What To Know and Do About Lung Pain

Lung pain is upper back or chest discomfort. It sometimes develops due to lung problems, like respiratory infections, blood clots, or lung cancer. What feels like lung pain may also originate in a nearby structure, such as the chest wall or muscles, heart, or esophagus (food pipe).

Lung pain may feel like sharp, stabbing sensations that worsen when coughing, sneezing, or taking a deep breath. Other people experience a dull ache, burning, stinging, or gnawing pain. While lung pain is not always a sign of something serious, it can be scary to experience and is important to address with a healthcare provider. Home remedies and medical treatments can help relieve pain and prevent complications. 

Potential Causes of Lung Pain

Your lungs sit in your chest cavity, a hollow space in the chest that houses your lungs, heart, esophagus, and supportive tissues and structures, including muscles, blood vessels, bones, and nerves. The rib cage shields the lungs, and the pleura is a protective membrane that covers and cushions them. Problems with any of these organs or structures can cause lung pain or pain in and around the lungs. 

Understanding the causes of lung pain can help you identify the possible source of your discomfort. Your healthcare provider can confirm the cause and provide effective treatments to help you feel better.

Respiratory Infections 

Viral, bacterial, and fungal respiratory infections, such as bronchitis, COVID-19, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, are common causes of lung pain. Respiratory infections cause inflammation and irritation in the airways and lung tissues, leading to chest tightness and lung pain that may worsen when breathing, coughing, or sneezing.

Depending on the type and severity of the infection, the pain may feel like a dull ache or sharp, stabbing pain. Other common symptoms of respiratory infections include:

• Fever 
• Chills
• Fatigue 
• Wet cough or coughing up mucus
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath 

Pleurisy

Pleurisy, or pleuritis, is inflammation of the pleura—the thin tissue covering the lungs and inner chest wall that cushions and protects the lungs. Pleura inflammation typically causes dull, achy pain or a burning sensation when you take a deep breath, sneeze, or cough. The pain may radiate to the shoulder and upper back.

Many conditions can cause pleurisy, including respiratory infections, chest trauma (injury), autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), and certain cancers. 

Pulmonary Embolism (Blood Clot) 

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blood clot that forms in another body area (usually the leg), breaks free, travels through the bloodstream, and gets stuck in an artery (blood vessel) in the lungs. A PE restricts blood flow to the lungs and causes sharp lung pain on one side that intensifies when taking a deep breath or coughing. Other symptoms include: 

• Shortness of breath that improves with rest and worsens during physical activity 
• Rapid heart rate
• Lightheadedness or fainting 
• Coughing up blood 

Anyone can develop a pulmonary embolism, but the risk is higher in people living with obesity, cancer, heart disease, and lung disease or those who had a recent surgery. Physical inactivity due to bed rest, prolonged travel (e.g., air travel, long road trips), and taking hormone-based medications like birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy can also increase the risk of this blood clot. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term, progressive lung disease that causes damage to the airways and lungs, restricting airflow and making breathing difficult. Up to 54% of people with COPD report experiencing lung pain. 

People with COPD often have hyperinflated lungs, meaning the lungs expand beyond their usual size when air gets trapped inside. Hyperinflated lungs can strain the ligaments, joints, and muscles involved in breathing and posture, which may play a role in developing lung pain in the chest and upper back. Coughing can also contribute to muscle pain in the chest area, which some people perceive as lung pain. 

Other COPD symptoms include: 

• Shortness of breath, especially during physical activity
• Wheezing or whistling sounds when breathing
• Chronic cough 
• Chest tightness or heaviness 
• Fatigue

Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung)

Pneumothorax develops when air escapes a lung, filling the space between the lung and chest wall. As air builds up within this space, pressure makes it difficult for the lung to expand when you inhale, causing it to collapse fully or partially. 

This condition causes sudden, sharp chest pain that worsens with breathing or movement. Other symptoms include: 

• Shortness of breath
• Blue-tinted fingernails or skin from lack of oxygen 
• Fatigue
• Rapid breathing 
• Increased heart rate
• Dry or hacking cough 

Injuries to the chest area and activities involving dramatic air pressure changes, like scuba diving or air travel, can increase the risk of a collapsed lung. Pneumothorax can also develop in people with certain lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, pneumonia, and COPD. 

Lung Cancer 

Lung cancer develops when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, forming a tumor. Chest or lung pain is one of the most common symptoms of lung cancer, but how this pain manifests can vary from person to person. Some may feel it as dull chest pain or tightness, while others describe it as pain within the lung that worsens when taking a deep breath, coughing, or laughing.

