What is broken rib?

A broken rib is a crack or break in one of the bones of the rib cage. Breathing can be very painful, because the muscles used for breathing pull on the rib.

In most cases, a broken rib will heal on its own. Your child can take pain medicine while the rib mends. Pain relief allows your child to take deep breaths. In the past, doctors recommended taping or wrapping broken ribs. This is no longer done, because taping makes it hard to take deep breaths. Taking deep breaths at least once an hour may help prevent pneumonia or a partial collapse of a lung.

Your child's rib will heal in about 6 weeks.

Healthy habits can help your child heal. Give your child a variety of healthy foods. And don't smoke around your child.

A broken rib may cause pain in the injured area. It can make it hard to take a breath or breathe deeply. Or it may cause pain around your breastbone. If you can't breathe normally you may feel short of breath, anxious, restless, or scared. You also may have a headache.

Most broken ribs are treated at home and will heal on their own. The doctor may prescribe pain medicines or advise you to take over-the-counter pain medicine. You may be asked to cough or take the deepest breath you can once an hour.

Your doctor will ask questions about your injury and do a physical exam. The doctor may push on your chest to see where you hurt. The doctor may listen to your lungs and heart and look for other injuries. You may get an X-ray or other imaging test.

• Be safe with medicines. Give pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it as prescribed.
  • If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask the doctor if your child can take an over-the-counter medicine.
  • Do not give your child two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.
• Help your child cough or take the deepest breath possible at least once every hour, even if your child feels some pain. This will get air deeply into the lungs. This may reduce your child's chance of getting pneumonia or a partial collapse of a lung. Hold a pillow against your child's chest to make this less painful.
• Put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when your child is awake). Put a thin cloth between the ice and your child's skin.

A broken rib (also called a fracture) is a crack or break in one of the bones of the rib cage. A break in the thick tissue (cartilage) that connects the ribs to the breastbone may also be called a broken rib, even if the bone itself is not broken.

You can help heal a broken rib with rest, ice, and pain medicine. You may get a prescription or over-the-counter pain medicine. Try to cough or take the deepest breath you can every hour. This may help prevent pneumonia or a collapsed lung. Use ice for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.