How can you determine on your own, without x-rays, that a rib is broken?

The ribs are part of the bony structures of the chest. An x-ray of the ribs is taken during a chest x-ray. Accurate rib identification techniques are useful in detecting rib injuries. Detection of thoracic deformities such as pectus excavatum and barrel chest are important aspects of the chest x-ray examination.

Shadows around the chest (eg, rib shadows, sharp lines along the lower edge of the ribs, ribs overlapping shadows) can mimic pleural and extrapleural disease on coronal chest radiographs, so it is important that the radiologist be familiar with normal rib anatomy, variations in normal rib alignment and x-ray appearance of the ribs to prevent misdiagnosis.

Although the ribs are clearly visible on a chest x-ray, radiologists rarely pay attention to their features. A chest x-ray produces a black and white image of the organs in that area of ​​the body. Structures that block radiation appear white, and structures that transmit radiation appear black.

Features of home therapy

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Treatment at home for rib fractures is possible only after the main signs of injury have been relieved. Even if there is a pain symptom, the victim will be discharged from the hospital. To relieve pain, painkillers are prescribed, which must be taken in accordance with the dosage prescribed by the doctor.

As a rule, pain after a rib fracture is of moderate intensity; it can be aggravated by coughing, sneezing, sleeping in the wrong position, or too sudden movements of the chest. The following medications can be taken to relieve pain:

• Aspirin (the use of this drug is highly recommended for persons under 16 years of age);

Ibuprofen;

Naproxen.

To reduce pain, it is recommended to use cold, this can be ice or frozen food. Before applying ice to the body, it must be wrapped in a towel or piece of thick fabric to avoid hypothermia.

Taking painkillers on your own without a doctor’s prescription is prohibited in the following cases:

1. The patient's age is 60 years or older.

The presence of a peptic ulcer, including previously cured.

History of internal bleeding.

People diagnosed with asthma.

Kidney pathologies.

Previous stroke, history of heart attack.

Taking painkillers for 14 days without positive dynamics.

You need to breathe deeply. Frequent, intermittent, shallow breathing will only lead to a strong feeling of discomfort. If the pain increases or there are breathing problems, you should immediately consult a doctor.

In the presence of swelling, hematomas and bruises, you can use special medications with a local spectrum of action - ointments and creams aimed at improving blood circulation and resolving bruises under the skin. Before using them, it is recommended to consult with your doctor.

You can use traditional medicine. To reduce swelling, use a compress of grated potatoes and onions. It is not recommended to use folk remedies without the consent of the attending physician for people who are prone to allergic reactions.

Contraindications

X-rays of the ribs are not recommended for pregnant women. At this stage, such a study should be abandoned, choosing an alternative diagnostic option - ultrasound, MRI or CT. Ionizing radiation can become a prerequisite for miscarriage or the development of radiation sickness in a baby. Also, X-rays are undesirable during the feeding period of the child. The radiation used in diagnosis can affect hormonal levels, which will cause problems with milk production.

X-rays of the ribs should not be prescribed to those people who are in serious condition. The study may have a negative impact on the recovery phase. Ultrasound is most often prescribed as an alternative diagnosis. For children under 15 years of age, chest x-rays can be prescribed only in the most extreme cases, since ionizing radiation affects the formation of the supporting skeleton.

How to identify a rib fracture or bruise

So, the first thing you need to do when you receive this type of injury is to make an accurate diagnosis. Let's take a closer look at the symptoms of a bruise and a fracture to understand how they differ from each other. As mentioned above, injuries of this kind are quite common. A rib bruise can occur in a variety of everyday situations. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, an x-ray must be taken. It is this that allows the traumatologist to accurately assess the type and severity of the patient’s injury, and will become the main basis for prescribing subsequent treatment.

However, if a rib is bruised, you can make a preliminary diagnosis yourself. In this case, there will be several pronounced symptoms, such as:

• severe pain, the peak of which occurred at the time of injury;
• the appearance of a large hematoma around the bruised area;
• edema formation;
• redness or redness of the skin in the area of ​​the injury.

