do I get a sharp pain in my right side back when I cough?

Muscle strain or ligament sprain – Sometimes, a bout of intense or sudden coughing can put unexpected pressure on the back. This pressure can lead to a temporary injury, such as a muscle strain, which doctors may refer to as a pulled muscle. The pain can become more intense with certain positions or activities, including coughing.

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A person may also experience back stiffness, muscle spasms, or muscle tenderness. Taking NSAIDs, resting the back for a day or two, avoiding postures and positions that worsen the pain, and applying a cloth-covered ice pack to the affected area can all help promote recovery. If the symptoms do not subside within 4–6 weeks, however, a person should see their doctor.

Learn more about strains and sprains, including the differences between them, here,

Why does coughing get worse at night?

8. Raise the head of the bed – Coughing often worsens at night because a person is lying flat in bed. Mucus can pool in the back of the throat and cause coughing. Sleeping with the head elevated can reduce the symptoms of postnasal drip and GERD. Both can cause coughing at night.

an adjustable bed
additional pillows
blocks under the legs of the bed
a back wedge

A change in sleep position can allow mucus to flow without causing coughing. There are many herbal and natural remedies for a cough. Always check first with a doctor, as there is not enough scientific research to confirm that many natural remedies are effective and safe, and they may interact with other therapies.

How much coughing is too much?

Get in touch with your doctor if you have a mild cough that doesn’t go away in 1-2 weeks. A chronic cough is when a cough lasts more than 8 weeks.

Will a popped rib heal itself?

Sometimes, the dislocated rib will heal on its own without any treatment. This usually takes about 6 weeks. During the healing process, it’s often recommended to ice the injured area and take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen in order to control the pain.

How do you sleep with rib pain?

A rib contusion, also called a bruised rib, can occur after a fall or blow to your chest area. A bruise occurs when small blood vessels break and leak their contents into the soft tissue beneath the skin. This causes the skin to become discolored. Common causes of bruised ribs are car accidents, sports injuries, or falls. Severe or prolonged coughing can also cause bruised ribs.

A rib bruise due to a blunt force may cause bleeding and injury to the tissues under the skin. Depending on the force of the blow, you may have other injuries, such as broken ribs or damage to the lungs, liver, spleen or kidney. This is more likely in car accidents or falls from a great height.

The main symptoms are pain, swelling, and skin discoloration.

The skin overlying the bruise may turn blue, purple, or yellow.The bruised area is tender and sore.You may feel pain both when you move and while at rest.Breathing, coughing, laughing, or sneezing can all cause or increase pain.

Bruised ribs recover in the same manner as fractured ribs, but a bruise takes less time to recover than a rib fracture.

Healing takes about 4 to 6 weeks.An X-ray, MRI, or CT scan is rarely needed to confirm the diagnosis. Imaging studies may be needed to rule out more serious injuries, such as a rib fracture or damage to internal organs.You will not have a belt or a bandage around your chest because these would keep your ribs from moving when you breathe or cough. This may lead to lung infection ( pneumonia ).

Here are some ways to help relieve pain and discomfort as you heal. ICING Icing helps reduce swelling by decreasing the blood flow in the area. It also numbs the area and helps relieve pain.

Apply an ice pack to the injured area for 20 minutes, 2 to 3 times per day for the first one to two days.Wrap the ice pack in a cloth before applying to the injured area.

PAIN MEDICINES If your pain is not severe, you can use ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) for pain relief. You can buy these pain medicines at the store.

Talk with your provider before using these medicines if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, or have had stomach ulcers or internal bleeding in the past.Do not take more than the amount recommended on the bottle or by your provider.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may also be used for pain by most people.

Do not take this medication if you have liver disease or reduced liver function.Do not take more than the amount recommended on the bottle or by your provider.

If your pain is severe, you may need prescription pain medicines (narcotics) to keep your pain under control while your bruise heals.

Take these medicines on the schedule your provider prescribed.Do not drink alcohol, drive, or operate heavy machinery while you are taking these medicines.To avoid becoming constipated, drink more fluids, eat high-fiber foods, and use stool softeners.To avoid nausea or vomiting, try taking your pain medicines with food.

Tell your provider about any other medicines you are taking as drug interactions may occur. BREATHING EXERCISES Being in pain when you breathe can cause you to take shallow breaths. If you take shallow breaths for too long, it can put you at risk for pneumonia. To help prevent problems, your provider may recommend deep breathing exercises.

