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What happens if I hit a broken rib hard?

Hitting a broken rib hard can lead to severe complications and should always be avoided. A broken rib is a serious injury that requires proper rest and care for healing. Any forceful impact or trauma to the damaged rib bone can displace rib fragments, puncture internal organs, or cause other injuries.

Immediate Effects of Hitting a Broken Rib

When you hit or bump a broken rib hard, you may experience:

  • Severe pain at the fracture site that takes your breath away
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Dizziness or feeling faint
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Sharp stabbing pain when inhaling or exhaling
  • Muscle spasms in the chest or back

The sudden, intense pain is caused by the fractured rib bone segments grinding or pushing against each other forcefully. This can pinch, tear or bruise internal organs and tissues around the broken rib.

Potential Internal Damage

A hard blow to a healing rib fracture carries high risks of causing damage to surrounding organs, blood vessels or nerves. Some potential internal injuries include:

  • Punctured or collapsed lung – Rib fragments can penetrate the pleural membrane lining the lungs, causing a lung collapse. This is a medical emergency.
  • Lacerated organs – Spiky bone edges may lacerate the liver, spleen, kidneys or other organs and tissues they are pushed against.
  • Internal bleeding – Torn blood vessels may cause severe internal bleeding in the chest or abdominal cavity.
  • Nerve injury – Intercostal nerves between the ribs may get bruised, pinched or severed.

Such internal trauma usually causes severe pain, breathing difficulty, dizziness, rapid heart rate and low blood pressure. Seek emergency care if you experience any of these after an impact to the chest.

Complications from Displaced Fragments

Forceful trauma can worsen a rib fracture by displacing the broken bone segments. Possible complications include:

  • Misaligned bones – The ends of cracked ribs may override or displace instead of staying aligned. This delays proper healing.
  • Punctured organs – Angular, sharp-edged bone pieces may puncture lungs, spleen or liver if hit hard.
  • Bone fragments in vessels – Dislodged rib chips may enter and block blood vessels, causing an embolism.
  • Injury to nerves – Nerves that pass between the ribs are at risk of pinching and damage.
  • Deformed rib cage – Healing bones may fuse at odd angles if rib alignment is lost, causing chronic pain.

Displaced rib fractures take longer to heal. Surgery may be needed to realign and stabilize the bones with plates and screws. Seek prompt medical care if you suspect your healing rib fracture has shifted after a hit or blow.

Risk of Re-breaking the Rib

Any blunt force or trauma to a healing broken rib may re-fracture the weakened bone. Warning signs of a re-break include:

  • Sudden onset of intense pain at the original fracture site
  • Sharp pain when breathing deeply or coughing
  • Tenderness, swelling and bruising over the rib area
  • Stabbing pain that worsens with movement
  • Grating sensation when touching the injury

Re-breaking a rib fracture resets the clock on your recovery time. The broken ends have to knit back together again through the healing stages of bone regeneration. Get medical assistance to check for bone alignment and rule out complications.

When to See a Doctor

See a doctor promptly if you experience:

  • Sudden, stabbing chest pain after an impact on the healing rib
  • Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
  • Lightheadedness, dizziness or excess sweating
  • Coughing up blood or vomiting blood
  • Visible chest wall deformity or protruding section
  • Abnormal sensations or numbness around the ribcage
  • Severe tenderness over the injured rib

Emergency care is crucial if you have symptoms like difficulty breathing, blue skin discoloration, heavy internal bleeding or a collapsed lung after hitting an injured rib. Seek evaluation even for mild symptoms, as complications may arise later.

Diagnosis of Trauma Issues

The doctor will examine your rib injury by:

  • Asking about what caused the latest trauma and your symptoms
  • Visually inspecting the chest wall for anomalies
  • Palpating to check for tenderness, crepitus or looseness
  • Ordering imaging tests like X-rays, CT or MRI scans
  • Checking oxygen levels and lung function
  • Evaluating for other associated injuries

Tell your doctor exactly how and when you hit or bumped the healing rib. Mention any worrisome symptoms occurring after the trauma. Imaging tests can diagnose bone displacement, tissue damage and internal bleeding issues.

Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the severity of your injury. Options may include:

  • Pain medication – Prescription-strength drugs to relieve pain and inflammation while the bone heals.
  • Oxygen therapy – Oxygen delivery through a mask or nasal cannula if breathing is difficult.
  • Chest tube – To re-expand a collapsed lung caused by penetrating rib fragments.
  • Surgery – Open surgery to realign displaced bones, remove fragments or stop bleeding. This may involve plates and screws to stabilize rib fractures.
  • Hospitalization – For people at high risk of complications like older adults. Close monitoring and supportive care is provided.

Follow all doctor’s instructions for managing your injury, including immobilizing the chest, cold compresses, breathing exercises, etc. Report any new symptoms or worsening immediately.

Healing and Recovery Process

Healing a re-injured or displaced rib fracture takes around 6 to 8 weeks with proper treatment. However, full recovery can take several months. Tips to heal correctly include:

  • Keeping the chest immobile with a rib belt, wrapping or taping
  • Using cold or hot compresses for pain relief
  • Taking prescribed medication for pain management
  • Doing slow, deep breathing exercises
  • Following activity restrictions provided by your doctor
  • Getting plenty of rest and eating a nutritious diet
  • Quitting smoking to allow tissues to heal faster
  • Attending all follow-up appointments for x-rays and evaluation

The rib has to form a strong, stable bone union across the break line. Seek prompt care if you experience any complications or the pain worsens instead of improving with time.

Prevention of Re-injury

You can avoid re-damaging the fractured rib and improve healing by:

  • Immobilizing the chest with a firm brace, wrap or tape
  • Avoiding sudden movements like twisting, bending, lifting, etc.
  • Not carrying, pushing or pulling anything heavy
  • Getting help lifting, reaching or carrying objects
  • Not participating in sports or strenuous activity
  • Being careful around children and pets that may bump your chest
  • Taking care when coughing, laughing or sneezing
  • Sleeping propped up to ease breathing
  • Keeping your coughs and sneezes suppressed

Protect your injured rib at all times until the doctor confirms it has fully healed. This helps prevent complications of rib displacement and collapsed lung.

When Can I Resume Normal Activity?

Your doctor will advise you when it is safe to resume your regular activities. Generally:

  • Desk work can be resumed in 2 to 4 weeks with rib precautions.
  • Driving is possible after 4 to 6 weeks if you can turn your body without pain.
  • Light exercise like walking can start after 6 weeks.
  • Contact sports should be avoided for 3 months until the bone consolidates and strengthens.
  • Strenuous lifting, pushing or physical labor may need 6 months recovery time if the fracture was unstable.

Rushing your return to activity increases injury risks. Follow your doctor’s timeline to ensure the ribs are maturely healed before normal stress.

Potential Long-term Issues

People who hit or displace healing rib fractures may face:

  • Chronic pain if nerves get damaged
  • Stiffness and reduced chest wall movement
  • Breathing problems if lungs were injured
  • Arthritis-like rib pain in cold weather
  • Numbness or odd sensations due to nerve trauma
  • Acreased risk of pneumothorax or lung collapse
  • Restricted activity and exercise capacity

See a doctor if rib pain persists beyond a few months after the fracture heals. Physical therapy and pain management options can help improve long-term rib injury symptoms.

Conclusion

Hitting an existing broken rib can have serious medical consequences. The forceful trauma may shift bone fragments out of place, re-fracture the weak spot, tear surrounding tissues or damage organs. While most rib injuries heal well over time, complications can be life-threatening.

It is crucial to protect healing rib fractures from any further impacts or trauma. Seek prompt medical care if you experience worsening pain, breathing problems, internal bleeding or other issues after hitting an injured rib. With proper treatment and rest, you can expect to make a full recovery over time.