Do bruised ribs get worse before getting better?
Resting and restricting your activities are the main treatment options for bruised ribs. Ice may help relieve some of your pain and swelling. Since bruised ribs …
What is the best remedy for bruised ribs?
Rest and protect the injured or sore area. Stop, change, or take a break from any activity that causes pain. Put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin. After 2 or 3 days, if your swelling is gone, put a heating pad set on low or a warm cloth on your chest.
What exercise can I do with bruised ribs?
Dec 29, 2021 · Thus, the home remedies and treatments for a bruised rib are as follows: 1. Ice pack Keep an ice pack with you all the time. Apply that over the inflammation or injury area. This will help in... 2. OTC medicines The answer to what is the best painkiller for bruised ribs is m edications that reduce ...
What can you do to help heal a broken rib?
Here are a few ways you can treat your bruised ribs: Apply cold therapy to reduce swelling – Using an ice pack, or even better, a cold therapy wrap for ribs, can offer you the most relief in …
Overview
You can get a bruised rib if you fall or get hit, such as in an accident or while playing sports. The medical term for a bruise is "contusion." Small blood vessels get torn and leak blood under the skin.
How can you care for yourself at home?
Rest and protect the injured or sore area. Stop, change, or take a break from any activity that causes pain.
When should you call for help?
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
Where can you learn more?
Enter R125 in the search box to learn more about "Bruised Rib: Care Instructions".
What Are Bruised Ribs?
Often confused with broken ribs, bruised ribs occur when you injure your ribs but they do not break. Think of it as the similarity between a sprained wrist and a broken one.
Common Causes
Because the rib-cage takes up quite a bit of torso space, it often takes the brunt of the force during an accident or fall. Here are some of the most common ways people have bruised their ribs:
What To Do With Bruised Ribs – 5 Tips
As we mentioned above, bruised ribs can often be taken care of from the comfort of your home, without medical attention. This should only be done if you know/suspect your ribs are bruised and not broken.
What are the symptoms of a bruised rib?
You usually will know if you have bruised ribs because you’ll see a visible patch of discolored skin. But visible bruising isn’t the only sign of bruised ribs.
Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition
Bruised ribs themselves are not life threatening, but they can be accompanied by serious underlying conditions, such as lung damage, that require immediate medical care. If someone has bruised ribs, seek medical attention (call 911) for any of these additional life-threatening symptoms:
What causes bruised ribs?
Bruised ribs usually are caused by a blow to the ribcage. This can happen during sports that use a ball or involve person-to-person contact. Bruised ribs often occur due to vehicle accidents or falls. Prolonged sneezing or coughing also can cause rib contusions.
How are bruised ribs treated?
Most of the time, a bruised rib injury only involves the soft tissues atop the rib bones. These bruises often heal on their own with rest and without medical treatment. To heal bruised ribs naturally, try applying ice to the affected area and taking over-the-counter pain relievers (as long as you’re not allergic to them).
What are the potential complications of bruised ribs?
The most serious potential complication of bruised ribs is pneumonia. It can happen as a result of breathing too shallowly. Pneumonia is the collection of fluid in one or both of your lungs.
About The Author
As “the nurse who knows content,” Elizabeth Hanes, RN, works with national and regional healthcare systems, brands, agencies and publishers to produce all types of consumer-facing content.
Causes
Common causes of bruised ribs are car accidents, sports injuries, or falls. Severe or prolonged coughing can also cause bruised ribs.
What to Expect
Bruised ribs recover in the same manner as fractured ribs, but a bruise takes less time to recover than a rib fracture.