These are not all the signs. Here, first of all, you should listen to the pain sensations. In particular, the breathing of a patient who has suffered bruised ribs becomes difficult. A person experiences pain every time he takes a breath. As a result, there is a feeling of lack of air. In addition, pain also occurs when the victim tries to make some kind of movement. And finally, you need to carefully examine the bruised area for the presence of dents and protrusions characteristic of a rib fracture.

Once the correct diagnosis has been made, treatment can begin. During the first 2-3 days, the patient is prescribed complete restriction of physical activity. In order to reduce the suffering of the injured person, painkillers are administered to him. If your back muscles and spine have not received any damage, you can try lying on your injured side. This makes breathing easier for the patient.

Ice or some cold object must be applied directly to the site of the injury. This will not only relieve pain, but also reduce the swelling that forms at the site of injury. First, you should slightly raise the victim's body and apply a tight bandage. After this, ice is applied on top of it. If no complications are observed, then after 3 days the treatment method changes. Instead of cold lotions, you will need to use warm compresses - they are needed to improve the patient’s blood circulation. This way you can speed up the recovery of the injured area.

The injured person's breathing will be shallow and rapid, while the damaged part of the chest will clearly lag behind when inhaling and exhaling. In a situation where the injury is light, a pronounced symptom appears, such as coughing up blood. Often in the chest

the cell may experience internal bleeding. In many cases, patients develop signs of post-traumatic pneumonia several days after injury.

The victim cannot independently determine which of his ribs is broken, since the very severe pain “confuses the landmarks.” Only a doctor can correctly determine this - when you feel the site of injury under your fingers, you can feel the unevenness characteristic of this type of injury. In order to have a complete clinical picture, the patient is sent for an x-ray.

First aid for a broken rib is as follows. You should immediately apply something cold to the injured area, this way you will not allow the swelling to grow too much. After this, the victim can be given some kind of painkiller. The next stage of assistance is fixing the broken rib in one position. This is done by applying a tight bandage. To reduce pain when transporting the victim to the hospital, it is necessary for him to take a supine position. It should be noted that if the fracture is simple, the doctor may not apply a plaster cast or bandage. Otherwise, you can’t do without it. The patient is prescribed bed rest, limited physical activity and a special diet.

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Features of the study

Features of the study include:

• the chin should not cast a shadow on the photo;
• it is important to minimize the overlap of the boundaries of the scapula with the lung fields;
• the collarbones should be in the same horizontal plane;
• the vascular pattern of the lungs should be clearly visible.
• the patient is directly in front of the X-ray tube, the back resting on the vertical detector;
• the chin is raised so as to be outside the image field;
• hands are placed on the patient's sides

How to distinguish a fracture from a bruise

A rib injury is considered severe and quite painful. The main causes of injury are:

• falling from height;
• road traffic accident or work injury;
• blow to the chest area;
• severe pressure or squeezing of the chest;
• specific diseases that affect bone fragility (osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, bone tuberculosis and others).

A rib fracture or bruise has similar symptoms, so during the initial examination it is difficult to immediately recognize the type of injury and make the correct diagnosis. Common signs of such damage are:

• severe pain, which occurs at the time of injury and persists for a long time, can put a person into a state of shock and affects his motor functions;
• swelling of soft tissues and an increase in their temperature at the site of injury;
• the appearance of hematomas and bruises - due to a strong blow, small blood vessels in the soft tissues rupture and are damaged;
• shallow breathing, shortness of breath (“intermittent inspiration syndrome”), which arise as a result of pain and limited movement of the chest;
• the appearance of rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) due to breath holding.

In order to prescribe treatment, it is necessary to understand exactly what kind of injury we are dealing with - a bruise or a broken rib. The most accurate picture of damage is provided by an x-ray in two projections. If the patient has a fracture, then the fracture line and bone fragments will be visible in the picture; otherwise, there will be a bruised ribs.

