has anybody cracked a rib due to a severe coughing fit. my husband doesnt think its possible but im sure ive heard of it happening to people.
2007-02-03 20:04:37 · 15 answers · asked by delta 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
Sure. My manager at work did it a few years back and the CFO at my company did, too. Ribs can be fragile.
This passage is about whooping cough, but it illustrates my point...
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0403c.shtml
...But the cough interferes with daily activities and sleep, and it may be violent enough to crack a rib.
2007-02-03 20:15:45 · answer #1 · answered by Angela M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have heard of this happening especially if the coughing fit is severe enough.
my husband was recovering from 2 broken ribs, he was bent over the vanity brushing his teeth and stood up quickly or twisted somehow and damaged the ribs that had started to heal
off the track but if there is an old injury or a weekness there that is also very possible.
2007-02-03 20:36:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I haven't done this personally but I have known it to happen to someone during a violent coughing fit - would need to be SERIOUSLY violent in a normal healthy person though I'd reckon.
On the other hand - in someone with osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) - its possible to break bones doing very little. For example, if your bones are really fragile, ribs can be broken if someone hugs you too hard, or you can break a bone in your wrists using a pencil or picking up the remote control (obviously, this is in someone with chronic osteoporosis). So a violent coughing fit could do that.
2007-02-03 21:36:38 · answer #3 · answered by justasiam29 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure you can crack a rib, but you can certainly damage the chest wall muscles, I've done that before and it's painful enough to maybe make you think you have cracked a rib!
2007-02-03 20:08:31 · answer #4 · answered by Ahwell 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi, Yes it is possible to crack a rib whilst coughing, and sneezing.
2007-02-03 20:13:00 · answer #5 · answered by kevina p 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
U know to be honest with u, ive heard of that before but not from coughing so severely.
2007-02-03 20:12:15 · answer #6 · answered by LaLa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is not uncommon - especially in elderly people with osteoporosis (thin bones).
It also occurs in patients with severe emphysema who have coughing fits and are frequently underweight and frail.
Doesnt usually happen in otherwise fit healthy people.
2007-02-04 01:28:54 · answer #7 · answered by mustlovedogs0 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It happened to my aunt.
Ribs can also break with forceful coughing, especially when a disease such as osteoporosis or cancer has weakened the bones.
2007-02-03 20:20:20 · answer #8 · answered by Twisted Maggie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is sneezing, not coughing that can crack a rib.
2007-02-03 20:11:52 · answer #9 · answered by vanpandy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it's possible. It has happened to my Father and other friends. Very painful apparently.
2007-02-03 20:09:43 · answer #10 · answered by jammer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