A bruised rib is such a mechanical damage to a given bone in which its structure remains intact; is the most frequent and easiest of chest injuries. Fractures of the extremities, subcutaneous hemorrhages may accompany it , but serious injuries such as concussion, pneumo- or hemothorax, and rupture of the lungs are extremely rare.
The main sign of a bruise is severe pain and the appearance of edema at the site of the bruise, sometimes hematomas occur. You should immediately consult a doctor, as more severe damage is possible - a rib fracture. The surgeon will determine the severity of the injury. In a mild case, the patient is sent home with prescriptions. In case of complicated bruises, the victim is sent to the trauma unit for treatment.
Causes of Injuries
There are several situations in which a bruise becomes possible:
- Accident, in particular, when the passenger did not use a seat belt.
- Squeezing ribs in passenger vehicles during rush hours.
- When visiting theaters and concerts, when a crowded crowd can pin you in the doorway.
- Work-related injuries due to safety violations.
- Falling from a height of his own growth or a slight elevation.
- Sports injuries.
- Fights and brawls with a powerful blow to the chest.
Rib Functions
The frame of the ribs performs a barrier function - it protects the internal organs (lungs and heart), taking the whole blow. The ribs expand the chest and are raised by levator muscles under the action of innervation.
Blood vessels are located in the intercostal spaces, which can be damaged during injuries, which causes bruises (hematomas) and edema.
The hematoma resolves independently. If there is a crack or rupture of muscle tissue on the ribs, pain and swelling will intensify.
Classification
It should be noted that the symptoms and treatment of bruised ribs are closely related. 3 degrees of rib bruises are distinguished:
- 1st degree - the pain is small, may increase with sharp bends, turns and other movements, with palpation, but is not at rest. Treatment in such cases is not required, and everything passes by itself within a week. The absence of a bruise is also an indicator of the 1st degree of injury.
- 2nd degree - hematoma is present; as a rule, the pain is constant and intensifies with the slightest physical effort. Differential diagnosis is required. Medical treatment to eliminate edema.
- The 3rd degree happens with falls from a height, the symptoms are combined. Accompanied by compression of the lungs. The pain is so acute that it’s hard to breathe.
Symptoms of bruised ribs
In the first hours, symptoms are absent. After 15-20 minutes, abrasions, swelling and bruising occur.
How long does the bruised ribs hurt? The degree of pain in the first minutes and hours can be different. It can be so strong that a pain shock occurs.
With such an injury, discomfort does not go away for quite some time (several weeks) and is especially painful when the body moves and breathes. The place of damage can be determined by palpation. With minor bruises, the pain disappears in 3-4 days.
Characteristic symptoms of rib injury:
- clear localization of pain, its intensification during inspiration and cough, local tissue edema;
- hematoma;
- redness at the site of the bruise, local hyperthermia.
By the way, the presence of a hematoma speaks more about damage to the skin of the chest than ribs. In this case, redness passes within a day.
All of these lesions are visual. Auscultation of the lungs is desirable to identify possible complications.
The subsidence of pain does not always mean recovery. Masking of symptoms is possible.
If bruising is accompanied by symptoms such as limited chest excursion, large edema, crunch when inhaling, exhaling, clicking, you can suspect a broken rib.
A simple way to distinguish between these 2 conditions: if you put your palms on the chest on both sides and gently squeeze, pain may intensify. This is a clear turning point. With a bruise, such a reaction does not happen. If there is a lung injury, internal bleeding may occur. Then the affected side ceases to participate in the act of breathing and the general condition quickly worsens. With the development of inflammatory processes, body temperature always rises.
Diagnosis of rib contusion
Diagnostics takes a total of about an hour. At the initial examination, the doctor examines and palpates the chest.
In the presence of a rib fracture, the bone becomes mobile or is located non-anatomically. The symmetry of the chest and the participation of the muscles of both sides in the act of breathing are evaluated. A quick and informative method is radiography, which immediately reveals the presence of a fracture, crack or bruise. Pictures are taken in lateral and direct projections. MRI of the lungs can reveal foci of minor hemorrhages.
