Bruised Ribs

Bruised ribs are normally seen due to trauma to the chest region. They are especially common in contact sports and are often a result of sport injuries. However, at times a person may end up with bruised ribs from coughing or violently sneezing. The downside of this kind of an injury is that there is little that can be done to hasten the healing process, as the ribs continuously move as we breathe. However, there are some simple ways of dealing with this condition.

Symptoms
There are many symptoms which will help you in diagnosing this condition. They are:

• Tenderness close to the traumatized area. This tenderness and pain may be aggravated on coughing and laughing.
• When the ribs are bruised, then there may be some bruising outwardly visible as well. So, the skin may appear blue in color over the affected region. It may otherwise also be red and slightly swollen.
• Due to the pain, you may have a tendency to take small short breaths, leading to shortness of breath.

Diagnosis
The diagnosis for a bruised rib can be done on the basis of many factors, like the symptoms and with the help of radiological examinations. If you have had a recent trauma in the chest region and there is some redness and swelling present, along with severe tenderness, then a bruised ribs diagnosis can be reached. However, for a final diagnosis, the help of an X-ray may be taken.

Treatment
Bruised ribs can be quite painful to deal with. This is because, unlike the arm or the legs, the ribs cannot be immobilized as they constantly move when we breathe. This further adds to the pain and discomfort. This also increases the healing time. You can take some pain relievers to deal with the discomfort and pain. However, the best bruised ribs treatment consists of taking adequate bed rest and applying ice to the affected region of the chest. This helps to prevent any swelling also from occurring. However, do not apply the ice directly on the abdominal region.

Prevent any kind of further trauma to the region by covering the affected region, as any kind of trauma will only aggravate the injury and further delay healing. Be sure to not engage in any kind of strenuous physical activity immediately after recovery. This is because any kind of recurrence of sporting injury can lead to severe pain and relapse. Limit the amount of stretching and bending at least for the first 24 to 72 hours. There are high chances of catching a severe respiratory infection like pneumonia when you have a bruised rib. So it is best to take certain precautions in such cases, like prophylactic antibiotics to prevent a bout any such infection. You can also try and perform some deep breathing exercises, which will help to not only decrease the pain but will also help in healing.

This shouldn't be taken lightly. This is because if one tends to ignore a bruised rib and continues with his normal physical routine, then he could aggravate the injury. Furthermore, at times, if the ribs are cracked, then they could point inwardly and end up puncturing the lungs, leading to severe repercussions. Hence, it is best to take such cases seriously and diagnose and treat the condition at the earliest. But like they say, prevention is better than cure, so when playing any kind of physically demanding contact sport, it is best to wear appropriate protective gear, so as to prevent the chances of sustaining a chest injury and landing with bruised ribs.