What Are The Triggers Of Flank Pain? 12 Common Causes

Lung Disease

Diseases affecting the lower part of the lungs, such as pulmonary embolism and pneumonia, can cause pain in your flanks. Bacterial, fungal, or viral infection can cause pneumonia, which is one type of lung infection. But if there is a blood clot in the lungs’ blood vessels, you could have a pulmonary embolism. 

These two conditions tend to inflame and irritate the tissue lining the lung’s surface. These problems cause sharp and stabbing pain in the flank or back, which could worsen when a person sneezes, coughs, or breathes. Trusted sources say that pneumonia is quite common. While pulmonary embolism is less common, healthcare practitioners observe that its occurrence is still frequent. 

Lung disease has several co-occurring symptoms, such as cough, shortness of breath, fever, palpitations, loss of consciousness, lightheadedness, and swelling in the leg or arm. 

If you are feeling any of these symptoms, you should visit your doctor immediately. A round of antibiotics is the usual treatment for pulmonary embolism and pneumonia. If you are diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, treatment should be immediate, and hospitalization is necessary. Your treatment includes the administration of anticoagulants to thin the blood and dissolve the clot.