If the victim's body temperature does not drop for more than 2 days, pneumonia is possible; a blood test is taken and an x-ray is taken.
Probable complications
How long does the bruised ribs hurt? How long does it take to treat it? Therapy during the implementation of all medical prescriptions does not last long - usually 2 weeks is enough. And after 3 weeks, a person can fully consider himself healthy and return to work.
With complicated bruises, the pain becomes prolonged and full breathing is impossible, which causes hypoxia of tissues and organs. Adverse symptoms that require urgent action:
- impaired consciousness, fainting, dizziness;
- rapid filamentous pulse (more than 120-160 beats per minute) of weak filling / tension;
- shortness of breath - respiratory rate - 28-30 times per minute;
- cardialgia.
In such cases, blood circulation and respiration can be disrupted catastrophically.
With severe bruises of the ribs can occur rarely, but are possible:
- Pneumothorax - an accumulation of gases or air occurs in the pleural cavity.
- Hemothorax - accumulation of blood in the pleural cavity or mediastinum.
- Acute violation of pulmonary ventilation and blood circulation.
- Cardiac tamponade - accumulation of fluid in the pericardial bag.
- Post-traumatic pneumonia. It becomes possible due to developing hypoxia, which leads to stagnation.
- Bruised lung.
- Fracture of ribs.
Bruised ribs, which impaired lung ventilation, can cause breathing problems and heart failure.
First aid for bruised ribs at home
In the first hours after an injury, it is always more effective. The victim should always be given first aid when the rib is bruised.
First, the victim must be removed from the danger zone. If this is an accident, you need to pull him out of the car and call an ambulance. To give it a horizontal position, laying it on the ground, or half-sitting, so that the back bends slightly back, on a support. Apply a pressure dressing, unfasten the upper buttons to facilitate breathing, and try to calm the victim. Try to provide him with complete physical peace, it is better to exclude all active movements.
To relieve pain and spasm at these moments, it is not recommended to give him antispasmodics and analgesics. They can blur the picture of the general condition of the patient, and it will be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis.
What to do with symptoms of rib bruise? The very first thing you can do is apply cold to the site of the bruise. This will reduce the sensation of pain and relieve swelling, reduce hemorrhage.
How to make a cold compress? You can take ice from the freezer, wrap it with a thin towel and attach it to an injured place. This procedure is performed before the ambulance arrives.
Important! Ice packs are generally useful and are indicated in the first 3 days after injury. Damaged vessels from the cold narrow, hemorrhage decreases. Soreness and swelling subsides.
How long injured ribs hurt is completely determined by the degree of injury.
Next, it is necessary to exclude the presence of a fracture. This, of course, will be done by doctors in the department of traumatology, but you can do it beforehand too: sweep your hand slightly over the injured area. Swelling is possible, but there should be no dents or bulges. Moreover, the bulge (a sign of fracture of the ribs) and the damage zone are not always identical.
If the victim after the diagnosis is prescribed home treatment and observation, then how to treat a bruised rib at home?
First of all, it is necessary to reduce the physical activity of the victim. Active movements are excluded, you need to observe bed rest for several days. Scratches and abrasions are treated with anesthetic and antiseptics.
In the early days, you need to sleep on the injured side - this is a necessary condition and the answer to the question of many victims. Lying on your injured side will reduce pain and make breathing easier. But after 4-5 days, the damaged area will need to be developed to prevent the appearance of bone growths.
During sleep, the back should be raised. In the first 3 days you need to apply cold compresses - for 15 minutes 2-3 times a day.
With severe pain, it is quite acceptable to take analgesics, especially from a series of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Diclofenac is especially helpful.
How long does the bruised ribs hurt? With a minor injury for several days, with a stronger one - several weeks. To ease breathing when coughing, to relieve pain, many dress the chest. But you need to do this correctly; it is better for a specialist to do this, otherwise there will be no proper effect.
