Is Chest Pain a Symptom of Pneumonia Elderly?

by Gene

Is severe pain in chest only when coughing a symptom of pneumonia (elderly)?

REPLY from Caring-for-Aging-Parents.com
Thanks for your question, Gene. The best person to consult on chest pain would be your doctor. Especially considering some chest pain can indicate a medical emergency.

However, I can tell you there might be a few causes of chest pain only when coughing.

1. One certainly is pneumonia which does occur more frequently in elderly people. For more information, Pneumonia Elderly.
   
2. Another cause might be a broken or fractured rib. Particularly in the elderly - when falls are more frequent - there might be a chance of a fractured rib. If you or a loved one is having pain only when coughing, think over the past days or weeks to see if there were any falls that may have resulted in a fractured rib. An x-ray can be used to determine if there are any fractures or breaks present.
   
3. A third cause of pain when coughing might be inflammation of the lining of the lung (pleurisy) can cause sharp pain that can start or be worse with coughing. Often associated with pneumonia elderly.
   

Other typical causes of chest pain (that may occur while coughing but likely would continue after the coughing has stopped):

1. common ailments such as indigestion or stress
   
2. angina: poor blood flow through the heart vessels of the heart muscle may cause discomfort in the chest.
   
3. heart attack: your heart not getting enough blood (or oxygen). The most common symptom is chest pain. Other symptoms can be a feeling of squeezing or pressure, pain that might move down the arm, shoulder or back, sweating, lightheadedness, nausea or shortness of breath.
   
4. lung problems such as a collapsed lung of blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism).
   
   
   Again, for any chest pain, I would encourage you to seek medical attention, either from your physician or a visit to the emergency room.
   
   Thank you,
   Tennille