Broken ribs are a common injury among people with fractures. This is when one of the rib bones breaks or cracks. Also, a broken rib can be a diagnosis when the cartilage that connects the ribs to the breastbone is fractured. When you break ribs, you will often have trouble breathing and your ribcage cannot hold its shape as it should, causing pain and trouble with daily activities.

Causes of broken ribs

The causes of broken ribs include direct blows to the chest area, which can be caused by many events. Car accidents, sports injuries, and falling are common causes of broken ribs. Additionally, those who have brittle bones due to osteoporosis, cancer, or other diseases that deteriorate bones can easily break ribs simply by coughing too hard. Anytime a rib is injured, a doctor visit is recommended because of the organs that are nearby. Broken ribs could injure the lungs, blood vessels, the spleen, and other important body parts.

Symptoms of broken ribs

Fractured or broken ribs can cause the following symptoms:

• Pain that is mild or severe in the area of injury
• Painful breathing or difficulty taking a full breath
• Pain when pressure is put on the breastbone
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety due to difficulty breathing
• Headache due to difficult breathing
• Dizziness or tiredness, again related to difficulty breathing

Treatment for broken ribs

Once a doctor has examined the patient and determined that ribs are broken through x-rays if possible, treatment will be simple care. Sometimes, x-rays will not reveal rib fractures, which is why doctors might use other symptoms to treat the condition anyway, regardless of what the x-rays determine. If you have an internal injury along with broken ribs, you will likely be kept in the hospital or ER for an extended period. Pain medications will be used when necessary.

Most broken ribs heal on their own and are treated at home with pain relief, ice, and rest. If over-the-counter medications are not effective, a doctor may prescribe stronger medications, but this is at the doctor’s discretion. In the event of breathing pain, patients need to take deep breaths or cough every hour or so to keep the lungs from collapsing or developing pneumonia. If the ribs are the only injury, lying on the injured side is also recommended. This will allow patients to breathe easier. One final caution is to NOT wrap or tape the injured area. While this was popular in the past, it actually prevents deep breathing and can increase the likelihood of a collapsed lung or pneumonia.

Compensation for broken ribs

Many people are unaware that they can claim compensation for a broken or fractured rib but help is at hand. Whether you have been injured at work, on the road, playing sport, in hospital, in the street, in a shop, an office, commercial or public building, at home, a friend's house or any kind of slip, trip or fall.

In addition to claiming compensation for you or a loved ones suffering, you may also be able to claim for medical expenses, lost wages and any other out of pocket expenses.  For an idea of what you could get see some typical compensation amounts.

Pinstripe make it easy for you to claim compensation. All you need to do is complete the simple online form opposite and the experienced and friendly claims team will handle it from there. It's that easy!