Intercostal neuralgia is a disease characterized by pain localized in the chest. It develops after pinching the roots or endings of peripheral nerves, as well as as a result of their irritation. Pathology is extremely rarely diagnosed as an independent phenomenon; it usually occurs against the background of certain health problems. With intercostal neuralgia, high temperature is not a mandatory manifestation, but due to the specific mechanism of development of the problem, the symptom occurs often. The thermometer readings depend on the underlying cause of the condition, which is what treatment should be aimed at combating.
Temperature in case of illness is not a necessary factor.
Features of symptoms
The main manifestation of damage to the peripheral nerves of the chest is pain. It is characterized by sharp, intense, enveloping sensations. Possible burning, tingling, numbness of the skin over the affected area.
Neuralgia pain intensifies with physical activity, sudden movements, coughing, sneezing, and deep breathing.
In some cases, lumbago is noted in the area between the shoulder blades, back, and lower back.
Nonspecific signs of neuralgia:
- tearfulness, irritability, sleep problems;
- increased sweating;
- spasm of the chest muscles or similar sensations in the areas of various internal organs;
- slight increase in local or general temperature;
- if neuralgia is caused by pathologies of the spine, the patient experiences a decrease in skeletal functionality and limited movement.
Non-specific signs of neuralgia include spasm of the chest muscles.
With the development of neuralgia, an increase in temperature often goes unnoticed. It is diagnosed already at the stage of identifying the causes of pain. Typically, the symptom does not require targeted therapy, but goes away on its own in the process of fighting the underlying disease. It is important to understand that the appearance of fever may cause the abandonment of a number of methods of combating damage to peripheral nerves. This condition should be treated by a doctor; independent actions threaten to aggravate the situation and develop complications.
Is there a temperature with intercostal neuralgia?
Fever due to damage to the peripheral nerves of the chest develops very rarely.
It is provoked not by the lesion itself, but by the reason for its occurrence. Inflammation of the roots or endings is not so strong as to cause an increase in body temperature even by a few tenths of a degree. It can cause local hyperthermia, which is felt when palpating the problem area and is sometimes accompanied by redness. With neuralgia, temperature can be a consequence of the following phenomena:
- cold due to hypothermia;
- exacerbation of a chronic infectious process or development of an acute condition;
- intoxication of the body;
- inflammation of internal organs, in particular components of the respiratory system;
- increasing the activity of oncological education;
- aggressive course of the underlying pathology.
The temperature may appear due to hypothermia.
Intercostal neuralgia can be caused by multiple sclerosis.
The development of the disease is often accompanied by a flu-like syndrome, during which the temperature can rise to 37-38℃.
When to worry
The main reason for starting active actions should be a sharp deterioration in health due to neuralgia or its exacerbation. Thus, with chronic sinusitis, neuralgic pain can persist almost constantly, but when it intensifies and the body temperature rises, one should always remember about the possibility of exacerbation of the pathology.
Pain in the thoracic spine and along one or more intercostal spaces in combination with fever can be a symptom of a serious disease that can be fatal - pleurisy. This pathology requires hospital treatment with a course of powerful antibiotic therapy.
The development of herpes zoster, although it leads to the emergence of strong painful nerve impulses, apart from discomfort and a temporary deterioration in the quality of life, does not cause serious complications. Treatment of this pathology can be carried out both in a hospital and on an outpatient basis. Antiviral and antiherpetic drugs are used.
Signs of a fever
If the thermometer readings increase after the onset of chest pain, this indicates a rapid progression of the underlying disease. Signs of elevated temperature with intercostal neuralgia are no different from the body’s standard reaction to the phenomenon. They depend on its cause, severity, individual characteristics of the body and are manifested by general symptoms.
Sometimes, in the process of diagnosing intercostal neuralgia, it turns out that the increase in temperature has nothing to do with the pathological condition. This outcome may result from a decrease in the body's resistance and the development of infection or exacerbation of a chronic problem.
If the temperature rises, this indicates a rapid progression of the disease.
Diagnosis of pathology
If intercostal neuralgia is suspected, the patient should visit a specialist as soon as possible. The attending physician will definitely collect anamnesis and find out whether the patient has had any injuries or operations. After collecting anamnesis, the doctor will definitely conduct an external examination of the patient and determine the state of muscle tone in the affected area of the body.
To make an accurate diagnosis, the patient is prescribed a range of tests and additional examination methods:
- biochemical examination of blood and urine;
- ultrasound diagnostics;
- myelography;
- X-ray;
- electrocardiography;
- CT or MRI;
- discography using a contrast agent;
- electrospondylography.
Tags: intercostal, may, neuralgia, increase, temperature
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Types of neuralgia with outbreaks of pain syndromes
A condition such as trigeminal neuralgia usually occurs without fever. The development of fever against its background in 99% of cases is in no way connected with the underlying disease and does not indicate its complication. In a situation where the pathology occurs as a result of damage to the facial or peripheral nerves of the chest, hyperthermia almost always has a direct connection with the condition.
A symptom may indicate a host of diseases, so the patient urgently needs to undergo a full diagnosis and begin treatment as quickly as possible.
What folk remedies will help?
- To relieve painful paroxysms, flax lotions will help. A hot linen bag filled with flax should be applied to the sore spot.
- Radish juice or applying a little wormwood to the painful area will help relieve pain symptoms. For quick results, steam the wormwood grass and add sea buckthorn or olive oil. The result is a paste-like mass, which is rubbed onto problem areas.
