Treat Bruised Ribs from Coughing with Home Remedies

Pain while coughing, sneezing, deep breathing or twisting may be a sign of a bruised rib. You can relieve pain when you have bruise ribs, but you should still see a doctor if you cannot tolerate the pain. If not treated promptly, you may fall into some very dangerous situations.

What are Bruised Ribs?

The ribs are long curved bones forming cages. The ribs are located around the chest, allowing the lungs to relax and inhale by the expansion of the chest. They are responsible for protecting the heart, lungs and other organs. Any injury to the chest and ribs can also have bruises. The skin in the affected area will be purple or yellow. The skin may be swollen due to blood clots. This bruise may spread to the surrounding area. Unfortunately, the patient will experience a lot of pain and inconvenience. Ribs are often impacted. When you walk, stand, run, or lie, you impact on your ribs. Therefore, when your ribs are affected, your activities will also be delayed. As with other conditions, bruised ribs should be treated as soon as possible. If nothing serious, you can treat this condition right at home. It may take up to four weeks to fully treat this condition.

Common Causes of Bruised Ribs?

Direct impacts such as car accidents, falls or sports injuries can result in bruised ribs. This condition can also be caused by repeated injuries from playing sports such as golf and rowing or heavy lifting . Besides, bruised ribs may be a sign of some of the following serious illnesses:

Besides, bruised ribs may be a sign of some of the following serious illnesses: pleurisy, pneumothorax, chest muscle strain, cartilage fracture, chronic muscle pain, indigestion, flatulence.

Common Symptoms of Bruised Ribs?

The common symptoms of bruised ribs are the pain that occurs each time you do the followings:

• Deep breath
• Press on the injured area
• Bending or twisting the body

Treat Bruised Ribs at Home

1. Apply Cold Packing

Apply cold over bruised area helps in reducing pain and swelling, this will make bruised tissues recover fast. If using ice cubes to do this, you need to use a soft towel to wrap them. This will limit the direct contact between skin and stone, preventing cold burn.

2. Turmeric

It has active substance Curcumin, which has great anti-inflammatory properties and also act as a pain killer. It speeds the healing process.

3. Drink Lots of Water

Drinking enough water helps you hydrate your body and boost metabolism to the optimum level. In addition, water occupies a large volume in the stomach, so you feel full without eating much. During the treatment of bruised ribs, you should drink 1.5 - 2 liters of water a day. Water helps to relieve pain, while promoting the recovery of the ribs.

4. Use Aloe Vera Gel

It helps in soothing the bruised ribs. The main components of Aloe Vera gel are vitamin E and other essential minerals. In addition, the amino acids and anthraglycosides present in Aloe Vera act as an antioxidant, which promotes skin healing. Not only that, they also have the ability to restore injured skin cells. All you need to do is applying a thin layer of gel on the affected area 2-3 times a day.

5. Exposure to the Sun

Exposing to the sun is essential for bone health, in general, and for broken bones or bruised rib, in particular. Ultraviolet rays help break down bilirubin - the product of hemoglobin breakdown. Bilirubin usually causes the bruise to become yellowish. If possible, let the bruised ribs come into contact with the sunlight (at a safe level, avoiding sunburn) to speed up the breakdown of the remaining bilirubin. Therefore, be exposed to direct sunlight for 10-15 minutes each day. This time is enough to help bruised ribs without causing sunburn.

6. Apple Cider Vinegar

It is known to increase blood circulation near the skin surface, which will quickly improve your bruised ribs. Never use it directly over the skin, you should Dilute vinegar with water at a rate of 2: 1 and gently apply the mixture to the affected area. You can do this 2-3 times a day.

7. Rest

Resting is essential for those looking for tips on how to treat bruised ribs naturally at home. You should not overwork when you have bruised ribs, especially when breathing causes you pain. Rest is the fastest recovery. You can read books or watch movies but do not sit for too long. If possible, take 1-2 days off work, especially when you do the work which requires you to stand for too long or use the limb continuously.

Follow above tips, which will help you recover bruised ribs and swelling and pain, if symptoms persist or worsen then visit doctor.