Rib Injury Can Recover On Your Own, So You Don't Need To Worry

Dropping or getting a blow in the chest area can cause the rib cage to bruise, crack, or break. Not only that, prolonged coughing can also cause rib injuries in people who suffer from osteoporosis or cancer in the ribs. But there is no need to worry, rib injuries can heal on their own as long as the treatment is right.

Ribs are an important part of the body that acts to protect the chest cavity and vital organs in it, namely the heart and lungs. When you experience a fractured or broken rib, you will feel very sick. One sign of a rib injury is bruising and swelling around the injured ribs.

Rib Injury Can Recover On Your Own, So You Don't Need To Worry

But with good care, this pain will slowly improve after three weeks to 1.5 months. This is because the rib cage is able to restore its structure naturally. The recovery process for rib injury depends on the severity of the injury and the health condition of the sufferer.

Recovery of rib injury

In most cases, rib injuries can be treated with home care. The following ways you can do to treat injured ribs:

• Chest compress

To reduce swelling and pain, compress the chest regularly. Use ice cubes or frozen food wrapped in a towel and put on the chest area. Compress the painful part for 20 minutes every hour for the first two days. Then compress for 10-20 minutes three times a day as needed.

• Eating painkillers

You can take anti-pain medications such as paracetamol, if the pain is mild. Pay attention to the use of the drug in accordance with the instructions on the doctor's packaging and recommendations. For severe pain, it is usually necessary to take pain medication in the form of injections, which must be obtained from a doctor.

• Breathing exercises

When the ribs are in trouble, you will feel pain when you take a deep breath, so you tend to breathe slowly and superficially. Actually, you are advised to keep breathing normally. This method of breathing aims to prevent pneumonia (lung infection) and help remove mucus from the lungs.

Generally breathing exercises after a rib injury can only begin if the pain has decreased and you can breathe comfortably without pain. As a form of breathing exercise, you can breathe deeply, let your lungs develop perfectly, then exhale slowly. Do it 10 times every two hours, then continue with a mild cough exercise every two hours.

• Do not close the ribs that have problems

Ribs that are bruised, cracked, or broken cannot be covered with bandages (elastic bandage) wrapped around the chest area. Pressure due to bandages in the upper body can inhibit the smoothness of breathing and increase the risk of pneumonia.

• Increase rest time

If your work requires a lot of physical movement, it is recommended that you take time off. Similarly, if your ribcage injury is severe and feels very painful.

• Don't lie too long

Avoid lying too long or staying in the same position for a long time. You are also advised to sleep in a slightly higher head position after a rib injury. In the first few days, you are advised to keep walking at home and have light physical activity to help expel phlegm and mucus from the respiratory tract.

• Use a pillow if you cough

If you want to cough, hug a pillow to hold your chest from shaking. You can also use thick blankets to help. This method is recommended when coughing exercises.

For a while, you are not advised to drive a vehicle, carry, or lift heavy loads until conditions improve. Also avoid straining too strongly, smoking, and consuming alcoholic beverages.

Pay attention to ways to treat bruised, cracked, or broken ribs, as recommended by your doctor. Don't let you neglect, because it can worsen the situation and make the recovery process longer.

See your doctor immediately if you have a high fever, shortness of breath, worse chest pain, coughing up blood, coughing with yellow or green mucus, and feeling pain in the abdomen or shoulders. You are also advised to visit a doctor if the pain does not improve within a few weeks with the various treatments mentioned above.