14 Known Symptoms of A Broken Rib

2. Bruising of the Ribs

Most breaks and fractures take place due to a sudden and severe impact to the affected site, which can be enough to burst blood vessels around the area; this is what causes most of the initial bruising that you will see in the case of a rib fracture – and the bruising is likely to spread and be painful to the touch, as well as being darker than the normal type of bruising that you would have expected to see from a slight bump.

If you notice any bruising, swelling or pain after a traumatic rib injury – even if the initial injury didn’t feel as bad, to begin with – see your doctor as soon as possible. X-rays can help to establish the extent of the injury and how it should be treated in order to ensure that you don’t injure yourself further in the process by over-exerting the existing injury.