Pulmonary contusion is another name for a bruised lung. A blow to your chest, such as from hitting a car steering wheel or air bag, can bruise your lung.
If the injury isn't too bad, you may feel some soreness in your chest and then start to feel better in a few days. If the injury is more serious, you may have a lot of pain from damaged muscles, cartilage, or ribs in your chest. You may even have coughed up blood after the injury.
Your doctor may advise you to cough and take deep breaths, even though your chest hurts. Breathing deeply and coughing can help keep the air passages in your lungs open and free of mucus.
A bruised lung can take one or more weeks to heal, depending on how badly your lungs were injured.
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