How long does the bruised ribs heal? Treatment for a minor injury does not last long. As mentioned above, a person can start work in 3 weeks. But the consequences of the bruise will still affect heavy loads, weather dependence may be noted.
Rib contusion treatment
Bruise treatment is always comprehensive, and rehabilitation is also complete. How and how to treat rib contusion? The first goal of treatment is to reduce pain. There are 3 types of analgesia for bruises and fractures of the ribs:
- "Paracetamol" - if it is well tolerated, then there will be no side effects from it. It’s not worth it to get involved in, because it is harmful to the liver and blood.
- NSAIDs mentioned above. Preparations of this series are presented very widely and can be used both in the form of tablets, and for local treatment in the form of ointments and gels. Among them are Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Nise Gel, Fenistil Gel, Ibuprofen, Nimesil, Naproxen and many others. etc. They perfectly relieve inflammation and swelling. How long do the ribs hurt after a bruise when taking NSAIDs? With an average degree of injury, the pain goes away after 1-1.5 weeks. The condition for their intake - after eating, drink plenty of water. There is one condition - they can not be combined with anticoagulants.
- Analgesics containing codeine will not only relieve pain, but also reduce cough. Their side effect is that they can cause drowsiness and constipation. But during the healing period of the bruises this has its advantages - the bruise can be “slept”.
Regardless of the type, painkillers are taken regularly, without waiting for a peak of pain. Gradually, as they recover and pass the bruise, their dose will be reduced by the doctor.
Important! In order to know how long an injury to the ribs hurts, in each case, the doctor must evaluate the severity of the injury. With minor damage, all discomfort disappears in 2-3 days.
Ointments and preparations
Existing local edema and hematoma increase the risk of developing an inflammatory process. Therefore, ointments are prescribed to help. They have a very different focus:
- Ointments with anti-inflammatory effect - "Indovazin", "Voltaren", "Diclofenac", "Ibuprofen"; they are based on NSAIDs.
- To remove puffiness - "Bruise-off gel", "Express bruise".
- A good analgesic effect is provided by Fastum Gel, Final Gel, Quick Gel, Nise, Apizartron, etc.
- For rapid resorption of hematomas, Heparin ointment has proven itself very well. It has unique absorbable properties. Well-bodied also helps. Accelerate the healing of Trental and Pentoxifylline.
There are a lot of ointments in pharmacies, but you can’t pick them yourself. The doctor will do it better.
How to treat rib contusion after an acute period? At the end of the acute period, physiotherapy comes into play. It marks the beginning of rehabilitation. Of the prescribed physiotherapy:
- electrophoresis;
- UHF therapy;
- Microwave therapy;
- galvanization;
- magnetotherapy;
- Exercise therapy.
Often the victims are interested in the question: how long does the pain in the ribs hurt? Much depends on the individual characteristics of the body, the threshold of pain sensitivity, age, the presence of concomitant pathologies, the state of immunity, the degree of damage and the presence of complications. Uncomplicated bruising generally worries about a month.
How long does rib contusion hurt in more severe cases? In more severe cases, it will already last no less than six months.
Rehabilitation period
It becomes necessary because bed rest should be replaced by restoring the mobility of the ribs. To do this, you can exercise therapy under the supervision of an instructor, perform breathing exercises. It becomes very useful swimming, which very well strengthens the muscles of the back and chest.
How long do the ribs hurt after a bruise when combined with a fracture? If the injury led to a fracture, the doctor will have to treat 2 types of injuries at the same time. The healing of bone tissue during fractures also depends largely on the body and its capabilities. The process will take more than six months.
How long does the bruised ribs hurt? According to reviews, we can conclude about the individuality of the organism in each case. Often, the effects of a bruise can be disturbing for several years. When using Ibuprofen and analgesics, bed rest takes several months to complete the process.
In some people, the bruising area can hurt during the year. There are cases when even after 10-12 years there remains a reaction to the weather - when it changes, aching pain is noted in the ribs.