I've had a cough for about 2 months now. I went to the doctors a month ago and they said it was nothing. The other day, I developed a pain in my side. I looked in the mirror and my 10th rib was visible on the left, but the rib was no longer visible on the right (it usually is). When I sit down, it feels like somebody's poking their finger into my ribs. It's painful to touch that area, move, cough, sneeze. There's a small bump just above the painful area that moves around a bit when I touch it. The bump isn't painful, but below it is. I went to the doctor the day after the pain started and they said it was nothing and gave me an inhaler for my cough. They didn't do an xray because they said I probably just hurt a muscle coughing. I'm sure it's not nothing. Can anybody help?
2007-02-24 14:22:48 · 6 answers · asked by Bee 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Injuries
It only hurts in the one spot: right in the front about one inch in from the end of the rib.
2007-02-24 14:49:49 · update #1
It's definately not the muscle. A pulled or even torn muscle (which I've done before) is more of a general ache and pine and needles around the area, while this is a sharp pain in one very specific spot.
2007-02-25 02:28:46 · update #2
NEWS!!! I was lying in bed today and I felt a pop from my rib then I was in excrutiating pain. I went to the hospital to get x-rays and it turns out I did separate my rib. OUCH! I'm in so much pain and loaded up on codine (I think). Thanks for all your help guys!!
2007-02-25 14:31:54 · update #3
You may have a costochondral separation - a rib separation. This is a condition where the rib separates from the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum. It is often caused by chronic, severe coughing 'fits'.
If you have this condition, it is 'self-limiting' (though painful!) and generally heals itself in about 3 to 6 weeks.
Best wishes and good luck.
2007-02-24 14:30:51 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor J 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
rib 10 may or may not attach to the sternum (via its cartilage attaching to the cartilage of rib 9), and so "costochondral separation" seems possible and may have unnecessarily worried you. It seems more likely that you hurt a muscle coughing as you were told - coughing is a fairly forceful and powerful mechanism and as such, it doesn't strike me as bizzare that a slight bump would be produced by excessive coughing (2 months worth) causing muscle damage. The inhaler will no doubt help. Should the pain get progressively worse, I would return to your GP. Hope this helps
2007-02-25 09:48:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
could be a hurt muscle. doctors know best. if it's gotten worse it could pleurisy, an inflammation of the pleura, which is the space that surrounds the lungs. It is characterized by sudden onset, painful and difficult respiration, and exuadation of fluid or fibrinous material into the pleural cavity. It would make a crackling sound and feel when touched.
2007-02-24 22:34:26 · answer #3 · answered by Butch 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have done this many times you have coughed to hard and bruised the end of your rib
2007-02-24 23:24:58 · answer #4 · answered by colin050659 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have a fractured rib its going to hurt for a while and oif it was broke in half you would know it,.
2007-02-24 22:46:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You either bruised, fractured, or broke your rib depending on how bad you injured it.
2007-02-24 22:31:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