The approach to the treatment of uncomplicated bruises and fractures has similar features:

• bed rest is prescribed until the main acute symptoms (pain and swelling) are relieved;
• on the first day, a cold compress is periodically applied to the site of injury (every 20 minutes with a break of 5 minutes) until the pain is relieved;
• Outpatient treatment with periodic visits to the attending physician is indicated.

Do not forget about possible complications, the risk of which is higher, the more severe the damage. Complex bruises and fractures must be treated in a hospital setting. More information on how to distinguish a bruise from a fracture.

Fracture

The concept of “fracture” distinguishes between rib cracks, complete and subperiosteal fractures. The above are general symptoms characteristic of all chest injuries, but there are also those that can be used to determine whether a fracture or just a bruise of the ribs occurs in a particular case.

During the initial examination of the fracture, asymmetry of parts of the chest can be identified; the affected part may “sink” inward when inhaling. When moving the victim, you can hear the crunching (crepitation) of broken bones and see fragments protruding from under the skin. In cases where a rib is broken, the pain is more pronounced. This may be a consequence of concomitant damage to muscle and lung tissue, pleura and nerve fibers from fragments of the rib bones. These injuries can immediately cause complications in the form of pneumothorax (accumulation of air in the pleura), hemothorax (bleeding into the chest cavity) and subcutaneous emphysema (accumulation of air in the subcutaneous tissue). Medical assistance in such cases must be provided urgently due to the need for immediate puncture to remove fluid or air. Due to congestion in the lungs, over time, a victim of a fracture or severe bruise of the ribs may develop pneumonia.

In cases with a violation of the bone integrity of the rib, treatment involves connecting bone fragments and their reliable fixation for proper fusion. This can be achieved through conservative therapy; if this does not happen, then surgery is prescribed.

The following medications are used to treat fractures:

• novocaine to block pain at the site of injury;
• non-steroidal and other anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and relieve the inflammatory process in the form of injections and ointments;
• antibiotics to treat secondary infections;
• calcium-containing preparations and B vitamins for the restoration of bones and nerve fibers.

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Disadvantages of the X-ray method

Among the disadvantages:

• Harmful to health. Namely, the device affects the human body with radiation, which in large quantities causes significant harm to the human body.
• Not recommended for pregnant women. Since X-ray radiation contributes to the abnormal development of the fetus of pregnant women, as well as the occurrence of diseases in the unborn child.
• Changes in soft tissues are poorly visible on photographs. Therefore, for some types of examinations, it is more advisable to undergo an MRI, which will more clearly show changes in the body.

Features in old age

Elderly people are often exposed to various injuries. Bone damage poses a particular danger to them. The slightest impact on an elderly body can result in a fracture. This is due to the fact that as we age, the calcium content in the body decreases significantly, which leads to brittle bones. This pathology is called osteoporosis, and older women are more likely than others to become trauma patients because of this disease.

When an injury occurs in older people, the first thing that occurs is unbearable pain that is difficult to relieve. Weak vessels instantly rupture, and swelling instantly spreads to soft tissues, affecting neighboring organs. It is just as difficult to distinguish a rib fracture from a bruise without the help of a specialist as in other cases. However, it is worth carefully examining the site of the bruise; in case of bone damage, signs such as chest deformation, breathing problems will be clearly pronounced, and a rib fracture can be easily recognized.

But you should not use medical diagnostic methods at home. The body in old age is very fragile, bones take a long time to grow together, and long-term immobilization is fraught with complications, so only a doctor should make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Decoding the results

Based on a high-quality finished image, the attending physician makes a diagnosis and develops a therapeutic course taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s body. When drawing up a protocol, traumatologists, a surgeon or therapist takes into account the following factors:

• size of the heart shadow;
• symmetry/asymmetry of the chest;
• aperture level;
• the presence of damage to osteochondral tissue, violation of its integrity;
• developmental pathologies or diseases of cardiac tissue;
• lung structure;
• pathologies of lung tissue;
• location of the heart and its size.

