Chest injury

You have suffered an injury to your chest, which may have caused bruising to your ribs and chest wall muscles. It is also in some cases possible that you have broken some ribs.

A chest x-ray is not always needed, as broken ribs do not always show up on an x-ray. You will be treated in the same way whether your ribs are broken or not. The pain from this type of injury will be worse when you take a deep breath, cough or move.

Help with pain management

Simple painkillers can be used after injury, most of which can be bought over the counter in shops, supermarkets or pharmacy’s. Examples are:

  • Paracetamol
  • Ibuprofen

You may have been prescribed an alternative painkiller, please refer to specific advice for that tablet if this is the case.

What can you do to help your chest injury?

Breathing exercises – Deep breathing might make the pain worse, but it’s important that you do regular breathing exercises. These will reduce your risk of you developing a chest infection.

To do breathing exercises you should: 

  • take a slow deep breath in
  • hold it for 5 seconds
  • slowly breathe out

It may help to support the injured area with your hand while you do this. You should do these exercises for up to 5 minutes every hour. It’s also important that you cough up any phlegm (sputum) that develops. Again it may help if you support the injured area with your hand while coughing.

Smoking

If you smoke, you should try to stop. Smoking will add to the phlegm produced by your lungs and increase the chances of you getting a chest infection.

What to look out for?

If you develop any of the following symptoms:

  • Increasing shortness of breath
  • Coughing up blood
  • Coughing up yellow or green phlegm
  • Change in the nature of pain
  • Worsening pain
  • Unexplained fever

You should contact or return to the Emergency Department or visit your GP.

Further advice

If you have any ongoing concerns or queries about your chest injury you should contact NHS 111 or your local GP. If your concern is urgent or an emergency, attend your local Emergency Department.

People with hearing and speech difficulties

You can contact us using the Relay UK app. Textphone users will need to dial 18001 before the number to be contacted.

Accessible Information

If you need this information in another format or language, please ask a member of staff.

Smoking

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a smoke-free organisation. You are not permitted to smoke or use e-cigarettes in any of the hospital buildings or grounds.