Ribs can often become fractured for different reasons. Among the many reasons that your rib can get cracked one is from persistent coughing.Fractured ribs can cause tremendous pain and if you have bronchial pneumonia or whooping cough your chances of getting bruised ribs from coughing increase manifold.
Reason for cracked ribs from coughing
Although weak ribs can crack when you have chronic cough, generally ribs are quite strong. The most common reasons why ribs can crack due to coughing include:
- Weak bones, particularly from people suffering from osteoporosis
- Aging; older persons are a lot more susceptible to crack ribs from coughing as the bone density is reduced tremendously with age
- Cancerous cells in the rib can also make them susceptible to cracking when coughing
- Chronic coughing which can crack ribs even if the person is generally quite healthy
Symptoms
If your ribs have cracked because of coughing, the most likely symptom to notice that something is definitely wrong is severe pain. The pain can become very acute and if the fracture is not dealt quickly there is the risk for the lungs to be punctured. The pain may be particularly elevated during coughing, sneezing, or laughing. Other symptom can also be difficulty in breathing accompanied by pain and also problems such as fatigue, dizziness, or headache may occur. Pain will also be felt when doing upper body movements.
Treatment
A variant of treatment for crack ribs through coughing exist. The most natural treatment is complete rest. Some other forms of treatment could include:
- Special medical tape can be used for bandaging. It is better to have the bandaging done by a professional. Avoid tying it around the chest as that could cause breathing problems
- The pain can be suppressed with pain killers and anti-flammatory medication
- Rest, relaxation, and the restriction of movement to the minimal such as to give the ribs a lot of rest and let them heal by themselves
In the majority of cases crack ribs from coughing will heal itself provided that the chest is given lots of rest and movement restricted. Pain killers can be taken. What is most essential is for the fracture to cure as quickly as possible. Following the instructions of you doctor can help in that regard. Avoid sudden movement for risk of causing a puncture to the lungs. Although coughing can be a problem, when the desire to cough does occur it has to be done so as to avoid the build up of phlegm in the lungs which can result in pneumonia and other complications.
Bruised ribs while coughing
Breathing is very involuntary, taking oxygen from air and giving out carbon dioxide is completely effortless process with no stress on ribs muscles but when we cough carbon dioxide is violently pushed from lungs moving out through nose and mouth,which sometimes can damage ribs.Specially those with brittle bones are at higher risk of bruised or broken rib bones while coughing.This is why people who are suffering for osteoporosis,osteoarthritis are more prone to bruised ribs.
Cracked or Broken Ribs from Coughing while Pregnant
If you are suffering form ribs pain during coughing, and could feel and hear the cracking sound from the ribs that it the possibility is that you must be having a dislocated ribs.Pregnancy can be tough special during the older age, you mush immediately see your doctor and it could cause some problem in the delivery.
As suggested by others get your ER Test and xRay done, your doctor will probably give you asthma medicine,cough syrup, and tylenol with codeine.
You can have painkillers to get you relieve from the acute pain.
