<human>: About a year-and-a-half ago, I was hanging-out with a couple of friends and I felt the early onset of a cold coming-on. After a few days, I realized that there was a sort of dryness in my left lung, however I braced for whatever was about to come my way. When the sickness struck full-force I suffered through a cold with additional symptoms, including difficultly breathing, accompanied with a sharp pain in, what I assumed was, my left lung, which manifested every time I took a breath; every breath felt insufficient. I braced myself for a few days and I was able to overcome this ailment, however, subsequently, a few days later, a sharp strain on the left-side of my chest gradually became a perceptible bother, as it inhibited me from partaking in certain activities, including sports, running, heavy lifting, etc. About two months after my run-in with the cold, it returned and I experienced the same symptoms once more, yet I was able to overcome it once again. As time went on, I became adapt to this constant strain in my chest, which would be sporadic in its intensity. About six months posterior to the last time I was battling the cold, I decided to schedule an appointment with a Pulmonolgist, which, regrettably, resulted in a six-month ordeal having me running back-and-forth to various health departments for tests, including a: blood test, chest X-Ray, and a Cat Scan. All of the tests returned with normal results, and in the mean time, the doctor instructed me to use an inhaler, which he gave me(Unfortunately, I do not have the name of the inhaler.) to see if it would do any good. He assumed it had something to do with the muscle surrounding the lungs, and, at the same time, he asked that I go for an MRI, however I was unable to do so, because Im not a person of means; I have no insurance, and this was taking a toll on me financially. Ultimately, I decided to try to live with this burden. During this entire time period, I tried to diagnosticate my ailment, and I narrowed it down to two possible conditions. The first being Lung Pleurisy and the second Fibromyalgia, though theres no way I can confirm this. This past Spring, for a two month period, I suffered through a bout of OCD, which caused me to become an anxious person, avoiding certain activities. I was able to transcend my thoughts, but it helped me realize that I was a psychology fragile person, which I may have inherited from one of my parents. Anywhichway, about a month ago, I began having difficulty breathing accompanied with a faster heartbeat, in sporadic intervals throughout the month. Heres a little information about myself: I am twenty-five years of age, and I have a steady diet. I have had an on-again off-again relationship with cigarettes. I feel lost and Im extremely worried for my health. I know it is imperative to stay positive, but most times, saner minds do not prevail. Please, any suggestions will be held in the highest regard and would be greatly appreciated. God bless and have a healthy and happy day.
<bot>: The discomfort that you have described in your chest is called pleuritic chest pain. This simply means pain related to breathing or specific activity. Pleuritic pain is commonly due to irritation of the lining outside the lungs (the pleura) but may also be due to muscular or skeletal irritation. The investigation of pleuritic pain frequently yield little on imaging tests, although they are important to be sure that life-threatening illnesses are not the source of pain. In my experience, it is not uncommon to find no specific illness even after exhaustive testing. The conclusion here is a diagnosis of pleurisy (fanciful name for I don't really know). However, there is additional information that may be of value (some of which your doctor may already have). The following should be discussed with him/her:1. Experience with swollen or painful joints.2. Skin rashes3. Painful mouth sores4. Changes in vision not related to the need for glasses5. Blood tests for inflammatory diseases In the interim, many patients report pain relief with the use of readily obtainable medications such as Naproxen or Ibuprofen.