The clearer the image, the more detailed the doctor will be able to describe it. Some public medical institutions and private clinics are installing improved digital X-ray machines that take better images.

How long do ribs hurt after a bruise?

If there are no complications, and first aid and treatment are competent, a rib bruise can be classified as a minor injury. But the pain can haunt the patient almost until complete recovery, just every day its intensity gradually decreases. And attacks of pain attack less and less often. Moreover, sometimes the patient may experience a dull pain in the rib area even after the doctor has reported a complete recovery. This situation is not uncommon with chest injuries. There is no need to worry about this: if recovery is confirmed by diagnostic procedures and by a doctor after palpation, the pain will soon go away.

How long the pain persists from bruised ribs depends on each specific situation and the patient’s condition. Usually this is 2-3 months after the injury. The pain should gradually decrease. If, on the contrary, the pain only intensifies over time, it is necessary to urgently contact a traumatologist. Perhaps the injury is more serious: a crack or fracture.

The use of a special fixing vest or corset will help improve the quality of life in the acute period after a chest injury, in which you will feel less pain when moving the body, and will also provide the necessary protection from possible additional injuries.

There are not only obvious, but also hidden consequences of chest injury - with injury to the left half of the chest, cardiac contusion is possible, which can be ruled out by performing an electrocardiogram.

Another unfavorable complication of a chest contusion is pleurisy - inflammation of the pleura, the membrane that covers the lungs and chest from the inside.

The outcome of the injury may be the formation of adhesions in the chest cavity, which will subsequently limit the volume of breathing.

An effective measure to prevent pleurisy and adhesions is exercise for the lungs - you need to inflate balloons 2-3 times a day for 10-15 minutes.

Finally, it is necessary to remember about osteoporosis - if a rib fracture occurs during a minor blow to the chest, this may signal the development of bone fragility, and it will be necessary to do additional research and timely treatment to prevent other, possibly more serious injuries.

An effective modern measure to accelerate the healing of traumatic rib fractures is the use of MBST therapy, the main properties of which are:

• targeted bone tissue regeneration
• anesthesia
• restoration of nerve conduction in the fracture area.

The use of MBST therapy for traumatic fractures speeds up recovery by 2-4 times.

Diagnosis of injury

The nature of the chest injury, whether it is a bruise or a rib fracture, can only be determined in a medical facility. The traumatologist will conduct an appropriate survey: under what circumstances the injury occurred, what sensations the victim experiences, will carry out competent palpation and send for radiography. This is a mandatory measure for such impacts.

Using x-rays in several projections, the doctor can draw conclusions and prescribe treatment. If necessary, he may refer you for tomography and ultrasound to exclude damage to internal organs.

If the clinical and radiological picture excludes a violation of the integrity of the ribs, then a bruise can be diagnosed. Treatment of a bruise differs from recovery after a rib fracture; its main actions are aimed at:

1. Elimination of pain using painkillers and applying cold to the damaged area.
2. Reducing swelling, hematomas and bruises using cold compresses, lotions, and special ointments.
3. Restoring motor abilities of the chest, which will help quickly relieve the patient of discomfort during breathing.

It will take much longer to heal a broken rib. The bone tissue must heal, followed by an equally long recovery process. A single rib fracture does not pose a threat and is treated conservatively; multi-fragmented injuries that threaten the integrity of internal organs require open reduction. The operation to restore bone integrity is called osteosynthesis.

In any case, be it a fracture or bruise, the patient needs relative rest. Heavy physical activity is contraindicated, but prolonged bed rest can harm the victim. Recently, plaster casts have not been used for immobilization for rib fractures, because prolonged immobilization can cause stagnant processes in the body.

What is a rib x-ray?

Radiography is a type of non-invasive diagnostics in which a photograph (negative) of the object being examined is obtained using a special apparatus. This type of research is the most widespread in medicine.

The radiation used to obtain X-rays belongs to the group of radiation radiation, and therefore can have a negative effect on the human body. But this only applies to intense radiation that acts over a long period of time.

