chip1

I was involved in a minor crash about a week ago, where another bike hit me right in the heart area. Since then I've been having pains, mostly when lying down to go to sleep, but wasn't that excruciating so I ignored it thinking it would go away in few days. Well I just came back from a 30 mile ride, and my chest is feeling heavy every time I breathe. Initially I thought this was a bruise issue, but there's no sign of it on my chest, and if the pain got worse as I became more tired I'm thinking it's something else. Again, pain isn't that bad, but this is the worst I've felt. I rode as slowly as I could on the way home trying not to put pressure on any part of my body just in case.

What do you think this is, and what should I do about it? (besides going to a doctor which I plan to do but won't be in few days)

Elvo

I would wait for random strangers on an online forum to tell me to go to the ER or Urgent Care.

hamster

Does it hurt if you try to take a deep breath? If so, symptoms would be consistent with having bruised ribs. You need to see the doctor for confirmation. While bruised ribs by themselves are not a particularly dangerous condition, there is risk of serious complications if any of the ribs are broken, and/or internal organs are involved. Having chest pain away from the point of impact would be an extreme cause for alarm (as this would indicate damage to the lung), as would be coughing up blood or cyanosis (bluish tint in lips or skin).

Homebrew01

If only there were people trained to diagnose injuries and diseases.

hamster

Shockingly, not all people can afford to pay $5000 to visit ER, sit in a crowded waiting room surrounded by contagious sick people for 6 hours, have a cursory inspection by an underpaid resident who's been up continuously for 34 hours, and get a diagnosis that one could arrive at with a few minutes of googling. The only real advantage of going there is that they have equipment (e.g. x-ray machine) that you and I don't have access to at home. (And they can prescribe drugs which can't be obtained OTC, which is, in this country, pretty much all drugs that work except for tylenol and ibuprofen.)

10 Wheels

Most people with the OP's condition would go directly to an Emergency Room.

kc0bbq

So what you're saying is that they shouldn't seek medical attention for abnormal pains in very important parts of their body?

cafzali

First off, there are 2 separate issues you're bringing up: the cost and a diagnosis. What others are pointing out is that there's no way someone can say remotely, with no access to any kind of screening results, what the OP's situation might be.

OP, I wouldn't go to an emergency room, rather to an urgent care facility in your area -- if you have them. They have the same diagnostic equipment, doctors who were trained in urgent care and much shorter wait times. Add to that, you'll likely pay less as well.

Elvo

Which is why you can go to urgent care, pay the $100 exam fee + $100 xray fee + pain meds or get referred to the ER if they see something serious.

mcmoose

chipndale, call your doctor for an appointment or head to an urgent care (or walk-in) center. Coming into an ER a week after the initiating event will shove you low on the triage list (in addition to costing much more). But the fact that it's still bothering you this much after a week means it should be checked out (by medical professionals, not interwebs experts).

Hope it's minor and you feel better soon!

hamster

That would work.

wallrat

I'm not a doctor. I don't play one on TV. I also think I'm pretty stupid so take this for what it's worth. It sounds like you have a fractured or bruised rib. Even if it's diagnosed as a such, they'll just tell you to ice, rest and take ibuprofen. There isn't much they can do. The complications come when there are other things that the ribs were protecting were damaged as well. If it was simply a fractured or bruised rib, it'll take 5-6 weeks to heal on its own. If there's something else wrong, it could kill you. Hmmm, have it checked out?

bikepro

I've read they exist -- or perhaps only dreamed it.

AlphaDogg

Was gonna go on WebMD and fill in the symptoms that OP is experiencing as a very informative post because we all know how accurate WebMD is... Then I got this message. Good luck

10 Wheels

yes...

gregf83 

It costs me nothing to go to the Doc or emergency but I probably wouldn't bother if I had your symptoms. I'd be surprised if the impact caused heart damage so the pain is likely due to a bruise or ligament damage. I'd experiment with some NSAIDs, I have a bottle of little yellow pills (Naproxen) that are pretty effective if there is any inflammation. If the symptoms don't improve within two weeks I'd visit your family doc.

Machka 

Go to the Dr now ... not in a few days ... now.

Makel

There is always after hours clinics or urgent care clinics. They are affordable, but just as slow as the ER.

hamster

Bone/ligament damage is very likely. The second most likely impacted area is the lung. Although many people have the misconception that the heart is in the left side of the chest (behind the nipple), in reality, most of the heart is behind the breast bone, and, say, a bullet through the nipple is going to hit the lung but may avoid the heart completely. Even a partially fractured rib can perforate the chest cavity and the lung, leading to all sorts of complications.

A sufficiently strong impact to the breast bone (say, from a baseball) can cause heart damage, and, in this case, the person has a real chance of dying on the spot. However, these situations are rare. Signs of heart damage caused by such an impact could include arrhythmia and tachycardia (resting heart rate above 100 bpm).

TrojanHorse

Bwahahahaha..... going on webMD is the quickest way I know to convince yourself you're dying.

Dryvlyne

I'm sorry, I know I'm still pretty new to these forums, but this thread is dumb... GO TO THE DOCTOR/ER NOW! FFS, your chest hurts and you're having trouble breathing and you're asking people on an Internet biking forum what you should do. You know the answer so why are you seeking confirmation!?

Homebrew01

Calling Dr. Bombay, calling Dr. Bombay, I mean calling @DrPete

HIPCHIP

I had similar to what you had. Turns out I had fractured ribs. The area is full of nerves so you could also have inflammation to the bone area. If you absolutely won't go to the Doc, then take some ice and ice the area for 20 minutes, with at least 40 minutes off to allow it to warm. If it goes away, it's probably just inflammation from the injury. If it doesn't go away, you probably have a fracture. Either way, go see a doctor who can double check. Unless it's a big fracture, it probably won't show up in the X-ray for a couple of weeks though as it has to scar and heal to be seen on the X-ray.

StanSeven

You'll be okay. I'm not a doctor but I majored in pre-med in college. Then I found beer and parties and my grades weren't good enough for medical school.

Nachoman

The symptoms you're describing would not be enough to get me to an ER or an urgent care. And probably not a doctor unless the pain remained for an unreasonable period of time.