Could pain in the middle of the chest be caused by pneumothorax? What are the causes of chest pain?

I believe that many people have experienced the feeling of pain in the middle of the chest. Generally, when people are looking for the cause, they worry whether it is related to pneumothorax.

Could pain in the middle of the chest be a pneumothorax?

The pleura is a thin and smooth serous membrane, which is divided into the visceral pleura and the parietal pleura. The visceral pleura covers the surface of the lungs, while the parietal pleura covers the inner surface of the thorax, the surface of the diaphragm, and the surface of the mediastinum. The closed negative pressure space formed between the two layers of pleura is called the pleural cavity.

Under normal circumstances, there is no gas in the pleural cavity. When air enters the pleural cavity, it is called pneumothorax. After pneumothorax forms, the pressure in the pleural cavity increases, causing lung compression and leading to lung dysfunction, resulting in symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.

Common causes of chest pain:

1. Pleural diseases such as pleurisy and spontaneous pneumothorax. The chest pain caused by these diseases is related to breathing and coughing. Chest pain worsens with deep breathing and coughing, often accompanied by difficulty breathing. Chest pain is localized to the side of the lesion.

2. Cardiovascular diseases are represented by angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, followed by pericarditis. This type of chest pain often manifests as compressive, stuffy, or even tearing pain in the precordial area and behind the sternum. It often radiates to the left shoulder, neck and inner side of the left arm, and is accompanied by shock symptoms in severe cases.

3. Intercostal neuritis, herpes zoster, and esophagitis can all cause chest pain. Herpes zoster causes severe chest pain that runs along the intercostals, and dense small blisters appear on the skin after 1-2 days.

4. Certain abdominal organ diseases cause chest pain, such as subphrenic abscess, acute cholecystitis, and acute pancreatitis.