Anyone who has ever suffered broken ribs [http://www.ribpain.info/broken-ribs-and-rib-pain.html] will tell you the pain can be excruciating. On the all time "Worst Pain List," broken ribs probably rate near the top with gunshot wounds, childbirth and kidney stones.
This article is intended to provide information on the causes of broken ribs, the dangers they pose, and on treating the rib pain [http://www.ribpain.info/] they trigger.
You can't put a cast on a broken rib as you can any other bone because the cast would restrict your breathing. This could lead to a case of pneumonia.
Any movement in your upper body can cause severe pain. Sitting down and standing up can be uncomfortable, and trying to sleep or even lie down can be distressing. Just trying to take a deep breath brings sharp and stabbing pain. Just touching the area near a broken rib can also hurt a lot.
Broken ribs happen for a variety of reasons, but two are more common than the rest: athletic competition and vehicular accidents.
Why a Broken Rib Is Especially Dangerous
Broken ribs can cause serious complications in a number of ways. Two are more common than the rest.
First, when a rib is broken apart and the edges are separated, it's a dangerous situation. Jagged edges of bone at the point of fracture can scratch or even puncture nearby organs - the lungs in particular.
Second, as mentioned above, pneumonia is a possibility because your oxygen intake decreases - it hurts to breath, so you don't get the full amount of air you need. This leads to a lung infection.
How to Treat Broken Ribs
Even though broken or cracked ribs cause severe pain, they generally heal on their own. Doctors can only treat the rib pain that results from your fractures, while guarding against pneumonia or damage to nearby organs from jagged edges.
Cracked ribs may heal in several weeks, but breaks in which the bone has been completely separated will take much longer - several months, in fact. Recovery may seem to take a long time because of the nature of the pain. It will hurt whenever you move your upper body. Since the pain is with you constantly, time can move very slowly while you recover.
Most doctors will not hesitate to prescribe pain killers when you have fractured ribs. Talk to him or her about what's best for you. As time goes by and your level of pain comes down, you can begin to rely on over-the-counter pain relievers.
For more information about this and related topics, please click on ribcage pain.
This article is intended to provide information on the causes of broken ribs, the dangers they pose, and on treating the rib pain [http://www.ribpain.info/] they trigger.
You can't put a cast on a broken rib as you can any other bone because the cast would restrict your breathing. This could lead to a case of pneumonia.
Any movement in your upper body can cause severe pain. Sitting down and standing up can be uncomfortable, and trying to sleep or even lie down can be distressing. Just trying to take a deep breath brings sharp and stabbing pain. Just touching the area near a broken rib can also hurt a lot.
Broken ribs happen for a variety of reasons, but two are more common than the rest: athletic competition and vehicular accidents.
Why a Broken Rib Is Especially Dangerous
Broken ribs can cause serious complications in a number of ways. Two are more common than the rest.
First, when a rib is broken apart and the edges are separated, it's a dangerous situation. Jagged edges of bone at the point of fracture can scratch or even puncture nearby organs - the lungs in particular.
Second, as mentioned above, pneumonia is a possibility because your oxygen intake decreases - it hurts to breath, so you don't get the full amount of air you need. This leads to a lung infection.
How to Treat Broken Ribs
Even though broken or cracked ribs cause severe pain, they generally heal on their own. Doctors can only treat the rib pain that results from your fractures, while guarding against pneumonia or damage to nearby organs from jagged edges.
Cracked ribs may heal in several weeks, but breaks in which the bone has been completely separated will take much longer - several months, in fact. Recovery may seem to take a long time because of the nature of the pain. It will hurt whenever you move your upper body. Since the pain is with you constantly, time can move very slowly while you recover.
Most doctors will not hesitate to prescribe pain killers when you have fractured ribs. Talk to him or her about what's best for you. As time goes by and your level of pain comes down, you can begin to rely on over-the-counter pain relievers.
For more information about this and related topics, please click on ribcage pain.
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