Most modern diagnostic methods that use such radiation (and this includes fluorography, angiography, and computed tomography) use low-intensity radiation and irradiate the body for a very short period of time (seconds). Therefore, modern X-ray examination methods are relatively safe for patients.

Although the dose of such radiation during radiography of the ribs is small, it should be remembered that such a study is strictly prohibited for pregnant women. Radiation can harm the fetus and cause abnormalities in its development. Therefore, if the question arises about prescribing such a study for a pregnant woman, then the choice is always in favor of MRI, computed tomography, ultrasound, that is, safer diagnostic methods.

X-rays of the ribs are also prescribed with caution for young children. Their fragile bodies can hardly bear such loads. There are digital X-ray machines that are characterized by low radiation exposure to the human body. However, such devices can only be found in some private clinics.

Treatment

Tactics for managing patients with chest contusions

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to make sure that the integrity of the ribs is not compromised and that the internal organs are not damaged. After conducting additional research methods, you can proceed directly to treatment.

The main tasks that a doctor faces in case of bruised ribs:

• adequate pain relief;
• reduction of swelling;
• acceleration of bruise resorption;
• restoration of full chest movements.

Immediately after the injury, it is recommended to apply a cold object to the site of the injury. This could be ice, chilled foods, or a wet compress. As a result, vasospasm occurs, swelling and hemorrhage decrease.

Note! Keeping ice on the damaged area for too long is prohibited. This leads to tissue hypothermia

It is necessary to take short breaks every 10-15 minutes. The item from the refrigerator must be wrapped in a towel or cloth.

Rib fracture symptoms and treatment

The choice of pain relief method depends on the severity of symptoms. Preference is given to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The most effective are Diclofenac, Meloxicam, Naproxen, Olfen. The drugs have several forms of release. The doctor may prescribe the use of tablets or injections with ointments and gels. If the pain syndrome is moderate, it is enough to use painkillers in the form of ointments. For severe injuries, oral administration (tablets) is indicated.

Throughout the entire treatment period, it is necessary to adhere to a gentle regimen. It is prohibited to load the chest, however, breathing exercises, which is the prevention of congestive pneumonia, are mandatory and must be performed daily. In the future, when reducing pain, it is recommended to use ointments that speed up the process of resorption of the bruise (Heparin ointment, Indovazin, Lyoton, Bruise off). Some of the drugs have an anti-inflammatory, warming effect. The recovery process for rib bruises takes from several weeks to a month.

Prices for medications and their availability can be found using the links below:

• Diclofenac
• Meloxicam
• Heparin ointment
• Indovazin
• Lyoton
• Bruise off

Delivery throughout Russia to any pharmacy is free.

How to treat a rib bruise at home

The more severe the injury, the longer the duration of pain. If the rib bruise is not severe, after two to three weeks you will be able to lead your previous lifestyle. If painkillers for bruised ribs do not provide a lasting effect for a couple of dozen days, the injury is probably more serious: a crack or fracture of the bone. Rehabilitation after such an injury will take much longer if you do not consult a doctor on time: as soon as the injury occurs. To speed up the recovery process, you can use a fixation vest to protect the damaged area from new damage during mobility. You will also make breathing easier by eliminating discomfort when taking deep breaths.

When acute inflammation subsides, you can speed up tissue regeneration at home. For this, there are proven folk remedies, for example, compresses for bruised ribs, including:

• Calendula decoction. You will need herb leaves, from which you need to prepare a decoction: a spoonful of the plant per 300 ml of water. Boil over low heat for several minutes, leave and use for compresses on the affected area.
• Aloe. Take a fresh aloe leaf and chop thoroughly. Add a little honey and apply the mixture to the injured area, cover with cellophane, and apply a cloth bandage on top for 30-60 minutes. Repeat the procedure twice a day for a week.
• Bodyaga helps with bruised ribs. It can be bought at every pharmacy. You will need 100 g, which you need to pour a glass of boiling water and cool, and then distribute over the affected area, cover with something and leave for an hour.
• If we immediately remember our school lessons on life safety and use plantain immediately after damaging the ribs, recovery will go faster. The plant needs to be crushed and the resulting pulp applied to the bruised area. When the plantain compress dries, you need to make another one.
• Vinegar compresses can be effective for bruised ribs: mix a tablespoon of vinegar, vegetable oil and boiled water, dip gauze or a piece of cotton fabric in the mixture and apply to the injury site.
• Garlic. Chop a few heads of garlic. Pour half a liter of vinegar 6-9% and leave for a day. Wipe the bruised area with this product 3-4 times a day.

Remember that traditional methods of treating rib bruises are used only as part of complex therapy, but are by no means limited to these methods. They will help you recover faster, but will not cure the injury completely.

How to distinguish a fracture from a rib bruise

The first thing to do after an injury is to make sure there is no fracture. Based on its symptoms, it can be difficult to distinguish it from a bruise or crack. For an accurate diagnosis, it is better to undergo a medical examination and take a chest x-ray, but there are several signs that allow you to do this before going to see a doctor, although not with 100% accuracy.

Symptoms of a cracked rib are often similar to a fracture. If, after a severe bruise, you feel acute pain, and a bulge or dent is noticeable in the damaged area, go to the doctor - you almost certainly have a broken rib.

Also, immediate medical attention is required in case of impaired or stopped breathing, wheezing and loss of consciousness. These are also clear signs that the bruise has led to a fracture. For example, if a lump forms on a rib after a bruise, most likely there was a fracture, and the lump itself is a bone callus. If you feel or hear the crunching of the ribs, their integrity is probably compromised, even if this does not appear outwardly. If you only have slight redness, mild or moderate pain, or even a slight hematoma, there should not be a fracture or crack in the rib - this is all a mild degree of bruise, which can be dealt with even at home without medical help.

What does this examination mean?

An x-ray is a test that uses tiny doses of electromagnetic radiation of significant energy to extract pictures, allowing specialists to analyze the internal structure of the body. The degree of influence does not cause harm to the adult population. But it is harmful for children being formed in the womb, so you need to inform the doctor about the situation before the procedure. Radiation easily penetrates skin, but very difficult through bone or metal. This is explained by the different ability of tissues to absorb radiation, so the peculiar shades of black and white stand out in the picture.

An x-ray of the ribs is necessary after an emergency to rule out fractures. It must be remembered that x-rays are also done under other circumstances. The image is used to detect, diagnose and treat various diseases. This is the main tool for making a diagnosis; the procedure is carried out immediately after the patient consults a doctor.

How to distinguish a rib fracture from a bruise in the hospital

The injured person needs to take a comfortable position in which the least pain is felt. Usually the optimal position is sitting. Since breathing is already difficult, you need to make it as easy as possible by removing tight clothes - tight tank tops, T-shirts, shirts, bras.

How do cervical spine injuries manifest?

It is advisable to do the bandage only if you have the skills. It is better not to touch the victim again until medical workers arrive. But if you need to transport it, you can fix the damaged area so that the fragments do not move. At the same time, it must be applied in such a way as not to damage the internal organs. That is, again, it is advisable to have some skills in this.

In a medical institution, a doctor:

• Performs palpation, that is, feels the patient;
• Performs an x-ray or ultrasound;
• Tomography is possible.

It is important for the doctor to determine not only whether the integrity of the bone is preserved, but also the condition of the soft tissues. If they are very badly damaged, recovery can be long and painful, even if there is no fracture

Conversely, even if the bones are broken, the soft tissue damage is sometimes minor and the person will recover faster. However, as a rule, a fracture is usually accompanied by injuries not only to the bone, but also to internal organs.

Preparing for a rib x-ray

Tomograph
X-ray of ribs requires minimal preliminary preparation. The day before the procedure, you need to exclude foods that cause flatulence from your diet. This is due to the fact that the swollen intestine lifts the diaphragm and puts pressure on the lungs.

