Most doctors admit that they cannot truly treat a fractured rib. Instead, they can control the patient’s pain and let the body heal itself. Complications can arise during that healing process. By guarding against those complications, you can recover faster and avoid further health problems.
Control the Pain and Breathe
A fractured rib can make it very painful to take deep breaths. That might not sound like a big deal, but long-term shallow breathing can actually lead to more serious health problems.
Without deep breathing, your lungs can accumulate a lot of mucous and moisture. If this condition persists, then it can cause an infection like pneumonia.
Deep breathing will hurt when you have a fractured rib. You can’t let that prevent you from keeping your lungs healthy. If your ribs hurt too much to breathe normally, then you should see a doctor for pain medication.
Get an X-ray of the Fractured Rib
You probably don’t need an x-ray to know that you have fractured a rib. Still, it’s smart to have a medical professional take a good look at you to make sure your injury won’t cause other problems.
Getting an x-ray can help your doctor spot displaced fractures. Displaced rib fractures can poke into places they don’t belong, causing damage to tissues and organs. Given the right set of circumstances, a displaced rib could even cause a lung to collapse. Internal bleeding can also occur.
To recover from your fractured rib quickly, make sure you breathe deeply and get an x-ray to recognize internal complications.