Rib fracture: symptoms, treatment, how to sleep

Quite often, chest injuries lead to fracture of the ribs. A certain danger is the proximity to the internal organs. Nearby are the lungs, stomach and heart. In some cases, they are damaged by bone plates, which leads to serious consequences. However, in normal situations, such injuries heal without any difficulty.

Anatomical data

The chest consists of twelve vertebrae, which are connected by the same number of ribs. In front is the sternum. It is to it that the cartilaginous parts of the bone plates adjoining, having in the anatomical structure a neck, tubercle, body and head. With a fracture of the rib, the neurovascular bundle located in a special groove is often damaged, which leads to bleeding and an imbalance in the nutrition of the internal muscles.

Possible reasons

Elderly people are especially susceptible to rib fractures, as with age, the elasticity of the chest becomes much worse, and the bones become more fragile. However, such damage is not always dependent on gender or number of years. The main reasons may be different:

• A blow directly to the chest in a collision with a hard surface. This can happen in a collision or fall.
• Drop on the chest of weighty objects. This happens when poorly fixed shelves, lighting elements or sports equipment fall.
• Strong compression of the chest from several sides at once also leads to a violation of the integrity of the ribs.

Most often, injuries occur as a result of car accidents, as well as in the process of domestic and industrial activities. The strength of the perfect effect is indicated by the number of broken plates. Breaks of two ribs are not severe, since in most cases they do not lead to damage to internal organs.

Damage Mechanisms

With a direct impact, the fracture of the ribs occurs directly in the place where they fell. The number of damaged plates will depend on the size of the item that caused the injury. When compressing the chest, multiple fractures most often occur. Compression damage has a certain localization. It depends on the direction of compression:

1. If the pressure falls on the front and back parts at the same time, then damage to the bone plates occurs in the axillary line.
2. When pressed firmly on the sides, breakage occurs in the front or back.

Excessive force on a specific area of ​​the bone can lead to more serious consequences. In this case, the fracture can be in two places at the same time. The plate area lies freely inside. With this option, there is a risk of pressing a fragment directly into the chest cavity.

Injury classification

Before starting treatment for rib fracture, the doctor determines the nature of the damage. Bone plate injuries can be classified in a specific way.

How is the clinical picture expressed?

General and local symptoms of rib fracture are distinguished. The first of them appear in the same way as many chest injuries. There is pain directly at the site of damage. She can be quite sharp and intense. Edema often builds up and hematomas appear at the site of the blow. Difficulty breathing, chest movements can be significantly limited. One part of them may even lag behind when breathing.

There is a characteristic sign of rib fracture in two places. This is a paradoxical breath. Due to the movement of the debris inside, the body is not provided with the right amount of oxygen. Respiratory failure appears.

The specific symptoms will depend on which bone is broken. The first rib is located directly below the collarbone, so it is usually damaged with it. In this situation, the movement of the hand is significantly impeded. When you inhale and exhale, you feel quite severe pain.

Damage to the ribs located in the central part is the most dangerous, since next to them are large vessels, lungs and heart muscle. The condition can be life threatening. Less dangerous are injuries of the last bone plates. Symptoms in this case are not very pronounced.

Possible complications

Before treating a fracture of the ribs, you must make sure that the internal organs and blood vessels are not damaged. Sometimes they can be affected by bone fragments. In complicated situations, dangerous conditions often develop.

• Pneumothorax develops when a bone fragment penetrates the lung. Most often, this is caused by a fracture of the eighth rib. Air begins to accumulate in the pleural part.
• Hemothorax occurs as a result of damage to blood vessels. In most cases, this is caused by damage to the sixth rib. Blood accumulates in the pleural cavity. The victim develops symptoms of acute blood loss.
• Pneumonia can develop due to low motor activity of the lungs and existing injuries. Respiratory organs often begin to become inflamed after injury.

Diagnostic techniques

Before treating a rib fracture, it is necessary to be guided not only by symptoms. A thorough examination of the victim should be made and one of several diagnostic options should be prescribed:

1. Radiography allows you to determine the location of the fracture. The procedure makes it possible to obtain a snapshot of the entire chest or each rib separately. The image can be made on the basis of x-ray radiation passing through various tissues.
2. Computed tomography is prescribed to detect possible damage to internal organs and blood structures. The examination uses sophisticated high-precision hardware and software equipment, which has ultra-sensitive detectors.
3. Ultrasound is also used for diagnostic purposes. This is an ultrasound examination of damage.

As for the methods without the use of special equipment, the most effective option is to tilt in the opposite direction from the injured rib. With a fracture, severe enough pain will be observed.

