Bruised Rib Symptoms. The human rib cage comprises twelve pairs of curved bars of bones that are called ribs, twelve thoracic vertebrae, and a T- shaped bone called sternum. It encloses the vital organs of the thoracic cavity. Though the ribs are quite strong, they could become bruised or may even fracture, if they are hit with a force that is greater than the force they can withstand. Rib injuries could be superficial or deep. The severity of the injury depends on the force with which the rib cage is hit. Broken ribs — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, causes and treatment of rib bone fractures. What is Sternum (Breastbone) Pain? The sternum pain is a characteristically bruised or sharp pain in sternum area. In some instances, the bone may produce. ![]() ![]() ![]() What causes bruised ribs? Coughing hard, strenuous exercise, some bras and even pneumonia can cause bruising in the rib cage. Here are more causes, symptoms.Hi, I am hoping you can help me. For approximately 6 months I have been having pain behind my right rib. The extent of damage also depends on how quickly the force is delivered. When the ribs are subjected to blunt force trauma, they get pushed against the muscles surrounding them. This can cause them to get bruised. A fall from a height, crush injury, motor vehicle accident, or trauma to the chest can lead to bruised ribs. Under such circumstances, the affected individual is most likely to experience difficulty in breathing. At times, bruises could develop due to an intercostal muscle strain, which may occur as a result of violent coughing. Symptoms of Bruised Ribs. A bruise, which is medically referred to as a contusion, occurs when an injury to a bone or the soft tissue causes the small capillaries that lie under the skin to rupture. The characteristic sign of a bruise is discoloration of the skin, which results when the blood from the ruptured blood vessels gets trapped under the skin. One of the most common bruised rib symptoms is that the affected individual experiences pain while taking deep breaths. Besides the pain and visible signs of bruising near the site of trauma or injury, the other symptoms that may accompany bruised ribs include. The affected individual may develop a lung infection, which in turn, may lead to pneumonia. In case of an injury wherein one or more ribs have broken, there is a risk of the lung getting punctured by the sharp ends of the ribs. This is a very serious condition that can be averted only if medical assistance is sought immediately. Causes. Blunt force trauma to the chest is one of the most common causes of bruised ribs. The ribs may get bruised or fractured under the following circumstances. This may happen if the chest gets slammed against the steering wheel of the car. Constant and violent coughing could cause stress to the sternocostal and costochondral junction of the rib cage. Violent coughing due to whooping cough, pneumonia, bronchitis, etc., could be a contributory factor for bruised ribs. The ribs are most likely to get bruised due to such injuries. Diagnosis and Treatment. Rib injuries could cause a lot of discomfort, and could take a long time to heal. It is therefore essential to identify bruised rib symptoms at the earliest. If medical assistance is sought on time, the injury can heal within three to four weeks. Certain diagnostic tests and imaging studies are usually conducted for ascertaining the extent of damage to the ribs. Doctors usually conduct a chest X- ray to rule out the possibility of a rib fracture. A chest X- ray not only helps to ascertain the nature of injury and the extent of damage, but can also help to diagnose the signs of pneumothorax, pulmonary contusion, or trauma to the spleen or liver. A chest CT scan can also provide information that can help to determine the number of ribs that may be affected by the injury. While drug therapy and application of ice packs is an integral part of the treatment, doctors recommend complete rest so as to speed up the healing process. The treatment options and self- care measures include. At times, the use of narcotic pain medication may be recommended. However, these exercises must be performed only after the injury has healed considerably. Bruised ribs usually take around 3 to 4 weeks to heal completely. If the injury is severe, the healing period may extend up to 1. So, if you experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, consult a doctor immediately. Do not exercise and lift heavy weights as that would aggravate the condition. Do not self- medicate. Though injuries cannot always be averted, you can lower the risk by following safety precautions. Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert. Sternum Pain Causes. The sternum is also referred to as the chest bone or breastbone. This is a flat bone that is situated in the central portion of the chest, just underneath the collarbone. If you refer to human anatomy, then you can easily identify the T- shaped sternum, which joins the rib bones on both sides via the cartilage. Pain in the sternum can be either an acute (lasting for a short period of time) or chronic (lasting for a longer time period) condition. At times, it is associated with a cracking or clicking sensation in the sternum bone. Article image (on the right) Credited to: National Cancer Institute/via Wikimedia Commons (PD)What Leads to Sternum Pain? Although sternum pain is listed as a common symptom associated with chest pain, it is to be borne in mind that the pain experienced is entirely different from cardiac- related chest pain or angina. Costochondritis. An