Region: Chest
A pulmonary contusion is a bruise to the lung caused by a strong impact to the chest. This causes bleeding and fluid in the lung, which can make breathing difficult.
What is a Pulmonary Contusion?
A pulmonary contusion is a bruise to the lung caused by a strong impact to the chest. This causes bleeding and fluid in the lung, which can make breathing difficult.
Symptoms
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Coughing
- Fatigue
What does a Pulmonary Contusion feel like?
- Chest pain after a hard hit
- Difficulty breathing or catching your breath
- A tight or heavy feeling in the chest
- Pain that gets worse with breathing
What are common causes of a Pulmonary Contusion?
- Direct impact to the chest
- Collisions during sports
- Falls onto the chest
- High-force contact injuries
Self check
- Did the pain start after a hard hit to your chest?
- Are you having trouble breathing?
- Does breathing make the pain worse?
- Do you feel tightness in your chest?
- Did symptoms appear after an injury?
Educational only — not a medical diagnosis.
What to do now
- Stop activity immediately
- Rest and avoid movement
- Avoid deep or forceful breathing
- Seek immediate medical evaluation
- Stay calm and limit movement
Red flags
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Rapid worsening of symptoms
- Coughing up blood
- Confusion or dizziness
- Chest pain that worsens quickly
Recovery tips
- Follow medical guidance
- Gradually return to activity
- Avoid contact sports until cleared
- Allow time for lung healing
- Monitor breathing symptoms
Educational only. Not a medical diagnosis.