Can you have a chest infection without getting a cough / cold?

[Meglet]

I have painful ribs / chest. They ache if I breathe deeply and feel tender.

The pain started yesterday afternoon and is worse today. I haven't been to the gym to pull a muscle but neither do I have a cold. I do have a temperature, feel achy all over and an upset stomach, so I'm not 100% and am off sick. Have never smoked and generally pretty fit.

Obviously I have decided it's pleurisy or a tumor .

Will go to the GP's tomorrow if it doesn't settle down, just seems odd to have such pain without a reason for it.

Could it be a random chest infection? Only ever had one in the past and it was preceeded by a rotten cold.

I have, but it did come with crippling breathlessness just from walking across the room.

Dd1 did when she was 8. It was picked up when she was complaining of a very sore shoulder. The blockage was at the top of her lungs (unusual) hence the shoulder pain. Being her and liking to carry on what she was doing she managed 2 ballet shows and a swimming party and was half way to school before she admitted it. Dr. said he was surprised she could stand and it took 4 lots of antibiotics to clear. She had had no cold or cough at all.

I'd guess that it's just part of the "achy all over" feeling - you have muscles between your ribs and if you are getting achy muscles from a bug then those ones can hurt just like any others. A chest infection would be much more likely to make you wheezy or your breath "rattle".

I'd give it a day or two and see if it goes when the rest of you feels better.

If it's pleurisy then you would feel a sharp knife-like pain when you breathe in and you would find it hard to take a full breath. I had it recently. I've also had chest infections and I can't imagine having one without some sort of a cough. If you feel sick could it be your gall bladder or liver that's causing the pain under the ribs? Let us know how you get on!