Bruised rib how long to heal

Reducing or stopping smoking will benefit the healing process after a rib injury, especially if breathing is affected. If you are concerned about your bone health or think you may have a broken rib, call us to set up an appointment.

To schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, call us at Your email address will not be published. Main: 1. UrgentOrtho: BONE Patient Portal. Bill Pay. Our Experts. Chest Anatomy The chest, also called the thorax, contains several key anatomical structures and organs.

Bruised Ribs Bruised ribs or a rib contusion occurs following a direct impact to the torso. Symptoms The most obvious symptom of a bruised rib or contusion will be a sudden pain on impact. Treatment Rib injuries are difficult to treat. Symptoms One of the most persistent symptoms of a broken rib is chest pain when taking a breath. Treatment Simple fractures will usually heal by themselves. Serious Symptoms 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: Severe pain that continues to get worse Increasing shortness of breath or trouble breathing High fever Coughing up blood or yellow-green mucus phlegm Diagnosis If your doctor suspects a rib fracture, he will want to get images of your chest.

They can also show other problems, like a collapsed lung. CT Scan: This type of image shows fractures that do not appear on X-rays. Your doctor will want you to get one if he thinks the X-ray missed something. It can also show damage to soft tissue and organs, like your lungs, liver, spleen or kidneys.

They can pinpoint damage to soft tissue and organs. Bone Scan: If you have a stress fracture to a rib, or a history of prostate cancer, this may do a better job of showing where the damage is. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; chap Raja AS. Thoracic trauma. Yeh DD, Lee J. Trauma and blast injuries. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier ; chap Updated by: C. Editorial team. Bruised rib care. A rib bruise due to a blunt force may cause bleeding and injury to the tissues under the skin.

Depending on the force of the blow, you may have other injuries, such as broken ribs or damage to the lungs, liver, spleen or kidney. This is more likely in car accidents or falls from a great height.

The main symptoms are pain, swelling, and skin discoloration. The skin overlying the bruise may turn blue, purple, or yellow. The bruised area is tender and sore. You may feel pain both when you move and while at rest.

Breathing, coughing, laughing, or sneezing can all cause or increase pain. Healing takes about 4 to 6 weeks. An injury may damage the rib but not cause a bruise that you can see. 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. Check if you have a bruised or broken rib Broken or bruised ribs are usually caused by a fall, a blow to the chest or severe coughing.

Symptoms include: strong pain in your chest area, particularly when you breathe in swelling or tenderness around the affected ribs sometimes bruising on the skin feeling or hearing a crack if it's a broken rib Ribs cannot be easily splinted or supported like other bones, so they're usually left to heal naturally.

There's often no need for an X-ray. Things you can do yourself Broken or bruised ribs heal in the same way and usually get better by themselves within 3 to 6 weeks.