- Aspen buds are dried and ground, mixed with butter in a ratio of 1 to 4. The resulting ointment is rubbed into the painful area.
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What diseases can manifest as fever after hypothermia?
Very often, intercostal neuralgia is provoked by general hypothermia or exposure to a draft. The influence of a negative factor is rarely avoided by local damage to peripheral muscles and nerves. For this reason, such cases of the disease require special attention and require consultation with a doctor. Even in situations where a draft caused inflammation, it is better to make sure that it does not provoke other disturbances in the functioning of the body’s systems.
A draft can cause illness.
Hypothermia can cause the following diseases:
- bronchitis – low-grade fever, chest pain accompanied by cough, general deterioration of condition;
- pneumonia – characterized by persistent fever, shortness of breath, cough, and breathing problems. The temperature rises to high numbers, which manifests itself as intoxication;
- pyelonephritis - inflammation of the kidneys complements the general clinical picture with pain at the lumbar level on the affected side, changes in the frequency and/or quality of urination;
- cholecystitis - this condition occurs rarely at the same time as neuralgia, manifests itself in the form of nausea, bitterness in the mouth. The pain is concentrated in the right hypochondrium.
Each of these conditions requires professional medical intervention. Attempts by patients with neuralgia and fever to get by with standard treatment for a neurological disease can lead to serious complications.
Kidney problems complement the picture of the disease with pain in the lumbar region.
Therapy
Various medications are used to treat neuralgia. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a good therapeutic effect, which should only be prescribed by the attending physician. In addition to NSAIDs, the patient is advised to use anti-inflammatory and warming ointments and gels, which must be rubbed into the affected area very slowly and carefully. Dry heat, for example, a scarf made of natural wool, or special warming bandages, has a good effect on the inflamed area.
After determining the root cause of the pathology, the doctor recommends the patient a course of antibiotic therapy. Only a specialist should prescribe antimicrobial drugs, the exact dosage and duration of use; any self-medication can be life-threatening for the patient.
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It is also necessary to review the daily routine of a sick person. The patient needs to eat a healthy and balanced diet, take vitamin and mineral supplements, and spend more time in the fresh air.
In the first 14 days of therapy, you need to refrain from any physical activity, it is advisable to observe strict bed rest. The patient should sleep on a special orthopedic mattress with increased rigidity.
Methods for treating fever for neuralgia
If a temperature appears against the background of intercostal neuralgia, doctors recommend seeking medical help, regardless of the thermometer readings.
Timely identification of the source of the problem and making the correct diagnosis greatly increases the patient’s chances of a favorable outcome. It is important to understand that the treatment regimen for neuralgia itself may change due to the development of fever in the patient. For signs of elimination of this disease, thermal procedures are recommended, as well as the use of warming ointments and a number of traditional medicine. Such manipulations will have to be postponed until the thermometer readings normalize. The temperature itself against the background of neuralgia rarely requires specific therapy. Typically, therapeutic actions are aimed at combating the underlying pathology, which is the cause of fever. The parallel use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alleviates the patient's condition, complicated by intoxication. Any manipulations aimed at lowering the temperature (local compresses, taking medications) must be agreed with a doctor.
Elevated temperature with intercostal neuralgia is another symptom of a pathological process that occurs in the body. It does not require narrowly targeted treatment, but indicates the seriousness of the situation, prompts diagnostics and the initiation of complex therapy.
About prevention
One of the most important preventive measures for the prevention of intercostal neuralgia is considered to be regular physical exercise, in particular strengthening exercises that give flexibility to the spinal column.
You should not overcool, be in constant drafts, overexert yourself physically, or stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time. A person should eat a balanced diet, without dieting or fasting, and regularly take vitamin B supplements. Pay attention to your health, and treat diseases that lead to intercostal neuralgia.
You should not endure pain for a long time; at the first symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor for advice and help to avoid complicated conditions. Only by acting in this way will a person find the strength to overcome this disease.
Intercostal neuralgia on the left, what is the danger of the disease
The main manifestations of thoracalgia on the left are: severe pain and limited mobility. The appearance of pain is caused by compression of the nerve endings located in the intercostal spaces.
Neuralgia is not an independent disease; its root cause is other disorders.
Due to the location of pain, external signs of thoracalgia are very often mistaken for symptoms of heart and vascular diseases and therefore cause great panic in patients.
People aged 30-40 years are at risk for developing neuralgia.
Intercostal neuralgia is
Intercostal neuralgia or thoracalgia is acute pain in the area of the nerve between the ribs. The disorder is provoked by injury, inflammation, osteochondrosis, displacement of spinal discs and some other factors.
Malaise due to neuralgia is localized in the intercostal spaces, along the spinal column and chest, in the back area. Often the manifestations of the disease radiate to the shoulder, arm or shoulder blade. Pain occurs especially often in the area between the fifth and ninth ribs on the left side.
What is intercostal osteochondrosis: causes of pain and treatment
Intercostal osteochondrosis is a frequently encountered but not entirely correct concept from a medical point of view. When they talk about intercostal osteochondrosis, they most often mean developing neuralgia, which causes very clearly manifested symptoms. And neuralgia, in turn, in most patients with a characteristic clinical picture of the disease is caused precisely by osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine.
Intercostal osteochondrosis is a frequently encountered but not entirely correct concept from a medical point of view. When they talk about intercostal osteochondrosis, they most often mean developing neuralgia, which causes very clearly manifested symptoms.
And neuralgia, in turn, in most patients with a characteristic clinical picture of the disease is caused precisely by osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine.