What exactly leads to bruised ribs and what is one supposed to do about the same? In this following article we will give you a brief study of what causes bruised ribs and how to go on about treating them.

The ribs have their job cut out for them. And why not? After all they are one of the most important organs that we have in our bodies. They are responsible for the protection of our heart and lungs and lend them better support by keeping them away from harm's reach. Now imagine if you look into the mirror one morning and notice bruised ribs. Then you're left wondering why they have come about and what causes bruised ribs. To provide an answer to all your queries, the following article will make way and solve all the questions.

Bruised Ribs - Causes

There could be several reasons that could lead to bruised ribs. Let us review some of these in the hopes of understanding what these are. It is after all the first step required to start out on the treatment.

Trauma/Injury
This is probably one of the most common and one of the most obvious reasons for why bruised ribs come about. When there is a fall on the ribs like a slip and fall incident, or there is a direct hit to the rib area, bruised ribs will make way. One need not even be involved in an accident or something similar, a minor hit on the ribs is enough to lead to bruised ribs. When there is a trauma in the rib region, as in any other part of the body, the blood vessels will be affected which then results in blood clots and discoloration of the skin as a sign. Sometimes even a simple fall from the bed or a jumping into the swimming pool with force can lead to trauma and injury to the ribs.

Fracture
Another common reason for why bruised ribs come about is due to a fracture. A fracture will lead to tremendous amounts of pain and discomfort and cause bruising as one of the main symptoms. Of course, a fracture is easier to identify than most other conditions that lead to bruised ribs because of the sheer magnanimity of the condition. If one has a broken rib, there will not be much that one can do and every small action will lead to mind numbing pain.

Pregnancy
Sometimes the swollen belly can put a whole lot of pressure on the ribs, especially when the woman is sitting down and the abdomen is pressed down. If the pregnant woman continues to sit down for extended periods of time, it can lead to bruised ribs as well.

Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is one other factor that can cause bruised ribs. Physical abuse of any degree when meted out on the chest region can lead to bruised ribs. The degree of the abuse will determine the condition.

Chest Injury
Any injury to the chest region can also lead to a bruised ribs. For example, during a sports activity if a ball hits the chest and leads to injury, it can most definitely cause bruised ribs to comes about.

Medical Conditions
There are several medical conditions that hold bruised ribs as one of their main symptoms. Here are some of these:

• Leukemia
• Aplastic Anemia
• Hemophilia
• Lymphoma
• Von Willebrand's Disease
• Steroid Usage
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic coughing can lead to putting a lot of pressure on the ribs and cause bruises as well as fractures

Bruised Ribs - Symptoms

Here is a list of some of the broken ribs symptoms that you can go through to determine whether one indeed has bruised ribs:

• Acute pain that worsens with each breath
• There might be shooting pain if you move over from one side to the other
• Discoloration of skin in the area of the bruised ribs
• Difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath

Bruised Ribs - Treatment

And then the question of how to treat bruised ribs and make them better. The deal is that bruised ribs need to be allowed the time to heal by themselves because the trauma has to be taken care of and the wounds healed. A bruised ribs treatment involves some of the following steps:

• Ensure that it isn't a fracture with the help of tests and the like
• Apply cold ice on the area for the first 48 hours so that the blood vessels constrict and minimize the blood flow. This will lead to the area healing faster
• Pain medication is usually the main treatment that is used. This helps to deal with the pain that ensues
• Plenty of rest is required so that sufficient time is allowed for the bruised ribs to repair themselves. In this time, minimum activity is recommended so that the healing time is shortened
• Sometimes doctors may prescribe a rib case so that the ribs are properly encased and there is minimum movement so to speak

Now that we've studied this condition, understood the symptoms and the forms of treatment of the same, you can rest assured that you'll be able to handle the situation well. If there is any doubt of what one should do in this condition then make sure that you visit a doctor at the earliest and have yourself checked. There's definitely no need to deal with any complications of the same.