How does a bruised rib feel like

Otherwise, the primary goal of treatment for a bruised or broken rib is pain relief. 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. Important Phone Numbers. Topic Contents Overview How can you care for yourself at home? When should you call for help? Where can you learn more? Top of the page. Overview You can get a bruised rib if you fall or get hit, such as while playing sports. How can you care for yourself at home?

Rest and protect the injured or sore area. Stop, change, or take a break from any activity that causes pain. Put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin. After 2 or 3 days, if your swelling is gone, put a heating pad set on low or a warm cloth on your chest.

Some doctors suggest that you go back and forth between hot and cold. Put a thin cloth between the heating pad and your skin. 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.

The symptoms of a broken rib are similar. If a rib is broken, you may hear a cracking sound when it happens, but only imaging tests can confirm the diagnosis. The most typical cause of a bruised rib is a blow to your chest. This can happen in a car accident or during direct contact in a sport such as football. Falling from a ladder or other high place can bruise or break a rib, as can having something heavy fall on your chest.

Less common causes include excessive coughing or repetitive, strenuous activities, such as rowing or lifting heavy weights. Diagnosing a bruised rib starts with a review of your symptoms and a physical exam. Your doctor will also listen to and watch your chest while you breathe to see if any lung function may have been affected. A bruised or broken rib may be accompanied by a bruise on your skin. Whether a bruise is visible or not, your symptoms may require an X-ray.

In these situations, a CT scan may help the doctor differentiate a break from a bruise. Other diagnostic tools include a chest MRI. Rib injuries are difficult to treat. The practice of wrapping your rib cage is seldom used these days because it restricts you from breathing deeply.

Too much shallow breathing places you at risk of developing pneumonia. Resting and restricting your activities are the main treatment options for bruised ribs.