Fractured Rib- Topic Overview. What is a fractured rib? A rib fracture is a crack or break in one of the bones of the rib cage. A break in the thick tissue (cartilage) that connects the ribs to the breastbone may also be called a fractured rib, even if the bone itself is not broken. The most common cause of a fractured rib is a direct blow to the chest, often from a car accident or a fall. Coughing hard can also fracture a rib. This is more likely to happen if you have a disease that has made your bones weak, such as osteoporosis or cancer. What happens when you break a rib? Your ribs have two main jobs: They protect the organs in your chest. They help you breathe by keeping space open inside your chest while the muscles you use to breathe squeeze in, or contract. This leaves plenty of space for your lungs to fill up with air. A train driver was filmed eating a sandwich as a woman was dragged along a subway platform after becoming stuck in the doors. Belarussian national Natalya Garkovich. Bicycle helmet crash stories. Everything below here was added before we began dating the stories. We began this page in 1997. Fortunately, both are treated the same-time, rest and pain medicines as needed. Definition Spinal fusion is a procedure that promotes the fusing, or growing together, of two or more vertebrae in the spine. A rib fracture is common injuries to the chest with rib fractures as the most common thoracic injury from blunt force trauma. The woman describes in the note how she is fleeing an "abusive relationship" and cannot afford to take her three-month-old puppy on a flight with her. A question many ask but few dare to answer. Would it hurt more to break a rib or have a hernia, is it worse to have appendicitis or punctured lung? Or the age old: Is. You've probably not broken a rib if you can still walk/ride etc. The muscles used for breathing pull on the ribs, so breathing may be very painful when you have a fractured rib. It is important to see a doctor after a rib injury. A blow that is hard enough to fracture a rib could also injure your lungs, spleen, blood vessels, or other parts of your body. A common injury when you have a fractured rib is a punctured or collapsed lung (pneumothorax). Flail chest is a serious problem that happens when three or more ribs are broken in more than one place. If you have flail chest, the broken area can't hold its shape when you take a breath. This leaves less space in your chest for your lungs to open and air to flow in. It also makes it harder for the muscles to work well, so it's harder to take a breath. What are the symptoms? A fractured rib may cause: Mild to severe pain in the injured area. Pain around the fracture when someone pushes on your breastbone. If you can't breathe normally because of your injuries, you may: Feel short of breath. Feel anxious, restless, or scared. Have a headache. The doctor may: Push on your chest to find out where you are hurt. AFL teams: See the line-ups for Round 9 plus the best SuperCoach advice.Watch you breathe and listen to your lungs to make sure air is moving in and out normally. But rib fractures don't always show up on X- rays. So you may be treated as though you have a fractured rib even if an X- ray doesn't show any broken bones. How is it treated? Most fractured ribs are treated at home and will heal on their own over time. Home treatment will help you manage the pain while you heal. Pain relief can help you feel better and let you take deeper breaths. A fractured rib usually takes at least 6 weeks to heal. To help manage the pain while the fracture heals: While you are healing, it is important to cough or take the deepest breath you can at least once an hour. This can help prevent pneumonia or a partial collapse of the lung tissue. If you have fractured your ribs and you have not injured your neck or back, it is a good idea to lie on your injured side. This may seem odd at first, but it will let you take deeper breaths. In the past, it was common to tape or tightly wrap the injured rib area. But you should not do this, even if it eases your pain. It can keep you from taking deep breaths, and it could cause parts of your lung to collapse or could increase your risk for pneumonia. Web. MD Medical Reference from Healthwise. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Broken ribs - Symptoms and causes. Symptoms. The pain associated with a broken rib usually occurs or worsens when you: Take a deep breath. Press on the injured area. Bend or twist your body. When to see a doctor. See your doctor if you have a very tender spot in your rib area that occurs after trauma or if you have difficulty breathing or pain with deep breathing. Seek medical attention immediately if you feel pressure, fullness or a squeezing pain in the center of your chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or pain that extends beyond your chest to your shoulder or arm. These symptoms can indicate a heart attack. Causes. Broken ribs are most commonly caused by direct impacts — such as those from motor vehicle accidents, falls, child abuse or contact sports. Ribs also can be fractured by repetitive trauma from sports like golf and rowing or from severe and prolonged coughing. Risk factors. The following factors can increase your risk of breaking a rib: Osteoporosis. Having this disease in which your bones lose their density makes you more susceptible to a bone fracture. Sports participation. Playing contact sports, such as hockey or football, increases your risk of trauma to your chest. Cancerous lesion in a rib. A cancerous lesion can weaken the bone, making it more susceptible to breaks. Complications. A broken rib can injure blood vessels and internal organs. The risk increases with the number of broken ribs. Complications vary depending on which ribs break. Possible complications include: Torn or punctured aorta. A sharp end of a break in one of the first three ribs at the top of your rib cage could rupture your aorta or another major blood vessel. Punctured lung. The jagged end of a broken middle rib can puncture a lung and cause it to collapse. Lacerated spleen, liver or kidneys. The bottom two ribs rarely fracture because they have more flexibility than do the upper and middle ribs, which are anchored to the breastbone. But if you break a lower rib, the broken ends can cause serious damage to your spleen, liver or a kidney.
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