Do you have an uncomfortable feeling in your chest? Do you feel sharp or dull pain, or crushing or burning sensations? Do you feel vague discomfort? Let's look at the wide range of problems that can cause chest pain.

This happens when air sacs in your lung deflate, either partially or completely. They can't fill with air. They may fill with fluid. This can happen to air sacs in just one section of your lung (which we call a "lobe"). Or, the entire lung can collapse.

This happens when a pocket of air builds up in the space between your chest wall and one of your lungs. The air pocket presses and forces air out of your lung. And when you try to breathe in, your lung has no room to hold the air. It has collapsed.

This is an inflammation of cartilage in your chest. Cartilage is a flexible tissue found in joints throughout your body. Costochondritis involves the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum. The sternum is also known as the "breastbone."

This is a break of one of the thin, curved bones that protects your chest cavity. Your ribs connect to each other with layers of muscles. They attach to your spine. With a minor fracture, your rib may only be cracked. With a severe fracture, you may have a complete break. Your rib may shift out of place.