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What is a rib fracture? — A "fracture" is another word for a broken bone. A rib fracture is when a person breaks a rib bone (figure 1).
Most rib fractures happen after an injury to the chest. If this injury is severe, it can also damage organs in the chest or belly.
Some rib fractures, called "stress fractures," do not happen after an injury. Instead, they are caused by a severe cough or doing the same motion over and over, like swinging a golf club.
What are the symptoms of a rib fracture? — The most common symptom of a rib fracture is pain. The pain is usually worse when you press on the injured area or take a deep breath. Some people also have bruising over the injured area.
A stress fracture also causes pain, but the pain usually starts slowly and gets worse over a few weeks or months.
Is there a test for a rib fracture? — If your doctor or nurse thinks that you might have a rib fracture, they will ask about your symptoms and do an exam. They might also order a chest X-ray or other imaging test. (Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body.) These tests can also be used to look for other injuries.
Some people need other imaging tests, such as a CT scan, bone scan, or ultrasound.
How are rib fractures treated? — Treatment depends on how many ribs you broke and your other injuries.
People with many broken ribs or other serious injuries usually need treatment in the hospital. Older adults might be hospitalized, too, even for less serious injuries.
People who do not need treatment in the hospital are treated with pain-relieving medicines. Treating the pain is important, because when people have rib pain, they try to keep their ribs from moving too much. Then, they don't breathe in and out as deeply as they should. When people don't breathe in and out as deeply as they should, some of the small airways in the lungs can close off. This raises the chances of getting a lung infection, called "pneumonia."
To treat your pain, your doctor can use:
●Strong pain medicines
●Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, also called "NSAIDs" – NSAIDS are a large group of medicines that includes ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve).
●Acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol)
Your doctor will probably also recommend a treatment to help prevent your small airways from closing off. It involves breathing deeply into a handheld device a number of times each day. The device is called an "incentive spirometer."
Treatment for a stress fracture involves avoiding the activity that caused your stress fracture for 4 to 6 weeks. Then, you can slowly restart that activity.
How long do rib fractures take to heal? — Rib fractures can take weeks to months to heal, depending on how mild or serious the fracture is.
Healing time also depends on the person. Healthy children usually heal very quickly. Older adults or adults with other medical problems can take much longer to heal.
It's important to follow all of your doctor's instructions while your fracture is healing.
How can I care for myself at home? — You should:
●Use your incentive spirometer or take 10 to 15 deep breaths at least 4 times each day.
●Hold a pillow to your chest to ease the pain when you take deep breaths, sneeze, cough, or laugh.
●Ice can help ease pain and swelling. Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Use ice for the first 24 to 48 hours after an injury.
●Eat a healthy diet that includes getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and protein (figure 2).
●Increase your activity slowly when you no longer have pain while resting. Avoid heavy lifting and sports for at least 3 weeks. (Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to avoid these or other activities.)
●Avoid smoking. A fracture can take longer to heal if you smoke.
When should I call my doctor or nurse? — After treatment, your doctor or nurse will tell you when to call them. In general, you should call if:
●It is getting harder and harder to breathe.
●You are so short of breath that you cannot talk in a full sentence.
●You develop severe pain in your chest, back, or neck.
●You start to cough up blood, or yellow or green mucus.
●You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher or chills.
●You are very weak or lightheaded, or feel like you might pass out.
●You have very bad pain that is not helped by your medicines.
Patient education: Fractures (The Basics)
Patient education: Pneumonia in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (The Basics)
Patient education: Calcium and vitamin D for bone health (The Basics)
Patient education: Quitting smoking (The Basics)
Patient education: Pneumonia in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Quitting smoking (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Calcium and vitamin D for bone health (Beyond the Basics)
