A bruise of the chest on the right or left, associated with sports, domestic and industrial causes, is a common occurrence in traumatology. A bruise is the consequence of any collision of soft tissues with a hard, non-sharp object. A hurt chest can be a result of a fall. There are different degrees of severity of injuries, since not only the skin or costal bones can be damaged, but also lung tissue. In particularly difficult cases, the heart muscle is at risk: the consequences are possible the most unpleasant - up to a traumatic heart attack. Only a specialist can determine how serious a bruise is, so you should not hesitate to visit a doctor.
How to determine that the chest is bruised?
The symptomatology of a bruise in the chest is quite straightforward. When you exhale and inhale, intensifying pain appears. At the site of the injury, minor hemorrhages and swelling may occur, and in more complex cases, a hematoma. Palpation manifests severe pain, which may indicate a possible fracture of the ribs. With strong strokes, loss of consciousness and respiratory arrest, a drop in blood pressure, which indicate heart failure, are likely. Symptom of pleural damage is the appearance of subcutaneous emphysema. In addition, if the chest is bruised, closed ruptures of organs and tissues, bone fractures are likely.
Chest injury and rib fracture
A bruised chest is not so bad, much worse if the ribs break. This is a fairly common situation, especially when it comes to older people whose skeletal system is very vulnerable due to age-related changes. With
fracture of the ribs , hemothorax and pneumothorax are possible. Emphysema is also a danger: with it, compression of the lung by air accumulated in the pleura occurs, which shifts the mediastinum to the uninjured side. As a rule, if the chest is bruised, the emphysema resolves on its own and surgery is not required. Hemothorax is formed with damage to blood vessels between the ribs, with
lung rupture, bleeding. It is bilateral, which can entail a danger to life. One-sided usually resolves on its own, sometimes with a course of antibiotics. Pneumothorax is much more dangerous: it is open, closed and valve. Air entering the
pleural cavity can lead to the appearance of pathologies of the broncho-pulmonary system, up to the appearance of oncology.
You have a bruised chest: what to do?
As already mentioned, only a specialist can establish the degree of danger, so the first thing to do is to consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. If the chest is bruised, from independent actions it is permissible to impose a tight bandage, which will help reduce pain. The victim needs complete rest, as well as cold compresses applied to the injury site every 20-30 minutes. For severe pain, anesthetic is permissible, but in no case should it replace a visit to a doctor.