The pain and tenderness associated with Tietze’s syndrome may happen gradually or suddenly. Symptoms include:
- a sharp pain in your upper ribs
- tenderness around the area of your upper ribs
- swelling around the area of your upper ribs
Sudden movements of your ribs, during physical activity or when you cough or sneeze, may make the pain worse.
The pain of Tietze's syndrome may be confused with a heart attack. However, the pain of a heart attack is usually more widespread, while the pain of Tietze’s syndrome usually affects only a small area.
See the Health A-Z page on symptoms of a heart attack for more information on the pain and symptoms associated with this.
