Broken ribs...?

Question:

I broke a rib(maybe a few) several months ago and I never went to the doctor, I know that was stupid, but too late now... Anyway, after like 2 months they started to be tolerable and eventually they only hurt on occasion, however today they are hurting almost as bad as back when I actually broke them, is this normal or should I be worried?... Also, lately, my breathing has been harder to catch, when I do breathe it is slightly more frequent, it hurts to yawn, cough, sigh, breathe, move, lay down, sit, sleep, talk, etc... In addition I have been coughing a lot last few days, and when I put pressure on ribs its more frequent (in fact, I only cough at night or when laying down...)

Answers:
Broke ribs hurt like hell and sometimes it takes alot longer than 6 wks to heal. Honestly there is nothing that can be done for broke ribs, but if it is causing you problems breathing, go get it checked out. You never know, a rib could be popping in and out and sometimes it can hit your lung without actually puncturing it. Regardless, still needs to be checked.

Usually ribs take a long time to heal. The doctor may give you an elastic wrap to help stabilize the ribs so it's not so painful, but, that's all they do. Even after they heal, they are tender and easily hurt. You are still in the healing process, give it at least 6 months before you expect the pain to ease completely.

You need to see a doctor, but I'm sure you saw that one coming. You use your intercostals (rib muscles) to inhale deeply. It makes sense that your breathing rate has increased. You cannot inhale as deeply but your body still require the same amount of oxygen so it compensates by inhaling more frequently. You could have also re-injured your ribs while sneezing, coughing, etc. You should be worried and you need to see a doctor now!

One common complication of fractured ribs is pneumonia. What happens is that people aren't able to take a deep breath because of the pain and then part of their lung (temporarily) collapses. This collapsed area is susceptible to pneumonia moving in.

Typically, this happens in the first couple of weeks after the injury - when the pain is at its worst. Nonetheless, this possibility is yet another good reason to go see the doctor already.

Broken ribs...?

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