First aid

In case of violation of the integrity of the bone plate of the chest, help is provided directly at the scene. Special medical knowledge and skills in this situation is not required. The victim must be laid on a firm and even plane, and then the upper body should be freed from clothing.

If there is bleeding, you must try to stop it with the help of improvised means. In any case, you need to call an ambulance. With an open fracture, a dry and clean dressing can be applied to the place where there are skin lesions.

Treatment process

Ambulance specialists anesthetize so that the victim can breathe fully, and deliver the person to the hospital if there are certain indications:

• a large amount of damage;
• the presence of respiratory failure;
• the injury occurred as a result of a pathological process;
• the location is located at the base of the spine.

Treatment of fracture of the ribs at home is allowed after examination and x-rays, if the damage affects the last three ribs. As for the stationary mode, it provides for several stages:

1. Compliance with bed rest during the first days allows the formation of bone marrow.
2. Anesthesia makes it possible to breathe comfortably. This is a preventive measure against pneumonia and other complications. Intercostal novocaine blockades are made to the patient.
3. The creation of immobility of the bone plates is ensured by applying a bandage.
4. In some cases, traction is carried out. This is usually done with damage to the seventh rib.

Doctors know better what to do when a rib fracture occurs, so you should not refuse from inpatient or outpatient treatment. Usually, patients are prescribed physiotherapy from the first days. Often applied to the magnetic field, electrophoresis, ultraviolet radiation.

After the formation of bone marrow, therapeutic exercises can be prescribed. Initially, light exercises are suggested. However, the load is gradually increasing. A special massage helps in healing the trauma. However, it can only be done one and a half weeks after receiving damage. To strengthen bone tissue, preparations with calcium and vitamins are introduced. Usually they are used for a month.

How to sleep when treating a rib fracture?

In the early days of the victim, strictly bed rest is recommended. During this period, pronounced pain symptoms cause particular difficulties. How to sleep when treating a rib fracture, not everyone fully represents. However, a lot depends on where the damage is located:

• If pain is felt in the front of the chest, it is advisable to sleep on the back.
• When localizing damage on the side, it is recommended to lie on a healthy side.

The main stages of healing

The healing process can be divided into three stages.

1. The formation of corns from connective tissue. A large amount of blood accumulates in the damage zone, so the cells that produce fibroblasts move there.
2. The formation of osteoid callus. Over time, the body accumulates inorganic substances.
3. The strength of the corn is increasing. It ceases to be loose and reaches its normal size.

In an adult, bones are fused within 4-5 weeks. In the presence of multiple fractures, this time increases. In children, bone tissue heals much faster. This usually takes about 3 weeks. Only a doctor can give an accurate answer, guided by the available data.

Folk remedies to speed healing

The recovery process after the treatment of a fracture of the ribs takes a lot of time. Symptoms after 1-2 weeks become less pronounced. It is after this that you can use folk remedies to speed up the healing process. They are necessarily combined with traditional therapy.

One of the effective options is to use ointments made of spruce resin and copper sulfate. It allows you to accelerate the restoration of bone tissue. For cooking, take:

• spruce resin - 20 g;
• copper sulfate - 15 g;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• olive oil - 50 g.

The main ingredients are mixed in the indicated proportions. After that, the resulting mixture is diluted with olive oil and heated over a fire. At the same time, bring the product to a boil.

Vitamin mixture consisting of raisins, dried apricots, lemons, walnuts and honey helps to improve healing. After preparation, the drug is taken orally three times a day for a teaspoon. This is best done after meals. Raisins and dried apricots are placed in boiled water and soaked. Lemons are simply squeezed, the bones are thrown out. The resulting mass is passed through a meat grinder, after which it is mixed with honey.

Inside, you can take egg shells, powdered. It is used as an additive with any food in small quantities. Egg shells are a natural source of calcium that is readily available.

To accelerate bone growth, it is recommended to consume more products containing silicon, as it is actively involved in the healing process. It is part of radish, cauliflower, turnip, nettle and currant. You can also take decoctions from the Lungwort, yarrow or coltsfoot. As for foods that are high in calcium, they are also needed. It is advisable to consume milk, fish, cottage cheese, hazelnuts, green beans and sesame.

In conclusion

Before sleeping with a rib fracture, symptoms in the form of pain must be removed with the help of appropriate analgesics. They allow for normal breathing, so oxygen deficiency can be avoided. In addition, sleep in the presence of constant pain will not be of high quality, which means that the healing process will not occur in normal mode. Regular lack of sleep can lead to depletion of the body and reduce its recovery capabilities.