Sternum is the dagger shaped set of bones found in the chest region. It is also known as breast bone and it is well connected to rib bones through cartilages. This forms part of rib-cage circle that encloses many important blood vessels of the heart and major organs like heart and lungs. Any fracture or major bruise on the sternum can affect the normal functioning of these organs. 5 out of every 100 people can develop bruises or minor fracture of sternum due to injury or trauma to the chest.
Motor accidents are the major cause for sternum fracture and in most of the cases negligence of not wearing seat belts properly can cause damage to the sternum. Old age people and young children are prone to develop bruises of sternum. Any stressful operation involved in the job and sports related injury can also cause bruised sternum. People whose job involves working in raised construction sites are at risk of getting bruises and fracture of sternum. In rare cases certain medical conditions like osteoporosis can cause bruises on the sternum. Sternum contusion or sternum bruises can develop due to trauma occurring to the breastbone when the chest of the driving person crashes with that of steering column.
Bruised Sternum Symptoms :
You should be aware of the signs of bruises or fracture on the sternum to seek immediate medical attention. Moderate to severe pain on the breastbone which progresses as one breathes is the first symptom of bruised sternum. Bruised sternum can be the reason when you develop sharp piercing pain while coughing or laughing aloud. Any bruises on the breastbone can cause tenderness on the chest region accompanied with swelling. In some cases this condition can also cause bruises on the superficial skin layer.
Chest pain (without any apparent cause) that persists for weeks together can be due to bruised sternum. Any pain or discomfort developed on the chest region during movement indicates bruises on the sternum. Any bruises on the breastbone or sternum should never be neglected since it may cause complications like lung infections and scarring of heart tissue.