difference between bruised and cracked ribs

You have asthma, high blood pressure, kidney disease or may be pregnant.

You have a history of heart disease, stroke or peripheral artery disease.

You have a history of stomach ulcer or stomach bleeding.

DO NOT take anti-inflammatory painkillers if you are taking anti-clotting medicines such as warfarin, heparin or similar medication.ĭiscuss with your doctor or nurse before taking anti-inflammatory painkillers if:.

Many people can take them without problems but some people need to be very careful about taking anti-inflammatory painkillers. If you are drowsy, do not drive and if very drowsy, you should reduce the codeine dose.Īnti-inflammatory painkillers (such as naproxen, ibuprofen or aspirin) can cause stomach ulcers or stomach bleeding. You can continue taking codeine together with enough laxative to relieve the constipation. It is important to treat constipation promptly because straining worsens rib pain. For constipation, you can take standard laxatives such as senna tablets and/or increase the fruit, fibre and fluid in your diet. Codeine and dihydrocodeine may cause drowsiness or constipation. Paracetamol is not likely to give you side-effects.

This includes, for example, smokers and people with persistent (chronic) chest conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart failure.Īre there any side-effects of the painkillers which I should know about? (See 'What are the complications of rib injuries?', below.) Painkillers help to prevent these problems.Įffective and safe pain relief is especially important for people who are more prone to chest infections. Simply putting up with the pain is not a good idea, as it can lead to taking shallow breaths, as well as lack of coughing and developing chest infections. Good pain relief for bruised or broken ribs helps you to breathe and cough properly. How to treat a rib injury The most important treatment is to have good pain relief However the recovery time may be much longer, especially for displaced fractures (the broken ends of your rib no longer line up with one another). How long do rib injuries take to heal?īroken (fractured) or bruised ribs often heal in about six weeks. This especially applies to women who are, or who may be, pregnant. X-rays are not used unless necessary, because of the radiation involved. Therefore, if complications are not suspected and you are otherwise well, you may not need an X-ray. If a rib fracture is suspected, the main purpose of a chest X-ray is to look for complications rather than to diagnose the fracture itself.

Rib fractures may (but not always) show on a chest X-ray. Ribs which are broken (fractured) are painful, particularly with movement, deep breaths or coughing. Usually, a rib injury diagnosis is made from the details you give to the doctor (history) plus a doctor's examination.

Difference between bruised and cracked ribs