Author Topic: can you break a rib coughing?  (Read 1082 times)

Offline Simaril

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #15 on: February 01, 2009, 01:54:10 PM »
Also possible to have popped the head of the rib out from its cartilage socket. The rib bone itself doesn't plug right into the breastbone, but instead into a big mess of cartilage and connective tissue. Most of the time that's a pretty firm connection, but sometimes the rib will pop free of its bindings. Can be pretty painful, but can also be popped back in. Can be a recurring problem called Slipped Rib Syndrome.

Much of the time though the pain after coughing hard comes from pulled muscle or sprain of muscle/connective tissue. Just like any other sprain, the best treatment is time and rest (as in no longer coughing -- or binding the area with a wrap around sheet or something, so that area of the chest doesn't flex with deep breath.)

Sharp pains with breathing -- that are only present with the deep breath or cough -- are usually from sprains, but can be from other problems. Pleurisy is an inflammation of the lining tissue around the lung, which causes pain whenever the lining surfaces rub together. It can be caused by pneumonia, viral infections of the chest, or rarely show up by itself. More concerningly, when there's a sudden onset of pain (usually without the cough) and equally sudden onset of shortness of breath, fast heart rate, and fast breathing rate may need to thinlk about bllod clot to lung. Most common in older people, after long periods with minimal leg movement, and in people with higher risk of cblood clots in general. (Brith control pills, smoking, medical disorders.) This wouldn't cause a bump on your chest wall, though.
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Offline Twister2

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #16 on: February 01, 2009, 03:10:40 PM »
If your a smoker you could have popped your lung. I have dealt with many of those in my career as a paramedic that were a result of severe coughing in either a cancer patient or someone who is a smoker. If you develope more shortness of breath pressure in the chest and the like it would be somthing to consider. However I think it is a slight chance. Be sure to let all of us online doc's know what the real cause is. We should start a betting pool.

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Offline Sox62

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #17 on: February 01, 2009, 05:06:33 PM »
You could separate your ribs coughing.I've had separated ribs (skiing accident) and man does it hurt.

Offline Anodizer

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #18 on: February 01, 2009, 05:49:59 PM »
the lump was certainly not there before this incident.  This hurts like all hell.. probably will go to the doc if for nothing else, some pain meds.



I doubt you have pneumonia.  I had an injury last year where I slipped in the kitchen at work and landed on back left side after trying to twist and land on my hands..
I had the exact same kind of pain, and I was sick as well..  I had some opiate based pain meds left over from when I had some dental work a few months ago..
Opiates are an analgesic as well as a cough suppressant..  But you have to be cautious..  Most of the time, you need to cough to expel what's in your respiratory system..
I'd still go to the doctor to get it looked at though...
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Offline cpxxx

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #19 on: February 01, 2009, 06:02:06 PM »
My ribs are painful since I had a bad cough. I think it probably happened as Simaril says. A muscle spasm. Very painful though. I have to hold my ribs now when I cough. The cough was so bad that I actually felt myself blacking out a couple of times as if I was pulling g in an aircraft. Not only that my legs buckled. Pretty horrible. There was a bad dose of flu or a flu like virus doing the rounds at Christmas.

My ribs haven't been this painful since Andy Serkis elbowed me in the ribs and knocked me off my feet. But that's another story. :huh

Offline Sol75

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #20 on: February 01, 2009, 06:15:19 PM »
Went to urgent care... severe sprain of the muscle and connective tissue.  They do not believe anything was torn though.  Basically im just gunna hurt for a while :/

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Offline Curval

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #21 on: February 01, 2009, 06:18:51 PM »
Went to urgent care... severe sprain of the muscle and connective tissue.  They do not believe anything was torn though.  Basically im just gunna hurt for a while :/

Sol

So, a few percocets and you'll be golden in a few days.

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Offline Anodizer

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #22 on: February 01, 2009, 08:10:49 PM »
Went to urgent care... severe sprain of the muscle and connective tissue.  They do not believe anything was torn though.  Basically im just gunna hurt for a while :/

Sol

Any meds?  800mg Ibuprofen at least!
Yeah, that's pretty much what happened to me when I fell.. 
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Offline Fugita

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #23 on: February 01, 2009, 09:47:35 PM »
I had a really bad coughing/farting incident one time.... :noid We will speak no more of this  :noid

Offline sluggish

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #24 on: February 01, 2009, 10:13:08 PM »
I had a really bad coughing/farting incident one time.... :noid We will speak no more of this  :noid

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Offline Chalenge

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #25 on: February 02, 2009, 12:09:24 AM »
I saw that in an inflight movie once. I was flying AH and watching the movie...
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Offline allaire

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #26 on: February 02, 2009, 05:41:09 AM »
Best cough medicine is to take a double dose of Phillips Milk Of Magnesia.  Won't don anything for the cough but it will make you to afraid to cough.
"I drank what?" -Socrates

Offline skullman

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #27 on: February 02, 2009, 02:35:07 PM »
cant go wrong with percocet -been on em for 3 weeks now-just had total knee arthoplasty-sure makes your day mellow and dont care if dr7 or rondar rips me a new one
been there destroyed that

Offline Babalonian

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #28 on: February 02, 2009, 02:41:31 PM »
I have had a fairly severe sinus/upper respiratory infection the past few days.  Last night, I went into a VERY severe coughing fit while I was in bed.  All of a sudden there was a sharp pain on my side, right over the last rib on my right.  Now, it has a dull ache constantly, and a sharp pain whenever i inhale.  It also hurts like HELL when I cough or sneeze.  Feels like someone stabbing me in my side.  Also, if I inhale deeply and run my finger over the spot, there is a small bump protruding.  Of course this HURTS LIKE HELL to do... as any pressure on the spot hurts, and breathing hurts.

Not sure if this is possible or not, and dont care for an E-room visit just to get laughed at.

Sol

It is quite possible to fracture a rib while coughing.  Happened to two people I know.  One is a really skinny scrapy guy who doesn't take care of himself when hes sick or not (it got worse and one night, pop, fractured a rib).  The other is a big and stronger guy like me who unlike me can't put down his sins for even a day or two to get over a cold/flu (he kept smoking his stoges when sick and you could hear him cough a mile away... pop, fractured a rib).  In both cases the doctor 'bout smacked them up the side of the head and threatened to sick their own mothers/grandmothers on them.  Told them to stop being stupid, stop smoking/working like a dog, lay in bed and not leave the house at all for a couple days until they felt better.

Im personaly not one to see a doctor/hospital unless someone else drags me in there.  If you're still coughing a lot and it keeps getting worse and worse then you should have a doctor check it out asap (better to walk in there today and get a bill for $100 than to go in tommorow and get a bill for $1000).
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Offline mechanic

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Re: can you break a rib coughing?
« Reply #29 on: February 04, 2009, 05:58:44 PM »
The size of the person should make no difference, as your story prooves. Whatever your size is your body has developed to handle it, ergo a big man has more lung power to cough with. What does make a difference is bone composition. Strong flexible bones (through youth or genes) wont fracture as easily and there is more chance of suffering muscle/tissue trauma. More brittle bones will be more likely to fracture but less likely to do long term painfull damage (although a badly broken rib is a life time of pain). The other factor is muscle ratio. Someone with a solid abdominal and pectoral build will tense these muscles when coughing giving the correct counter pressures to prevent injury.
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