Swollen Sternum with bronchitis

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hello, I have been diagnosed with acute bronchitis. My only concern is my sternum is pretty swollen. This concerns me as I can't fin d that as one of the symptoms anywhere. Should I be concerned or am I just over reacting?

Dear Melissa: I understand how concerned you are about your symptoms. Acute Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of your bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from your lungs. Certainly the most common symptoms are Fever, Sputum production, wheezing and cough.If you feel pain with the inflammation that you noticed on your Sternum, a possibility of Costochondritis caused by your cough might be the reason for it. Costochondritis is a common form of inflammation of the cartilage where ribs attach to the breastbone, the sternum. The inflammation can involve multiple cartilage areas on both sides of the sternum but usually is on one side only.This could be caused by the same entity that caused your Bronchitis; if this is the case then treating your Acute Bronchitis will take care of it. You might also want to take Anti-inflammatory Medication to help with the pain and swelling. If you feel that the swelling is increasing and interrupts your breathing, you might want to consult your physician to rule out other possibilities. I wish you a prompt recovery.