Do slow deep-breathing and gentle coughing exercises every 2 hours, to get rid of the mucous from your lungs and prevent partial lung collapse. Your provider may have you blow into a special device that measures how much air you move with each breath (spirometer).Take 10 deep breaths every hour, even if you awaken during the first few nights.Holding a pillow or blanket against your injured rib can make the deep breaths less painful. You may need to take your pain medicine first.Your provider may tell you to use a device called a spirometer to help with the breathing exercises.

PRECAUTIONS

Do not rest in bed all day. This can cause fluid to build up in your lungs.Don’t smoke or use any tobacco products.Try to sleep in a comfortable semi-upright position for the first few nights. You can do this by placing a few pillows under your neck and upper back. This position will help you breathe more comfortably.Begin to sleep on your unaffected side after the first few days of injury. This will aid in breathing.Avoid strenuous activities such as heavy lifting, pushing, and pulling, or movements that cause pain.Be careful during activities and avoid bumping the injured area.You may slowly start your normal day-to-day activities (after talking to your health care provider), as your pain decreases and your bruise heals.

You should call your provider right away if you have:

Pain that does not allow deep breathing or coughing despite using pain relieversFeverCough or an increase in mucus that you cough upCoughing up bloodShortness of breathSide effects of pain medicine such as nausea, vomiting, or constipation, or allergic reactions, such as skin rashes, facial swelling, or difficulty breathing

Bruised rib – self care; Rib bruise; Bruised ribs; Rib contusion Eiff MP, Hatch RL, Higgins MK. Rib fractures. In: Eiff MP, Hatch R, Higgins MK, eds. Fracture Management for Primary Care and Emergency Medicine,4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 18.

Major NM. CT in musculoskeletal trauma. In: Webb WR, Brant WE, Major NM, eds. Fundamentals of Body CT,5th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2020:chap 19. Raja AS. Thoracic trauma. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice,9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 38.

Yeh DD, Lee J. Trauma and blast injuries. In: Broaddus VC, Mason RJ, Ernst JD, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel’s Textbook of Respiratory Medicine,7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier ; 2022:chap 104. Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA.

Why do all my organs hurt when I cough?

Your digestive system and your respiratory system share a closer relationship than you might think. Functionally, they both help you absorb and transmit nutrients, and expel waste products. Physically, your stomach and lungs are located close to one another, and share many of the same parts of the body (your mouth and throat, for instance) when they are functioning properly.

Because your digestive and respiratory organs are so closely aligned, cough and stomach pain can often go hand in hand. Ailments that affect your lungs can have an adverse effect on your ability to digest food. Conditions that lead to abdominal pain or otherwise impact your gut function can negatively impact your ability to breathe, too.

If you are experiencing stomach pain when coughing, sneezing, or laughing, there could be a number of reasons for your discomfort. For some people, abdominal pain when coughing or sneezing signals that they have overly exerted or strained their stomach muscles, either through lifting, twisting, intense ab workouts, or from excessive coughing itself.

That kind of stomach pain is usually short-lived, and will go away on its own with proper rest or light physical therapy within a few weeks.
For others, abdominal pain when coughing may signal an underlying health condition that requires medical treatment.
In this article, I’ll cover the relationship between stomach pain and cough, including why you may be feeling stomach pain from coughing too much, and when your symptoms indicate that you may be suffering from a more serious health condition instead.

I’ll also discuss stomach pain from coughing remedy options that you can try at home, and when it may be time for you to make a doctor’s appointment to rule out medical conditions that could be causing your discomfort.

Does Covid make your sides hurt?

Discussion – COVID-19 is spreading rapidly worldwide, although there is still no effective drug treatment, studies on the vaccine are ongoing. However, the transmission rate of this infection can be reduced if the population take specific precautions.

Therefore, it is essential to detect patients with COVID-19 early in order to prevent the spread of infection 11, 12, Medical treatments (antivirals, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and hydroxychloroquine) have been administered as supportive therapies. A standard treatment protocol for use across the world has yet to be developed.

