Starting late morning today, I've been feeling really strange. My chest feels tight/congested and deep breathes are painful. Kind of like when you've been running in the cold? It seems to have been getting worse as the day has gone on too. When I take small breathes, it feels funny. When I take big breathes, it makes me feel like I need to cough..but I've got no phlegm.

My body aches too, my skin is sore. I thought maybe the flu, but no fever. Any idea what could have caused this? TIA

Get thee to a doctor. If deep breaths are painful, that could be a symptom of Pleursy, and inflammation of the pleural lining of the lungs. That's painful, and you could be laid up for awhile.
Get thee to a doctor.

That sounds awful,
I'd head to the doc...


Feel better soon!

Heading to a doctor is definitely your best bet.

let us know what the doctor says, keeping you in my thoughts!

Could also be an upper respiratory infection. I had one early this year and symptoms were similar.

Thanks for the well wishes girls! It was much better by last night, then bad this morning, and nothing too rough this afternoon.

I was reviewing the side effects of my BC (Nuvaring), and it mentions upper respiratory infections, and I started wondering if that was it. Stacey might be on the money!

I'll see how it progresses this weekend and then maybe stop in the campus health center if it's not gone by Monday.

Thanks for the well wishes girls! It was much better by last night, then bad this morning, and nothing too rough this afternoon.

I was reviewing the side effects of my BC (Nuvaring), and it mentions upper respiratory infections, and I started wondering if that was it. Stacey might be on the money!

I'll see how it progresses this weekend and then maybe stop in the campus health center if it's not gone by Monday.


Well if it is in a upper respiratory infection then your chest shouldnt be effected if that is it. That would be in your sinuses. (sorry, respiratory therapist here, :P not trying to be a smart-alec) But it is possible for it to move down into the lower respiratory tract if you do have an URI. Is it possible that you might have pneumonia? You won't always be hacking up mucous with pneumonia. There are many different forms of it.

If it were pleurisy it would be very painful when you breathe, as the pleural space would be inflammed and lot of the reason for the pain is because there is currently no fluid there, in laymens terms. And the pain is caused when the lungs rub against the lung cavity when you breath without having the fluid to lube it. Generally a side effect of pneumonia.


Get thee to a doctor if these symptoms continue. You do not want it to get worse if it is pneumonia.

Please let us know what your doctor says. I'm worried about you too.

Have you seen a doctor yet? How are you feeling? If it is still happening and you haven't gone to see a doctor, you could ask a health expert on Healia communities - they are fast in getting back to you with answers to your questions, usually within 48 hours. Here is the link - http://communities.healia.com/
I hope you are feeling better!

I didn't go see a doctor because I got the flu, and when the flu left me, so did the chest tightness for the most part.

I still feel sliiightly out of breathe when I stand up quickly, but unless it gets worse, I think I'm just gonna let it get better on its own. If it comes back again though, I'm definitely going to to go in somewhere, because I've been hearing about a lot of "walking pneumonia" cases on campus.