injury or inflammation to the rib cartilage which connects to the sternum (costochondritis: pronounced: kos- toe- khon- dri- tis), is one of the most common reasons for experiencing breastbone pain. Even though not many of us are aware about costochondritis, thousands of people seek medical attention every year for treatment of this medical condition. In majority of the cases, it develops due to inflammation and/or swelling of the rib cartilage, resulting in sharp pain on the left side of the breastbone. The pain worsens when coughing or deep breathing. Therefore, many a time, the pain might mimic a pain which is felt in a heart attack or any other heart condition. This condition is also referred to as costosternal syndrome, costosternal chondrodynia, and chest wall pain. If the symptoms of costochondritis are accompanied by swelling, then the condition is referred to as Tietze syndrome. Heartburn. This is an irritating burning sensation which is felt mostly at the lower sternum. The burning pain, can many a time extend to the neck and throat. Heartburn is usually caused by gastroesophageal reflux (backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus). Sternoclavicular Joint Injury. The sternoclavicular (SC) joint is the anatomical structure that connects the sternum to the collarbone (clavicle). Accidental trauma to this joint can cause mild to serious pain in the sternum, based on the severity of the injury. To be precise, dislocation of the SC joint, either anterior or posterior, may cause severe pain in the sternum. Pleurisy. Inflammation of the thin membrane around the lungs and inner walls of the chest consisting serum (pleura). Pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other lung- related diseases leads to pleurisy. Collarbone Trauma. The collarbone is located at the top portion of the chest (thorax), in between the sternum and the scapula (or shoulder blade). Collarbone fractures and injuries are quite common, which may occur at birth, due to a fall, or due to an accident. Pain that results due to a collarbone injury can be combated by getting the bone fixed correctly. Sternum Fractures. Another rare cause of pain in the breastbone is a fracture, which is mostly caused due to physical trauma. Injury to the sternum is possible only when a hard object hits the sternum directly with a good amount of force. However, if a sternal fracture occurs, it is usually a comminuted or crunched fracture, in which the sternum breaks into pieces. Pectoral Muscle Pain. Sternum pain might also be felt due to pain in the intercostal muscles (muscles between the ribs) and the pectoral muscles (large chest muscles). The intercostal muscles contract during inhalation and sometimes strain hard while breathing, and this leads to the pain in the sternum. Other Causes. Sternum pain is also reported as a post- surgical symptom of an open heart operation that involves separation of the sternum from the adjacent muscles. Other possible causes of pain are: Overstraining of the muscles in the chest portion. Excessive exercising. Injured ribs. Bone cancer. Breast cancer. Osteomyelitis in the sternum (inflammation due to an infection of the bone or bone marrow)In case the pain is associated with a mass formation in the sternal area, then there are chances of severe ailments like chondrosarcoma - - a cancerous neoplasm of the cartilage cells, or lymphoma. Diagnosis and Treatment Options. As already mentioned, pain in the sternum is not actually related to heart problems. However, it is to be noted that sternum pain is also a serious condition that should be addressed as soon as possible. Similar to any other health condition, early diagnosis and proper treatment is always advisable. For diagnosis of pain in the breastbone, the physician will examine medical history and conduct imaging tests. Depending upon whether the pain is acute or chronic, the doctor may recommend medications such as corticosteroids or non- steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for treatment of the condition. For mild pain resulting from rigorous exercise, over- the- counter painkillers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen are effective for getting relief. Lastly, getting adequate rest helps in quick healing of the injuries (if any), and thus, promotes faster recovery. Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is solely for informative purposes, and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Dislocated Rib Pain, Symptoms, Treatment. Dislocated rib can be caused by several factors ranging from a simple cough to severe occasions when the rib cage or general chest area comes in contact with an intense blunt force, twist or sudden movement. Rib dislocations are not rare albeit to the perception of the general public. Other than dislocating a rib, one can experience other rib injuries such as rib separation, this happens when the rib head and adjoining bones get separated from the sternum or spinal cord. These rib injuries can happen to anyone whether young, old, babies and even pregnant women! Pain under the rib cage is one of the classical symptoms of any rib injury! During these situations, when a person gets injured, ribs are first on the “strike” and these are situations when dislocations and fractures can happen. Younger persons don’t suffer from broken, fractured or dislocated ribs in the back or front as much as older persons because younger ribs are more elastic, while due to a lack of cartilage and the presence of senior osteoporosis, elderly’s ribs are much more prone to fractures. Coughing. Sneezing. Lifting heavy weight