TV star Chhavi Mittal diagnosed with costochondritis: What is this medical condition?

Television actress Chhavi Mittal revealed that she has been diagnosed with costochondritis. In an Instagram post, the actress, a cancer survivor, shared that she has been diagnosed with a chest wall pain condition that involves "an injury to a cartilage in the chest."

"The probable cause could be radiation (cancer treatment) or a side effect of the injection I took for osteopenia (a condition with low BMD) or it could be incessant cough (which I had a few days back) or a combination of one or more or all," she wrote in the post.

Talking about her symptoms, Chhavi added, "I have pain while breathing, or using my hand, or arm, or lying down, or sitting, or laughing or pretty much everything."

WHAT IS COSTOCHONDRITIS?

Costochondritis is a benign cause of chest wall pain that results from inflammation of the costal cartilage, the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum.

This chest wall condition most commonly affects the upper ribs on the left-hand side of the body. Pain is often worst when the rib cartilage attaches to the breastbone (sternum).

As per Mayo Clinic, costochondritis usually has no clear cause. However, costochondritis might be associated with trauma, illness or physical strain, such as severe coughing.

SYMPTOMS OF COSTOCHONDRITIS

The symptoms include pain on the left side of your breastbone, it could be sharp and aching or pressure-like. The pain affects more than one rib. It can radiate to the arms and shoulders. It can worsen when taking a deep breath, coughing, sneezing or with any chest wall movement.

TREATMENT FOR COSTOCHONDRITIS

Usually, costochondritis goes away on its own. However, the pain might last for several weeks or longer. Treatment mostly focuses on pain relief. Physical therapy treatments like stretching exercises and nerve stimulation might be recommended.