Chest injuries after a car Accident -

Chest injuries are frequent following collisions with cars. In the event of a crash, the chest is likely to strike the seat belt or airbag, or even your steering wheel.

Studies have shown that only 2.4 percent of injured victims who are admitted to an emergency room report chest injury. This could be due to the fact that most chest injuries are not serious. However, they do require the required attention and care.

What is the structure and function of your chest?

Your chest is scientifically referred to as your thorax between your abdomen and head. Particularly, it begins at your shoulders and extends all the way to your diaphragm. The neck divides your neck from your thorax and your diaphragm is the one that separates your abdomen from your thorax.

Your chest is a shield for the chest cavity. The chest cavity is home to vital organs, like your lungs and heart. The chest cavity also houses the main blood vessels that flow into and from your heart. The esophagus, the trachea, and other airways are a part of your chest.

To guard these crucial structures the chest is protected with your ribcage. You’ve got 12 pairs of ribs within your ribcage. In the upper part of your chest, you’ll find seven pairs of ribs that are true. Ligaments secure your ribs to your spine and cartilage binds your ribs to the sternum.

Below your real ribs, there are three false ribs. Ligaments attach the false ribs to your spine, however instead of attaching to your sternum, the false ribs are attached to the ribs that are real with cartilage.

What Causes Car Accidents cause chest injuries?

The passengers of a car are moving at the same rate as the vehicle. This may sound to be logical, but the majority of people don’t think that their bodies travel at a speed of 65 or 70 miles per hour while traveling on the interstate.

Hyperextension Injury

Accidents in the car can also cause trauma to your chest when you abruptly shift direction. As per the California Highway Patrol, the most frequent fatal accident and the second most frequent injury-related accident is a broadside or angle collision. In the year 2017, California was the site of nearly 100,000 broadside crashes that killed or injured motorists.

Accidents occur when someone strikes the sides of your car instead of the rear or front. The entire force of an impact on the side goes into pushing your body to the side into the console or door. When your body bends and twists to the side and you exaggerate your chest.

What are the most common chest injuries that can result from a car accident?

Chest injuries can come in a variety of types, based on the incident and the forces that you encounter. Examples of chest injuries are:

Chest Strain or Sprain

The strain in your chest occurs when the muscles or tendons in your chest stretch out. The tension on the muscles and tendons can cause them to stretch or tear.

The symptoms of chest strain are:

Pain
Swelling
Muscle stiffness
Weakness
Muscle spasms

These signs can be especially apparent when you stretch your chest while inhaling.

Sprained chest occurs because the ligaments that connect your ribs and the spine are stretched out.

When ligaments are stretched or tear the ligaments, you could experience symptoms like:

Pain
Swelling
Bruising
Limitation of motion range
The chest may be unstable and “loose” ribs

A defining symptom that differentiates an injury from a strain is an ear-popping sound or feeling when the ligament is torn when you have an accident.

Fractured Rib

The force on your chest as a result of an automobile accident could cause a fracture to the part of your rib. Rib fractures can be painful however they usually heal in about six to eight weeks.

Doctors taped your chest in order to keep injured ribs in place as they were healing. Doctors have stopped doing this because breathing in shallow air caused by constriction of the tape may increase the chance of getting pneumonia.

Torn Cartilage

The position that your belt above your sternum may cause a tear in the cartilage connected to the ribs. The cartilage in your chest will heal without surgery, however, it may take a few months for it to fully heal.