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General health

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Original poster

has anyone ever broken a rib before?

22 replies

nappyaddict · 12/05/2007 15:25

my dad has had a fall up some steps and says he thinks he's done something to his rib cage but is refusing to go to hospital. i said what if you've broken a rib? he said if he had he wouldn't be able to breathe. is this true?

OP posts:

TwirlyN · 12/05/2007 15:37

DP has broken a couple of ribs through sport. From what i can gather not much can be done. It will hurt if he coughs or laughs and will take a good few weeks to repair. To be on the safe side i would try and talk him into getting it checked though

brimfull · 12/05/2007 15:41

I fractured my sternum in a car accident due to the seat belt,there was no treatment but it was effing painful.He would still beable to breath if he broke a rib,only if he'd punctured the lung would he notice any problems.
May be worth a call to nhs direct ,but I don't think there is any treatment,they may advise an xray though.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 13/05/2007 05:01

ah, my grandad was in an accident and broke some ribs and i'm sure he had some sort of cast or brace, but i was quite young so i might be mistaken.

OP posts:

LoveMyGirls · 13/05/2007 07:53

My dp got knee'd in the ribs a few weeks ago, i suggested hospital he said no and went to bed, he got up at 5am and took himself to the hospital, they didnt do anything apart from make sure he was breathing ok, which he was, they wouldn't do an xray just gave him some co-codamol and sent him home, he still went to work even though he couldn't drive his boss picked him up.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 13/05/2007 08:15

that they wouldn't give him an x-ray.

OP posts:

LoveMyGirls · 13/05/2007 08:16

They said it was a waste of money, that it wouldnt do any good because theres no treatment wether bruised or broken

Miaou · 13/05/2007 08:19

MrMiaou broke a rib falling over on a boat about six weeks ago - he is a big guy and landed with all his weight on the corner of a step against his ribs (Ouch!!). Didn't even bother going to the docs as they don't do anything with them these days (they did used to put you in a brace or cast but don't do this any more as it doesn't really help). Dh found if he laughed or coughed then it really hurt, and he had to be careful turning over in bed. Six weeks on he is much better but has some residual aching in the area.

Just spoken to dh and he said to ask where your dad has the pain. A friend of his (elderly) fell over (in the same boat ) and thought he had fractured a rib - turned out he had burst a kidney!!!! If his pain is in the lower back region then it is worth getting it looked at - upper back means that a fractured rib is far more likely (and less worrisome!) - so says MrMiaou anyway

Original poster

nappyaddict · 13/05/2007 08:57

how would they check for a punctured lung though, wouldn't that come up on the x-ray?

OP posts:

Miaou · 13/05/2007 09:00

Wouldn't need to nappyaddict - you would know about a punctured lung the moment it happened

Original poster

nappyaddict · 13/05/2007 09:02

oh yeah duuuuh you wouldn't be able to breathe!!

how did dh's friend find out about his kidney. - sounds nasty!

OP posts:

Miaou · 13/05/2007 09:13

Pain just got worse and worse - with a cracked/broken rib the pain shouldn't get significantly worse. Dh's friend started feeling really ill which is why he went to the hospital.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 13/05/2007 09:29

no i meant how did the hospital know it was a bust kidney. was there some sort of taste. bit worried cos just asked dad where he hurt and he said lower back.

OP posts:

Miaou · 13/05/2007 11:08

Hmm, not sure nappy, I think he got quite ill quite quickly. I would suggest he goes to the hosp just to be on the safe side, sorry don't mean to worry you more!!

Original poster

nappyaddict · 13/05/2007 19:17

that's ok. he's a stubborn old thing so if i can get him there i will.

OP posts:

star1976 · 13/05/2007 19:23

I slipped in the bathroom in February and fell against the side of the bath. Pain was unbelievable and after a week wasn't getting better, so I went to the doctors. Doctor said that given the symptoms (hurt when breathing in, couldn't stretch, getting up off a chair was hard and getting out of bed/ up from laying down unaided was impossible) and amount of pain I was in, it sounded like it was a broken rib.

Suspected that it was anyway and knew that there was nothing that could be done about it, but needed stronger painkillers which is why I went there in the first place.

Was prescribed co-codamol and anti inflamatories (sp) which really seemed to help. Still not back to normal yet, but is definately a hundred times better!

If you can't get your dad to go to the hospital then try to get him to the doctors for medication!

Original poster

nappyaddict · 13/05/2007 19:46

oooh he might go for the doctors. i will make him an appointment.

OP posts:

brightwell · 13/05/2007 20:27

I broke a rib, well I'm sure I did,(a 17stone man knocked me to the ground and fell on me.) I was in a lot of pain for quiet a while, took about 13 weeks to be totally pain free. I took strong painkillers and kept active. It hurt to move, stretch, cough, roll in bed, laugh and breath deeply.

chocolatekimmy · 13/05/2007 21:53

I cracked a rib in child birth 6 years ago. I had my arms crossed over my chest and was kneeling and leaning into my husband and I pushed myself so hard when I was pushing that my rib just cracked - we both heard it too! It was agony but I had other things on my mind at the time!

I was checked later and breathing was not affected and there is nothing they can do. I couldn't even sit my self up from lying down position for a few days - I felt like a right invalid. It took weeks to settle down and finally be pain free, probably about 11 weeks

Loshad · 14/05/2007 21:08

broken ribs twice (once car crash, second time was kicked in ribs by horse). Yes you can still breathe, the only treatment is rest and painkillers as it's pretty painful. ime takes at least 6 weeks for the pain to go.

Hilllary · 14/05/2007 21:13

Oh yes many times. It is very very painful, they dont strap you up, not much they can do for a cracked or broken rib really appart from painkillers and rest. It takes a while for it to heal and can become a weak spot too. You can breath but it does hurt as the rib cage moves up and down with the lungs.

madamez · 14/05/2007 21:14

Yes, climbing on stage at a gig 20 odd years ago. They don;t strap you up any more as (I was told) this can reduce the blood supply to the loungs and trigger pleurisy. As the doctor said to me then, no fighting, no rugby, no lifting heavy boxes, take painkillers and take it easy.

winniepoo · 14/05/2007 21:17

The treatment is just pain killers so I guess it doesn't matter if you fo to hospital or not but it is bloody painful and takes weeks to heal. Most people who break a rib go to a and e because the pain is that bad so it may be just bruised.

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