Bruised Ribs Healing Time

Ribs are the bones of chest that protect your heart and lungs. They are also very prone to injuries and damages due to falls, accidents etc. Bruised ribs may also result due to severe chronic coughing. Bruised ribs are different from broken or cracked ribs in a way that in broken ribs, the injury is directly inflicted upon the bone while in bruised ribs, the surrounding muscle area is affected. As a result bruised ribs cannot be detected in an X-ray. However, the possibility of bruised ribs can be confirmed if certain bruised rib symptoms are present. These include sharp pain while breathing in the muscles around rib. Although, there is no definite treatment for bruised ribs, certain measures can be taken to accelerate the bruised ribs healing time.

Bruised Ribs Healing Time

Bruised ribs are notorious for their long healing time. Unfortunately, there is little you can do about bruised ribs as they tend to heal on their own. Typical healing time for bruised ribs is anywhere between 3 to 6 weeks. Once, you are diagnosed for bruised ribs, it is important that you prevent them from any further damage. You should consult a physician who may guide you upon bruised ribs treatment and precautionary measures to be taken to alleviate possible damage.

Unlike cracked or broken ribs, which if untreated may damage lungs or heart, bruised ribs do not pose direct threat to these vital organs. However, bruised ribs can be extremely uncomfortable and painful to deal with. Since, the ribs move every time you breathe, you are likely to experience sharp pain with each breath. As a result people unconsciously, tend to take shallow breaths. This may have serious implications as shallow breathing often results in severe respiratory problems or pneumonia.

How to Accelerate Bruised Ribs Healing Time

As mentioned above, bruised ribs heal on their own and there is nothing you can do to heal them instantly. Although, they take their own time to heal naturally, you can certainly accelerate the bruised ribs recovery time. Pain killer medications are the first thing that the doctor is likely to prescribe you, since bruised ribs are particularly painful. Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen also help reduce the rib pain, however, they should be taken only under medical supervision.

Earlier, people used to wrap the affected ribs to make them heal faster. However, these days, doctors advise against wrapping ribs. Wrapping ribs constricts your breathing and forces you to take rapid, shallow breaths. Alternatively you can opt for rib support belt, which may help to keep the affected rib in place. But make sure it does not restrict your breathing in any way. You can also consult your doctor before going for rib supporter.

The bruised muscle is likely to be very tender and sore for several days. Icing the area for 20 minutes twice a day can help you relieve the pain. Similarly, taking warm baths can also provide relief to the affected muscle. If you experience swelling after warm bath, follow it with cold compresses to soothe the muscle.

One of the most important things that one should bear in mind is that you should never attempt to treat the bruised ribs on your own. You could inflict a permanent damage to the rib by disturbing its alignment. This may lead to several respiratory problems, which will probably stay with you for the rest of your life. Similarly, you should not ignore the pain or other symptoms of rib bruising. Another important thing that one needs to remember is taking deep breaths every hour during the healing time. You are most likely to continue taking shallow breaths, hence, set a timer after every hour and take deep breaths for a minute or two. This will cause you a bit of pain, but do this exercise regularly to avoid respiratory disorders and also to help speed up your healing process.

Thus, you might have to put up with pain and discomfort throughout the bruised ribs healing time, which is not more than 3 to 6 weeks. Do not hesitate to call a doctor should you experience unbearable pain in the rib region.