Many treatment options have been attempted in China and other countries, and their effects have been published. For example, a recent study identified four small molecular drugs (prulifloxacin, nelfinavir, bictegravir, and tenofovir) which exhibit high binding capacities with the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 13,

It has also been shown that agents such as remdesivir, chloroquine, and baricitinib, can be used to treat COVID-19 14, 15, Although the most common symptom of COVID-19 infection is fever, cough and shortness of breath are also considered to be the other most common symptoms 16, 17, Uncommon symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and olfactory disorders, have also been reported in the literature as first-line symptoms 18 – 20,

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However, flank pain has not yet been identified as a first-line symptom. According to our literature review, there has been no patient-based research investigating the abdominal CT images of patients presenting with flank pain with regards to COVID-19.

The sensitivity of US in detecting urinary stones varies from 3% to 98% according to the existing literatüre 21, 22, US can be challenging in obese patients and generally offers limited or poor visualisation of the mid ureter. Furthermore, US has only limited ability to depict renal or ureteral calculi, which are smaller than 5 mm.

However, detecting calculi smaller than 5 mm is of questionable clinical significance, as such patients are unlikely to require urological intervention 23, Many studies have shown that non-contrast abdominal CT is unlikely to miss stones that require intervention compared to US 24, 25,

Recent data suggest that less than 7% of patients diagnosed with kidney stones were scanned by US; rather, the use of CT is increasing 26, The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria states that a low-dose non-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis is the imaging examination of choice for evaluating patients with suspected urolithiasis (with a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 95%) 27,

Non-contrast abdominal CT can sometimes be the first imaging method used in patients with severe renal colic 28, The prevalence of stone disease is very high in our region. For this reason, in our clinic, patients with a history of urolithiasis in the themselves or in their family, and who have the findings to support the presence of a stone in their laboratory examinations, are generally scanned by abdominal CT to detect suspected kidney and uretal stones that are not evident on US.

A recent publication describing COVID-19 and CT imaging reported that the sensitivity of thorax CT (98%) in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 was higher than that of the reverse transcription (RT)-PCR test (71%) 29,
This information increases the importance of thorax CT in the diagnosis of this infection.

During the pandemic period in our country, all physicians, irrespective of their specialty, were required to take care of COVID-19 patients. Our experience with the thorax CT imaging method, which we usually do not use as a specialist urology tool, has increased during this period.

We had the opportunity to use and evaluate many thorax CTs. In this way, we learned to assess the basal lungs on abdominal CT scans, which we acquired for urological reasons, in the lung parenchyma window. For COVID-19 infection, the most common findings of thorax CTs are round pulmonary parenchymal ground-glass opacities.

Studies show that 5.74% of COVID-19 patients have viral RNA in their urine samples. Viral shedding in stools can take up to 6 weeks, but there is no definitive data relating to the duration of viral shedding in urine samples. Therefore, precautions are needed when we perform transurethral or transrectal procedures 30,

In our present study, it was not possible to test for viral RNA in urine samples as the patients were evaluated retrospectively.
The first diagnosis that comes to mind in a patient admitted to the urology outpatient clinic with flank pain is stone disease.
However, there may be flank pain associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal system, diseases of the gall bladder, and diseases of the chest.

Abdominal and back pain have long been described as a symptom of pneumonia in adults and children secondary to pleural irritation 31, 32, Parambil et al. reported right flank pain as the first presentation complaint related to COVID-19 in a 73-year-old patient 33,

When the patients who attended the urology outpatient clinic during the pandemic period were retrospectively screened, we found that 10 patients (3.6 %) presented with flank pain and COVID-19, with abdominal CT scans that were compatible with pneumonic infiltrations in the basal regions of the lungs.

In some patients, flank pain may occur due to parietal pleural irritation caused by pulmonary inflammation during COVID-19 infection. The parietal pleura is innervated by the intercostal nerves, which also innervate the rib cage in a dermatomal fashion.

Irritation of the pleural branches of the intercostal nerves may thus result in hyperaesthesia of the cutaneous branches which innervate the flank area 34,
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it should be kept in mind that if the pain score according to the VAS pain scoring system is not very high in patients presenting with flank pain, and there is no urological pathology in the abdominal CT, there is a possibility that this pain may be a COVID-19 symptom.

Moreover, radiologists should not overlook COVID-19 when evaluating images of abdominal CTs taken in standard clinics other than the pandemic outpatient clinic. Unfortunately, there is no more effective option to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic than to reduce contagion.

Why do both my sides hurt so bad?

Pain in the flanks can result from several conditions, diseases and injuries. Kidney stones, infection and muscle strains are common causes of flank pain. Depending on the cause, treatment for flank pain may include rest, pain medication and antibiotics.