Other lung cancer symptoms can include:

• A persistent or worsening cough 
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath 
• Loss of appetite 
• Hoarseness
• Coughing up blood or rust-colored mucus
• Frequent upper respiratory infections (like bronchitis or pneumonia)

Other Causes

People sometimes perceive chest pain from other organs or structures within the chest as lung pain. Possible causes of chest pain that may feel like lung pain include: 

• Costochondritis: Inflammation of the cartilage connecting the rib bones to the breastbone, which can cause sharp, stabbing pain
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Occurs when stomach acid flows into the esophagus, causing burning or squeezing chest pain, often after eating or lying down 
• Heart attack: Happens when blood flow to the heart is blocked, leading to intense chest pain, pressure, or squeezing sensations that can radiate to the arms, neck, shoulders, and jaw
• Pericarditis: Inflammation of the pericardium, the sac-like cover around the heart, causing sharp, stabbing chest pain that may radiate to the neck, back, or shoulder and worsens when breathing deeply, coughing, swallowing, or lying flat on your back 
  

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

Because there are so many causes of lung pain—some of which are serious and require prompt treatment—it's important to see a healthcare provider any time you experience persistent, worsening, or severe lung pain. You should also see a healthcare provider if you have lung pain that occurs with other symptoms, such as: 

• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Fever
• Chronic cough 
• Recurring or chronic respiratory infections 
• Dizziness or lightheadedness 
• Fatigue
• Weight loss

Some conditions that cause lung pain are serious and possibly life-threatening when left untreated. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience sharp and sudden lung pain or chest pain, especially when it occurs with symptoms like: 

• Rapid heart rate or breathing
• Fainting 
• Coughing up blood 
• Pain that radiates to the arms, neck, shoulders, or jaw 
• Nausea and vomiting 

How Providers Diagnose Lung Pain

Diagnosing the cause of lung pain begins with a physical examination and a review of your medical history. Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms, including where you feel lung pain, how long it lasts, what it feels like, and which activities worsen or improve the pain. They will also ask about your risk factors for lung diseases, such as: 

• Your workplace and environmental exposures to lung irritants
• Family history of lung diseases and travel history
• Whether you smoke or use other inhaled substances, such as cannabis or e-cigarettes (vapes) 

During the physical examination, your healthcare provider will use a stethoscope while you breathe to listen for wheezing, crackling, or abnormal breathing patterns.

They may order diagnostic tests to help identify the cause of lung pain or refer you to a pulmonologist—doctors specializing in diagnosing and treating lung conditions—if they suspect you have a lung disease. These tests will depend on your symptoms and medical history and may include:

• Imaging tests: X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans take pictures of your lungs and the surrounding structures to identify abnormalities
• Blood tests: Blood tests can help diagnose or rule out possible causes of lung pain, such as bacterial infections and autoimmune conditions
• Pulmonary function tests: Spirometry, lung volume tests, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) tests assess lung capacity and function to determine how well your lungs work and help diagnose conditions like COPD
• Endoscopy: If your provider suspects you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), an endoscopy involves inserting a thin tube into the throat to view the esophagus and look for signs of inflammation or abnormalities
• Bronchoscopy: A procedure that involves inserting a thin tube with a camera through your throat and into your lungs to examine the airways and lungs
• Electrocardiogram (EKG): A test that measures the heart's electrical activity to rule out a heart attack

How To Treat Lung Pain

Treatment for lung pain depends on the underlying cause. Your healthcare provider will develop a treatment plan that addresses the cause of lung pain to relieve your discomfort and help treat or manage the condition. 

Home Remedies

Self-care measures at home may help manage some causes of lung pain. These may include: 

• Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers: OTC medications like Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) can help reduce mild to moderate pain and inflammation, especially if you have muscle strain or pain, costochondritis, or a respiratory infection causing body aches.
• Breathing exercises: Practices like deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing can help improve lung function and capacity in people with conditions like COPD.
• Rest and hydration: Drinking fluids and getting adequate rest can help your body recover from respiratory infections like pneumonia or bronchitis.
• Avoiding irritants: Limiting exposure to irritants that can harm the lungs, such as cigarette smoke and chemical vapors, can help prevent lung pain from worsening.

Medical Treatments

Many conditions associated with lung pain require medical treatments. Depending on your diagnosis, these treatments may be short-term. However, most conditions require lifelong management and treatment to prevent worsening lung pain and complications. Your treatment plan may include:

• Prescribed medications: Antibiotics (for bacterial infections), bronchodilators or inhalers (for COPD), chemotherapy (for lung cancer), or medications to manage acid reflux (for GERD)
• Surgery: Surgery to treat lung cancer, pulmonary embolism, or pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
• Oxygen therapy: Lung conditions that reduce your lungs' ability to provide oxygen to the body may require oxygen therapy to improve breathing
• Pulmonary rehabilitation programs: Can help people with chronic lung diseases improve their breathing, conserve energy, and make healthy lifestyle choices

A Quick Review

Lung pain has many possible causes, ranging from acute (short-term) issues like respiratory infections and collapsed lungs to chronic (long-term) lung diseases like COPD and lung cancer.

Not all causes of lung pain are serious, but it's still important to contact your healthcare provider to get tested and start treatment if needed. Home remedies, medications, and procedures can improve symptoms and limit your risk of developing complications.