Can you bruise a rib

Coughing or sneezing can also be painful. While bruised ribs are extremely painful, in most cases they heal completely. The injury is referred to as bruised ribs but majority of the pain is caused by injury to the surrounding muscle and rib cartilage. Symptoms will include tenderness and pain over the injured area. You will also feel pain when you breathe, move, laugh or sneeze. Rib injuries are difficult to treat. Seek medical attention to rule out rib fractures and complications such as pneumothorax or a collapsed lung.

Resting and restricting your activities are the main treatment options for bruised ribs. Ice may help relieve some of your pain and swelling. Since bruised ribs cause pain when you inhale causing you to take more shallow breaths, your doctor may prescribe medication to help manage your pain.

Long-lasting anesthetic injections near the site of the bruise may also help temporarily keep your nerves there from relaying pain signals to your brain. A rib fracture is common in contact sports and usually occurs following a hard impact to the chest by an elbow or similar.

Breathing will often be painful and there will typically be especially tender points on the ribs. It is possible that the fracture may cause internal damage so seeking medical advice is recommended, especially if the pain is severe. One of the most persistent symptoms of a broken rib is chest pain when taking a breath. Inhaling deeply hurts even more. Laughing, coughing, or sneezing can also send sharp pains shooting from the site of the break. You may also notice swelling and redness around the break.

In some cases, you might also see bruising on the skin near the break. Depending on the location of the fracture, bending over or twisting your upper body may also trigger sudden pain. Striking or pressing on the fracture will cause pain for at least several weeks. Simple fractures will usually heal by themselves.

Doctors may recommend resting to facilitate this. People should avoid activities that involve pulling, pushing, or lifting, as they might make the pain worse or cause more damage to the ribs. If a person has more than one fractured rib, severe damage, or flail chest, they may need surgery. During the operation, a surgeon will use plates and screws to fasten the broken ribs together. Surgery will also repair any damage to internal organs, nerves, or blood vessels. In some cases, a bruised or broken rib can result in other health conditions that could even be life-threatening.

If a person with a recent bruised or broken rib experiences any of the following symptoms, they should seek medical attention right away:. If your doctor suspects a rib fracture, he will want to get images of your chest. If you have a more serious injury, you may need additional treatment or possibly surgery. For example, if your lung has been punctured by the sharp end of one of your ribs, you may need to have a procedure done to remove air or blood from inside your chest.

Some people whose ribs are badly injured might need to have them repaired with metal plates, but this is rare. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a rib is bruised or broken. The symptoms may be the same. And a broken bone can't always be seen on an X-ray. But the treatment for a bruised rib is often the same as treatment for a broken one. An injury to the ribs can cause pain.

The pain may be worse when you breathe deeply, cough, or sneeze. In most cases, a bruised rib will heal on its own. You can take pain medicine while the rib mends. Pain relief allows you to take deep breaths. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems.

It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take. Call anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:. Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if:. Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse call line if:. Author: Healthwise Staff. Care instructions adapted under license by your healthcare professional.

If you have questions about a medical condition or this instruction, always ask your healthcare professional. If the pain is severe, a person may not be able to breathe as deeply, which can cause a buildup of mucus in the lungs. Ways to treat bruised and fractured ribs at home include:. A person can try gently stretching the muscles in the shoulders and chest wall, but it is important to avoid movements that make the pain worse. Usually, rib injuries heal on their own.

Bruised and broken ribs heal in a similar way and typically get better within 3—6 weeks. If a person is not feeling better in a few weeks, they should contact their doctor, who may request more testing. Chest wall injuries, including bruised or broken ribs, are a common cause of chest pain in children. These injuries often result from car accidents, blows, or falls, such as on bicycle handlebars.

To promote healing from a bruised or broken rib, encourage the child to rest, use cold and hot packs, give pain relievers as directed, and suggest gentle stretching. Contact the doctor if the child has a fever , trouble breathing, abdominal pain, or dizziness or lightheadedness. Consult a healthcare provider if these symptoms are present:. A bruised rib usually results from an injury such as a fall or a blow to the chest, which may happen while playing sports, for example.

Rib fractures occur in the same way. The bruising may take several weeks to heal. If symptoms have not improved within a few weeks, contact the doctor, who may request further testing.

A bruised or broken rib can sometimes affect lung health. Bruises develop when capillaries burst after an impact, while blood clots occur when an injury damages blood vessels.

Bruises tend to resolve…. Bruises happen when an injury causes damage to blood vessels below the skin. They usually heal without treatment, but home remedies for bruises may be…. Minor bleeding into the skin is common and often the result of an injury. Learn about causes of bleeding into the skin, bruising, diagnosis, and…. A contusion is the medical term for a bruise.