A bump between the ribs can be a sign of serious pathology. In this area, a person has a large nerve node, which is called the solar plexus. He is responsible for transmitting signals from organs to the central nervous system. This area is extremely sensitive to external influences. Therefore, a tumor or hardening in this place is often accompanied by sharp pain. The most common causes of the appearance of such neoplasms we consider in the article.
Lipoma
Lipoma (wen) is a tumor that consists of adipose tissue. She is benign. Malignancy (malignancy) of lipoma is extremely rare, mainly after trauma to the tumor.
The lipoma looks like a rounded bump between the ribs. It has a soft consistency, mobile and painless. The tumor is characterized by slow growth. The color of the epidermis in the area of education is usually not changed, sometimes a pinkish tint of the skin is noted.
Usually a lipoma does not cause a person special discomfort. However, in advanced cases, the tumor can grow to large sizes and put pressure on internal organs and tissues. The treatment of wen is exclusively surgical. The tumor is removed using a scalpel or laser.
Xiphoid inflammation
The bump between the ribs in the middle can be a sign of inflammation of the xiphoid process of the sternum cartilage. The inflammatory process can occur on its own or as a complication of diseases of the heart, lungs, stomach.
In the area between the ribs, bulging of the cartilage is noted. The process hurts when pressed. If the disease is provoked by gastrointestinal pathologies, then the pain syndrome is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
The treatment is carried out using non-steroidal drugs, as well as synthetic analogues of adrenal hormones. If inflammation is a consequence of another pathology, then it is necessary to conduct therapy of the underlying disease.
Diaphragm hernia
The bump between the ribs in the solar plexus is often a manifestation of a diaphragmatic hernia. This pathology occurs due to the displacement of the loops of the intestine or stomach in the chest area. The following reasons can provoke the appearance of a hernial sac :
- Decreased tone of the diaphragmatic muscles. This often occurs in bedridden patients due to a sedentary lifestyle.
- Operations on the digestive tract. Errors during surgery can lead to organ displacement.
- Increased pressure in the abdominal cavity. This symptom is noted after pregnancy and difficult birth, as well as in people who systematically lift weights. Organs can be squeezed out into the diaphragmatic opening and with severe coughing, constipation, overeating, sedentary work.
- Sprain of the phrenic opening.
Diaphragmatic hernia looks like a seal in the esophagus. A person feels pain behind the sternum; he is often worried about heartburn, belching, hiccups, and nausea. However, the patient does not always have the entire set of hernia symptoms. Often this pathology proceeds unnoticed.
It is possible to get rid of a hernia only surgically. Organs that have fallen into the thoracic region are moved to their original place. Without treatment, infringement of a hernia and tissue necrotization is possible.
Abdominal hernia
A bump in front between the ribs may be a symptom of a hernia in the abdominal wall. In this case, parts of the internal organs protrude into the skin. Outwardly, it looks like a small growth in the solar plexus.
Often such a hernia does not cause discomfort to the patient. However, with constriction of organs, acute pain, nausea, and weakness occur. This condition requires emergency surgery, since a fatal outcome due to tissue necrotization can occur.
Injuries
A bump between the ribs may result from injury. Even a slight bruise in this area sometimes leads to the formation of swelling. Often a hematoma is formed at the site of the impact, which hurts when pressed.
A fairly common injury is a rupture of ligaments in the area between the ribs. Most of all this happens as a result of weight lifting. After all, the main load in this case falls on the muscles in the solar plexus. Typically, such an injury is accompanied by severe pain and swelling.
Treatment of injuries is carried out using oral analgesics and local ointments. After the removal of acute symptoms, physiotherapy sessions are prescribed.
In children
The bump between the ribs in newborns is not always associated with pathology. In infants, the xiphoid process often protrudes. This is a variant of the norm and does not need treatment. Typically, this symptom disappears on its own at the age of about 1 year.
However, it is important to remember that the bump between the ribs in a child can be associated with pathology:
- hernia of the diaphragm;
- congenital deformities of the chest.
Diaphragmatic hernias in infants are congenital in nature. Such a defect is formed during fetal development. This can be a danger to the baby’s life. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an operation to reposition a hernia as soon as possible.
If the baby is diagnosed with chest deformity, then in the future this may affect respiratory function. Therefore, timely treatment is necessary. Assign general massage and breathing exercises. In complex cases, surgery is indicated.
During pregnancy
In pregnant women, the xiphoid process often protrudes. It may look like a bump. Usually this phenomenon is noted in the third trimester, when all organs are displaced due to an increase in the uterus.
Usually, in this case, the woman does not experience any pain. In rare cases, patients have belching and heartburn. However, even if the bump does not cause inconvenience, you should inform your doctor. In later pregnancy, the risk of inflammation of the xiphoid process is increased.
Diagnostics
The appearance of a lump in the intercostal zone may be due to various reasons. Therefore, the choice of diagnostic method will depend on the alleged disease. Most often, doctors prescribe the following examinations:
- X-rays of the ribs and chest;
- biopsy (with lipomas);
- Ultrasound of the diaphragm and abdominal cavity;
- MRI and CT scan of the diaphragmatic region.
Which doctor should I go to? As we found out, such bumps can be a sign of various diseases. Therefore, you need to make an appointment with the therapist. And then the general practitioner will give a referral to a gastroenterologist, surgeon or traumatologist, depending on the nature of the pathology.
Prevention
How to prevent the appearance of bumps between the ribs? A tumor in the solar plexus zone can be a sign of various diseases, and each pathology requires its own specific prevention.
However, it is possible to reduce the risk of edema and tumor in the solar plexus if the following recommendations are observed:
- Avoid lifting excessive weights.
- Time to cure diseases of the digestive tract.
- To live an active lifestyle.
- If a person is forced to observe bed rest for a long time, then it is necessary to periodically do therapeutic exercises.
- In case of bruises in the area between the ribs, immediately contact a traumatologist.
If the patient already has signs of a hernia, then it is necessary to do the operation on time. Surgical intervention is best done at the initial stage. This will help to avoid pinching organs and other dangerous complications.