Before taking a photo of the ribs, you need to remove all outer clothing, accessories and jewelry so that there are no third-party stains on the image. It is also recommended to hold up long hair to keep it out of the shooting area.

To protect unused parts of the body, a special apron or lead is worn, which will prevent ionizing radiation from entering the body.

Treatment

In the absence of complications, treatment for bruised ribs usually takes 10 days. For extensive hematoma, difficulty breathing and other complications, treatment lasts at least 20 days, and for severe injuries and fractures - up to 2 months. The patient must remain in bed and avoid any physical activity. A tight bandage is applied to the site of the bruise; in case of a fracture or crack in the bone, a bandage is applied.

Drug treatment

If a rib is bruised, medical treatment is mandatory. In addition to tablets, topical treatment products are widely used - gels, ointments, compresses. Doctors usually prescribe the following medications:

• Anti-inflammatory drugs - Diclofenac, Pentalgin, Naproxen.
• Analgesics - Ketanov, Solpadeine, for severe pain - injections of Dexalgin or Ketalong.
• Antipyretics – Paracetamol, Ibuprofen.
• Preparations to accelerate healing – Trental, Nanoplast forte.
• For concomitant pneumonia, antibiotics are prescribed - Cefotaxime, Amoxicillin.

Ointments for the treatment of bruised ribs:

• to relieve inflammation - Diclofenac, Indovazin;
• to combat swelling - Bruise-off;
• for pain relief – Fastum-gel, Dimexide gel;
• to reduce hematoma - Heparin ointment.

Drug treatment is supplemented with physiotherapeutic procedures - using UHF, electrophoresis, breathing exercises, massage.

For a mild injury, treatment is carried out at home - bed rest, applying cold, taking prescribed medications, using ointments. However, the patient should visit the doctor regularly to monitor changes, because some complications may not develop immediately. If the hematoma does not resolve, it is opened and drained (under local anesthesia).

Treatment at home

When the main threat has already passed, you can use traditional methods of treatment to speed up the healing process of damaged tissues, resolve hematomas, and simply for a speedy recovery. They include the following recipes:

• Ointment with honey and aloe – crush 1 aloe leaf, add 1 teaspoon of honey, lubricate the bruised area with the resulting ointment to relieve swelling.
• Infusion with chicory - grind 100 g of chicory and pour in 0.5 liters of vodka, leave the resulting mixture for 10 days, rub the impact site to improve blood circulation and tissue restoration.
• Compress – prepare a decoction of calendula leaves, moisten gauze with it and apply to the bruise, this will help relieve inflammation. Apply a compress 3-4 times a day.
• Compress with plantain - fresh leaves of the plant are washed, crushed, and applied to the affected area.
• Vinegar infusion - chop 4 heads of garlic, pour in 100 ml of apple cider vinegar 6%, leave for 24 hours, rub into the bruise 3-4 times a day.

Thus, a bruised rib is an unpleasant and very painful injury.

It is very important for the victim to provide first aid correctly and quickly take him to the hospital for a chest x-ray. In the absence of bone fractures and other complications of the injury, treatment is carried out at home in compliance with doctor’s instructions

And remember: it is absolutely impossible to treat a rib bruise at home without an x-ray - you may miss the fracture and possible complications, which can be life-threatening.

For what indications is examination necessary?

X-rays of ribs are used very often. The doctor may order an examination to determine various changes in the chest area and to identify associated pathologies.

X-rays are used to identify a painful area, swollen area, or third-party injury.

An x-ray photo of the ribs helps the specialist determine the source of the disease. The study is used to make a diagnosis, monitor changes, determine a treatment method and monitor the dynamics of improvement of the condition. Doctors use this method for diagnosis. The study can determine the presence of diseases of the respiratory system.

X-rays of the ribs are used to determine signs: fever, shortness of breath, systematic cough. The examination is used to detect tumors, heart and vascular diseases.

A rib x-ray can reveal many diseases within the body.