Table of Contents
What do you do for a broken rib?
What’s the Treatment?
- Take a break from sports to allow yourself to heal without hurting yourself again.
- Put ice on the area to relieve pain.
- Take pain medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Take deep breaths to avoid pneumonia.
- Don’t wrap anything tightly around your ribs while they’re healing.
Should I go to the ER for a broken rib?
If you’ve been hit hard enough in the chest to make you think you may have broken a rib or two, go to the emergency department or call 911. It’s especially dangerous if the patient has any of the following signs or symptoms: Severe shortness of breath. Coughing blood.
What happens if you leave a broken rib untreated?
When untreated, rib fractures will lead to serious short-term consequences such as severe pain when breathing, pneumonia and, rarely, death. Long-term consequences include chest wall deformity, chronic pain and decreased lung function.
Can you lie down with broken ribs?
Sleeping While Sitting Upright Ideally, this is the best sleep position for patients with a broken rib. This position can help your ribs heal quickly than lying down on the bed. Sleeping while lying down may exert unwanted pressures on the spine, which might be transferred to the ribs.
How can you tell if you have a broken rib or pulled muscle?
Check if you have a bruised or broken rib
- strong pain in your chest area, particularly when you breathe in.
- swelling or tenderness around the affected ribs.
- sometimes bruising on the skin.
- feeling or hearing a crack if it’s a broken rib.
What is the healing time for a cracked rib?
Treatment Options. While healing time for bruised ribs typically ranges anywhere between 5 to 6 weeks, rib fractures might take longer to heal. The time one would take to recover would also vary, depending on the overall health of the patient. It might range from 6 weeks to 6 months.
How does one treat a broken rib at home?
Put ice over the fractured rib. Apply an ice pack, frozen gel pack or bag of peas from the freezer onto your rib injury for about 20 minutes every hour you are awake for the first two days, then reduce it to 10 – 20 minutes three times daily as needed to reduce pain and swelling.
What doctor treats broken ribs?
Doctor and medical specialist list for Rib fracture: The following types of doctors or medical specialists may be involved in diagnosis, treatment or management for Rib fracture: Emergency Medical Physician.
Should you put Heat on broken ribs?
If there are any signs of internal injury, never use heat as a treatment of broken ribs. This is contraindicated in these type of complications. Keep the person comfortable. You may splint the chest with pillows or some type of firm bag.