When you cough, you apply an energetic strain on the body muscles, as it is a powerful and instinctive activity. If the cough is persistent, hacking and unchecked, you may experience a pulled muscle from coughing.
This can happen in any part of the body where there is a strain. Nevertheless, muscle strain from coughing is mainly seen on the chest muscles and abdominal muscles. You can also get a pulled muscle in back from coughing.
Сan coughing cause pulled muscle? Consistent and severe cough can cause the muscles to strain very severely and sometimes the muscle fibers even establish minor tears.
Symptoms of Pulled Muscle from Coughing
- Whenever you cough, there is a pain at the site where you have pulled muscle from coughing.
- This pain can be mild or severe and depends upon the level of muscle damage.
- When the affected muscles are bent the pain is intensified.
- The site of injury can get swollen, stiff and is tender to touch.
- If the pulled muscle from coughing remains in the chest or abdominal area, there will be problem in breathing, especially when the muscles unwind.
- Pain aggravates when flexing down or twisting the body.
- You might feel a sharp pain at the time of injury, or it might begin more gradually. The pain will become worse when you twist, extend, take in deeply, cough, or sneeze.
- The area of the strain in between your ribs will ache to the touch.
- Because it’s so painful to breathe, you may find yourself taking small, shallow sips of air. This can leave you short of breath.
- A partially torn or strained muscle will become swollen. You might see some swelling in between and around the impacted ribs.
- The injured muscles may feel tight when you breathe, reach, or twist.
These symptoms can be just like those of more serious problems, so set up an appointment with your doctor. They can examine your symptoms and figure out the underlying cause.
Can You Pull a Muscle from Coughing
When to see a doctor? The normal time needed in recovery of a pulled muscle from coughing is 3 to 4 days.
If you have a severe cough or the symptoms of pulled muscle persist or aggravate after 1 or 2 weeks, you must see a doctor for proper treatment.
Often it is possible that there is a broken rib, when the pain in the muscle is close to the chest. This condition is a serious issue and should be checked by a doctor right away.
If you have a health problem, speak to your doctor or a health professional immediately about your condition!
Treatment for Pulled Muscle from Coughing
Here we will take a look at the some natural home remedy which can be tried to get relief from the pain caused due to a pulled muscle from coughing:
Secure Your Pulled Muscle
When you have to safeguard the pulled muscle, you have to make sure that you do not allow much motion because area of the body. Limitation you motions and avoid raising anything heavy.
Get enough rest so that the muscle has time to recover. You will likewise need to find a remedy for the coughing or control your coughing. When you stop coughing, the afflicted area will receive rest and help in recovery.
Use an Ice Pack
Ice helps in reducing the inflammation and swelling in the affected area. Ice pack can be applied to the pulled muscle from coughing for about 15 minutes. This should be duplicated every 2 hours. The ice bag should not be applied directly on the skin, ensure that a minimum of a towel or cloth is present in between the ice pack and the skin.
Use a Compression Wrap or Bandage
A compression wrap or plaster helps to avoid swelling in the afflicted area. A plaster can be wrapped around the chest, when the coughing is under control. The plaster should be covered only if there is no problem while breathing and it does not cause any discomfort.
Elevate Your Pulled Muscle
The pulled muscle ought to be in an elevated position and above the heart. Nevertheless, this is not possible when the pulled muscle is a stomach muscle.
However you can use pillows to prop up the body to keep yourself elevated. Lying down on the side opposite to the pulled muscle also helps.
Avoidance
Damage represents heat, running (workout) and massage. All these 3 things need to be prevented after you have pulled the muscle, so that the injury is not further worsened. You ought to refrain from taking hot water bath or using a heating pad.
Running or any other exercise will cause a great deal of motion in the muscle, hence it must be avoided. As soon as the inflammation subsides after 2 to 3 days, heat can be used to the impacted muscle, slowly moving the area, while gently massaging it.
How to Cope Till Your Doctor’s Visit
If you believe you’ve injured the muscles in between your ribs, make a consultation with your doctor. They can recognize which muscle has been strained, and make sure you have not injured some other structure in your chest.
Your doctor will give you a total treatment strategy, however in the meantime, avoid twisting and reaching activities that make the pain even worse. You can likewise attempt these techniques for relief:
Over the counter pain medication
While you wait to see your doctor, you can take over the counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve), or easy pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol). Follow the plan instructions for how much and how typically to take these medications.
If the cough is relentless, you will have problem in restricting the motion of the muscles. Hence, along with remedy for the pulled muscle, remedy needs to be pursued managing the cough also.
- Cough: You can decide to have a cough suppressant after consulting your doctor. Your doctor might likewise recommend or suggest you to take cough expectorant or suppressant. You can likewise attempt OTC cough lozenge as it helps reduce the irritation or tingling feeling in the throat makings you cough.
- Pulled Muscle: Sometimes a pain reliever will be required to treat the pulled muscle totally. NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil) can be taken when the pain of the pulled muscle from coughing, ends up being excruciating. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to take such medications after speaking with the doctor.
You ought to also be sure that you’re not overmedicating by taking a number of products which contain pain relievers, including medicines for colds or menstrual cramps. Consult with your doctor prior to taking over the counter medication together with your typical medication.
Good luck! Have a nice weekend!