at home or at the gym. Blunt force trauma to the chest wallautomobile accidents – car, bike etc. Old agecostochondritis. Since the medium part of the chest is the most forward positioned, fractured ribs, such as a displaced rib fracture, happen more often to medium ribs, and least in the case of the upper three ribs that are in a way “hidden” behind the collar bone. Localization of the fracture is most common on the frontal and back curve and caused either by direct or indirect force. When it comes to dislocation, lower ribs are most prone to such situations, and also either due to direct or indirect force. Rib injuries usually happen due to a direct injury, which is common in sports such as rugby, football, hockey, skiing, etc. Rib injuries are also common in traffic accidents and due to a fall from height. Dislocated rib Symptoms. If you experience any one or more of the following dislocated rib symptoms, you need to see your doctor right away, as some rib dislocation could cause rupture of blood vessels or internal organs around in the rib cage – PLEASE DO NO IGNORE THESE SYMPTOMSPatients with a dislocated rib injury can experience following symptoms: Strong, stabbing pain in the chest with every movement of the rib cage area: Patients with a rib injury usually experience strong, stabbing pain in the chest, first in the moment of injury and then for a longer period afterward. In the case of smaller injuries, rib pain can be minimal, enabling further activities. In more serious injuries, the patient can experience strong, paralyzing pain in the rib cage and a disability to continue with any injuries. Strong pain will be experienced during injury and later will change into throbbing pain that can turn into intensive stabbing pain if patient tries to move too much. Patients usually experience more intensive pain in the morning and in the evening. The Rib pain is more intensive if the patient lies on the side that is injured. The patient will experience difficulty to inhale deeper as this causes instant sharp pain: The patient can be unable to take deep breaths as this causes instant sharp pain, deep breaths are usually associated with an intense and sharp rib pain. The patient will also experience pain during coughing, sneezing or more intensive chest movement, such as bending over, lifting weights, pushing or pulling. Pain is experienced during coughing, sneezing or more intensive chest movement, such as bending over, lifting weight, pushing or pulling. Tip: if you have just displaced a rib, it’s important to apply a direct ICE on the affected area to reduce pain discomfort and swelling. How do you treat a displaced rib? Displaced rib and general rib injuries like rib subluxation, dislocation and out of place rib head mostly have no special treatment (unless it’s a severe case of rib injury), minor rib injuries like dislocated floating rib or rib head subluxation can heal on its own with any doctor’s intervention. The first and foremost first aid would be to use a cold compress – apply a pack of ice, or pea, or frozen meat (basically any frozen item would do) directly on the place where there was a popped rib, this helps reduce the pain and swelling. Your doctor may prescribe some pain killers such as acetaminophen, and prep your up for surgery if the dislocation was severe. The doctor will feel unevenness on the surface of the ribs, the patient will express feeling strong pain (such as twisted rib pain) followed by cracking (crepitation) and movement of the displaced rib head under more intensive pressure. Radiology diagnosis. A suspected misaligned rib will most reliably be determined by radiography of the chest cavity in several directions, an ultrasound examination or computer topography. It is not always easy to distinguish a dislocated from a separated rib, but it is important to diagnose properly to prevent any complications of these injuries as they can lead to more difficult injuries with serious consequences. A radiology diagnosis will also exclude other possible injuries that could be connected with a dislocated or fractured rib. Possible Complications of dislocated rib. A dislocated or separated rib can lead to different complications that can be followed by less or more difficult consequences. For example, the patient can develop an infection of poured blood on the place of injury that can lead to the abscess of the chest wall with possible blood poisoning. Broken pieces of the rib can cause the breaking of inter- rib blood cells that can lead to deadly bleeding in the chest cavity (although this is an extremely rare case). A dislocated or fractured rib is followed by intensive pain that often limits chest movement and limits breathing volume. Rib movements can be very extensive and can put pressure on the chest cavity, preventing lungs in inspiration (inhaling) that can cause secondary lung inflammation. Recovering from a dislocation of the rib. Patients with a dislocated rib/rib injury usually completely recover within 4 to 6 weeks or longer in a case of a more serious injury or fracture, the recovery time could prolong for several months. By introducing certain recovery therapy and exercises a dislocated rib recovery time can be greatly reduced. Special massage. Special exercise to target the affected area. PRP therapy. Yoga. Return to more demanding physical activities is possible quite soon (depending on the seriousness of the injury), if the patient applies protective measures to prevent repeating the injury or worsening of the current condition. Incoming search terms.
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