chest and back pain

Hello,

i recently had a really bad asthma attack and although my breathing is getting a lot better, I've got really severe constant back and chest pain is this normal?

[Hidden]

Hi kizz,

Welcome to Asthma UK, I hope you are recovering from your bad attack and feel better soon.

Experiencing chest and back pain after a severe attack is a relatively common problem, and is usually due to muscle strain from your muscles having to work harder than normal during an attack. It is also possible to crack a rib if you have been coughing a lot, which can be very painful.

However, chest and back pain associated with an asthma attack can also be due to more serious causes, such as infections like pneumonia and pleurisy, pulmonary embolus (blood clots on the lung), and pneumothorax (collapsed lung). These problems are not very common, but if you are in severe pain, and this is not normal for you after an attack, you should seek advice from your doctor urgently to exclude these rarer and more dangerous causes.

Provided that the pain is not due to any of these things, it should settle in a few days as your breathing improves. Simple painkillers will help - paracetamol, and ibuprofen if you know you can take it without making your asthma worse. A heat source such as a heat pad (available from pharmacists without prescription) or a wheat bag can help a lot - or even a hot bath. Again, if the pain continues or is severe, please seek medical attention.

Hope this helps and things improve soon

Em H