Can Bruised Ribs Cause Pleurisy?
Q. I was working on the 15th of January when I slipped using a wrench and bruised my left ribs. On January 30th, while at work, around 6:30 p.m. I started having trouble breathing and having severe, stabbing, chest pains. As time progressed the pain became quite unbearable and I went to theemergency room. I was diagnosed with pleurisy. Is there a link between my ribs being bruised and pleurisy? Can bruised ribs lead to this problem? My employer claims my pleurisy has nothing to do with the fact that I bruised my ribs a few weeks ago. Please shed some light on this for me. Mark A. Dear Mark, Bruised ribs are very painful and the pain increases with each breath, suggesting pleurisy. Although this is not pleurisy in the technical sense, it has equivalent pain. Dr. Tom Worried about Father, Is He in End Stage COPD? Q. Hi. My father has had COPD, emphysema, for many years. He will be 70 in April. He is not doing so well now, he is on oxygen 24-7. He can barely walk across a room, showers ra
