Fracture of the rib is a violation of the integrity of one or more ribs. Such a chest injury is one of the most common, but it does not make it less harmful to the body, because With closed fracture of the rib, the internal organs of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems may be damaged. Because of this, it can lead to death, so at the first suspicion of a fracture, you should immediately consult a doctor.
How to determine a broken rib?
Signs of a fractured rib appear immediately after the injury: the victim feels pain when coughing, inhaling and exhaling in the chest area. Breathing becomes frequent and superficial, the site of damage begins to swell, there may be a hematoma. When breathing, the chest in the area of the lesion, as it were, lags behind the healthy part, sinking slower.
If you touch a painful area, you can often feel the deformation.
If the victim makes a slope in a healthy way, then he will feel pain (the so-called Payra syndrome). To determine if a bruise or fracture of the rib has occurred, one should observe the breathing: if the patient interrupts the breath because of pain, then this is a clear sign of a fracture.
So, if a person has fallen on the eve or received a blow to the chest and he has similar symptoms, then you should see a doctor.
What to do with a broken rib?
If medical assistance is not available within the next 30 minutes, then you need to provide temporary assistance to the victim:
- Place it in a horizontal position so that it does as little as possible movements.
- Apply a tight bandage on the chest.
Do self-medication, even if 1 edge is damaged, because consequences in the absence of treatment can be detrimental to the whole organism. It is necessary to undergo a survey to exclude damage to internal organs, nerve endings, blood vessels and lung tissue.
How to treat a broken rib?
Treatment of fracture of the rib depends on the severity of the injury: for example, it is important whether the internal organs have suffered, whether there is internal bleeding or there is only a pain syndrome.
First of all, the patient is given an anesthetic for fracture of the rib, then a puncture is made to remove the blood. Very important in the treatment is the peace of the patient - it should not be less than 4 weeks. If at this time to lead an active lifestyle, then the fusion may be uneven, and because of this in the future there will be problems with breathing disorders, there may be a pain in the chest area.
With open fractures of the ribs, which are rare, due to accidents, first stop bleeding, the wound is treated with an antibiotic and if necessary sewed.
With closed fractures appoint drugs to reduce edema and topical ointment from bruising. Recovery is also positively affected by physioprocedures.
The bandage that is applied with the first aid is not left for a long time,
How long does the rib fracture heal?
The healing time depends on many factors: if the help was provided immediately, and there are no additional complications, the rehabilitation takes an average of 4-5 weeks.
Also, the speed of recovery depends on the patient's lifestyle: if he adhered to medical recommendations during the recovery period, had a bed rest, avoided physical exertion, then healing occurs more quickly.
How to sleep with a broken rib?
With such a trauma you need to sleep on a hard surface on your back (if the back of the rib is not damaged) or on the side of a healthy part of the ribs.