Wellness

[NoelSeven]

On 4/1/2015 judgejudith said:

Hug a pillow tightly when you have to cough.

I most certainly will!

[betteb]

On 4/1/2015 NoelSeven said:

On 4/1/2015 betteb said:

Oh gosh Noel, I'm so sorry. You have to be careful girl! What was it Jeff Foxworthy used to say? "Hurt like h*ll didn't it? Don't do that no more"

I have always felt like heat helps sore ribs. I had Costochondritis awhile back and that's what I did. So heating pad, warm shower/bath. I'm assuming you are already on some type of anti-inflammatory? If not, Advil.

Hope you feel better soon

ETA- Keep a pillow handy to brace with when you have to cough, sneeze, etc.

Hi Bette HaHa, no jokes I had costo once, also. I'm really worried this will kick it up again. Thanks for reminding me about using a pillow. This one hit the lower ribs and the pain wraps around. No getting away from it, but some relief sitting up and very still. I will be catching up on a lot of TV shows I've taped.

Oops, sorry

[Gooday]

Binding the rib cage is no longer the standard care. In fact, it's not good as you limit the ability to inhale and exhale. Most people bind themselves too tightly. You need to breathe. As uncomfortable as this might be, just try and keep comfortable and as others have said, take OTC meds if you can. You don't want to develop pneumonia.

[jeanlake]

Noel, you've been given good advice. Keep breathing deeply and slowly; it will hurt. Avoid jostling, bumping or binding. You'll wake up immediately when you're sleeping wrong. Ouch! If this happened yesterday, you'll be sore for several days, maybe a week, but will gradually improve.

I bruised my ribs last year. Fell off bike while looking at some great landscaping instead of paying attention to the curb drop. We have a nurse in the family and she advised me. Not a lot you can do if it is just a bruise or slight fracture. I'm sorry. Take care of yourself.

[hckynut]

Hi to you Gooday,

Glad you also mentioned "binding of the ribs"also. My Sportsmed Ortho friends told me not to do this back in the early 1990's. It is a shame it takes others not in the Sportsmed field so many years to catch up. Anyone that has " bound themselves" with say ACE Wrap and then tried doing an intense exercise program or competition, knows how much those wraps prevent the lungs from their ability to expand.

You can feel the restriction, and that feeling is not a good one when trying to expel the carbon dioxide from the lungs. If the lungs cannot remove the carbon monoxide, the is no room to be able to inhale more necessary oxygen. With oxygen deficit comes the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, and that then can lead to muscle cramps/spasms, and once that happens? Good luck with further muscle contraction and expansion. Broken ribs rank " right up there" when it comes to painful injuries for sure.

[Madisson]

Besides fracturing ribs, you can also crack the cartilage between the ribs. It feels just like a fractured rib. I've had several fractured ribs in my life....OUCH! The best thing is just to take anti-inflammatory medications...Ibuprofen or Aleve. They work better than Tylenol III for this situation. The first couple weeks are the worst, but it takes 6-8 weeks to heal completely.

It's best to try to keep the pain under control around the clock the first couple weeks. Having bad pain when you breathe can lead to shallow breathing...which could lead to bronchitis or pneumonia. Check with your doctor before taking NSAIDS regularly. Ice packs are another type of treatment.

[Justice4all]

So sorry, so sorry Noel. Does bruising and vitamin C/bioflavonoids still hold?

[Big Sister]

Noel, I am just getting over the fracture of two ribs when I fell in my home.

The first two weeks were almost unbearable, the worst. After that, each week the pain was less. I was also on the same pain meds. you are on. I'm eight weeks out from the injury.

Don't wrap your ribs. When you lie down or get up or have to move around, hold your hand against the painful area to apply pressure so the pain is not so intense. The pain will radiate to other areas of your torso.

Good luck and hang in there.

[Ragss]

A nurse in the emergency room told me to use moist heat. This helped me a lot on two different occasions. Good luck.

[VanSleepy]

The only advice that I didn't see yet...try sleeping in a recliner. Or if in bed, lie on the side of the injury. That's all I have lol. My husband broke 4 ribs over two months ago, and is just now feeling pretty much healed.