How can you tell if you have broken ribs?

Question

I know there isnt much a Dr. can do for broken ribs. But how can you tell with out going to the Dr. if they are broken? Could they just be brused?

Answer 1

Rib Injury
What is a rib injury?

The 12 ribs on each side of your chest may be bruised, strained, broken, or separated. All of the ribs are attached to the vertebrae (backbone) in the rear. In the front, 10 of them are attached to the sternum (breastbone) by pieces of cartilage. Direct blows to the ribs may bruise or break the ribs or injure the rib cartilage. The ribs may tear away from the cartilage that attaches them to the breastbone. This tearing away from the cartilage is called a costochondral separation.
How does it occur?

Rib injuries usually result from a direct blow to the chest wall. Breaks usually occur in the curved portion of the outer part of the rib cage. A costochondral separation may occur from trauma, when you land hard on your feet, or even when you cough or sneeze violently.
What are the symptoms?

A rib injury causes pain and tenderness over the place of injury. You may have pain when you breathe, move, laugh, or cough.
How is it diagnosed?

Your health care provider will review your symptoms, examine your rib cage, and listen to your lungs. He or she may order a chest x-ray to look for rib damage, lung damage, or bleeding around the lungs.
How is it treated?

To help your injury heal, your provider may recommend that you:

* Rest.
* Put an ice pack over the injured rib for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days or until the pain goes away.
* Take an anti-inflammatory or other pain medicine.
* Wear a rib belt, which your health care provider may suggest for very painful injuries. The belt works as a girdle for your chest and helps support your ribs. It limits movement of your ribs when you cough, breathe, or move your body in other ways. This helps decrease pain. If you wear a rib belt, your provider will give you breathing exercises to help you avoid lung complications.

How long will the effects last?

Bruised ribs and a costochondral separation usually take 3 to 4 weeks to heal. Broken ribs take 6 to 8 weeks to heal.
When can I return to my normal activities?

Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate. Return to your activities will be determined by how soon your ribs recover, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury has occurred. The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your normal activities as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury.

Your health care provider may take an x-ray to see that the bone has healed before he or she allows you to return to your normal activities. You may participate in noncontact activities if you can do so without pain in your ribs and without pain when you breathe.
How can I prevent a rib injury?

Ribs are often injured in accidents that are not preventable. However, in contact sports such as football it is important to wear appropriate protective equipment.

Answer 2

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RE:
How can you tell if you have broken ribs?
I know there isnt much a Dr. can do for broken ribs. But how can you tell with out going to the Dr. if they are broken? Could they just be brused?

Answer 3

Yes they can just be bruised. But the only true way to tell if they are broken is with an x-ray. A doctor could possible give you an elastic brace to "hold you in" and give your ribs some support and maybe give you something for the pain.

Answer 4

Just bruised doesn't help you tell. If you have a great deal of trouble breathing without pain, then it's possible. But you could have just strained your ribcage muscles. Broken ribs are very painful and you would probably know if they were broken.

Answer 5

If you cant walk, or breath right and you extremely painful abdominal pain you might have an injury in your ribs, its very hard to break a rib but if you have fallen or have an injury you should go to physical therapy or a doctor to get an operation

Answer 6

If you're not going to the dr. and you're breathing ok, the treatment is all the same. If you have ribs broken in two or more places, then you NEED to see a dr. immediately.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Xray, only way to know for sure, which you SHOULD know so you can adjust your activities accordingly.