Every time you drive your car, truck or SUV, you should properly buckle your seat belt. After all, seat belts are some of any vehicle’s most effective safety features. Indeed, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, just by using your seat belt, you reduce your risk of dying in an accident by as much as 60%.
The news is not all positive, though. During a serious motor vehicle accident, your seat belt is likely to cause some soft-tissue injuries. For women, it is not uncommon for a seat belt to bruise breast tissue. Luckily, bruised breast tissue does not cause or contribute to breast cancer.
How serious is your bruise?
As the Mayo Clinic notes, a traumatic injury to your breast can cause you to develop bruising and eventually a lump. This lump typically comes from scar tissue, as your body naturally heals from the traumatic injury. Again, bruising to the breast is typically not something you need to worry about.
When should you see a doctor?
If you have considerable bruising following a motor vehicle accident, you should seek prompt medical care to ensure you do not have internal bleeding or another potentially life-threatening injury. That is, you should go to the emergency room for a full evaluation.
With minor bruising, though, it is probably ok to wait until your next physical. Ultimately, even though most breast lumps that appear after traumatic injuries are not dangerous, discussing yours with your go-to doctor can give you some valuable peace of mind.
