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Published on: 5/6/2025

What Might Cause Chest Pain on the Right Side of the Chest?

Right-side chest pain is most often due to non-heart issues such as lung or chest wall problems, including pleuritic pain, hyperventilation syndrome, or a condition like Mondor’s disease.

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Explanation

When you feel pain on the right side of your chest, it usually does not mean there is a heart problem. Instead, it can be caused by issues in your lungs or the tissues of your chest wall. One possible cause is pleuritic pain, which happens if the lining around your lungs becomes inflamed. This makes your chest hurt especially when you breathe in deeply or cough. Another possibility is hyperventilation syndrome, where breathing too quickly or shallowly (often from anxiety or stress) leads to chest discomfort. Additionally, some people may experience a condition called Mondor’s disease. This condition involves inflammation or a small blood clot in the superficial veins on the front of the chest, which can cause pain in that area. Since right-side chest pain generally originates from these non-cardiac causes, it is important to have any persistent or worsening pain checked by a doctor. They can review your symptoms and may do tests to find the exact cause and decide on the best way to help you feel better.

(References)

  • Beunderman R, Sramek M, Koster RW, Garssen B, van Dis H. Differentieel-diagnostische criteria bij cardiale klachten; pijn links of rechts op de borst? [Criteria for differential diagnosis in cardial symptoms; left- or right-sided chest pain?]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1990 Nov 17;134(46):2249-52. Dutch. PMID: 2255353.

  • Reamy BV, Williams PM, Odom MR. Pleuritic Chest Pain: Sorting Through the Differential Diagnosis. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Sep 1;96(5):306-312. PMID: 28925655.

  • Warner M, Durrani M, Yerram V, Coppa A, Barra A. Diagnosis of Mondor's Disease in the Setting of Right-Sided Anterior Chest Wall Pain. Cureus. 2022 Nov 25;14(11):e31894. doi: 10.7759/cureus.31894. PMID: 36579201; PMCID: PMC9792301.

  • Wheatley CE. Hyperventilation syndrome: a frequent cause of chest pain. Chest. 1975 Aug;68(2):195-9. doi: 10.1378/chest.68.2.195. PMID: 1149547.

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