Chest pain is a very common symptom of many diseases, including lung diseases. But in most cases, chest pain is not related to lung nodules.
What are lung nodules?
Lung nodules are small lesions in the lungs that appear as coin-shaped shadows on CT scans. Over 80% of lung nodules are less than 2 cm in diameter.
Lung nodules and chest pain
The lungs, like other internal organs, are not very sensitive to pain. This is because the lungs only have nerve distribution in the central and superficial pleura, while the nerves are more abundant on the inner side of the ribs, the wall pleura.
Lung nodules do not usually irritate the lungs themselves, nor do they invade and cause pain in the organs and tissues around the lungs. So chest pain is generally not relevant to lung nodules.
Rarely, lung nodules may also cause chest pain. A part-solid nodule, which grows rapidly and very close to the pleura, could theoretically cause discomfort and pain in the chest. If a nodule is cancerous and has spread to the pleura, a malignant pleural effusion can also cause chest pain.
However, both of these occurrences are rare. Most commonly in clinical, patients present with a visible lung nodule during their physical examination without experiencing chest pain.
Common causes of chest pain
So what does chest pain usually result from? There are generally the following.
- Pleural pain caused by pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism, etc. and ruptured pleura;
- Pain caused by lesions in the chest wall;
- Pain in the anterior chest region caused by heart problems;
- Pain in the sternum, ribs, and rib cartilage.
Mental stress and chest pain
The mind can also have an effect on the body, causing symptoms including chest pain. Some people develop a lot of mental stress as soon as a lung nodule is detected. They may experience discomfort and pain in the chest and other problems. These “symptoms” are caused by stress and fear, not by the nodule itself.
Conclusion
Lung nodules do not usually cause chest pain, only in rare cases. Chest pain is usually caused by other diseases. If you experience chest pain or other symptoms, it is important to consult your doctor to find out the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.