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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Pain In Ribs And Difficulty In Breathing After Chest Injury

when i was skiing park, i fell on a rail and landed on my ski lock that was located in my breast pocket. i couldnt breathe properly for 30 min, and it has been 2 weeks and i am still having trouble breathing fully. it felt like my right side of my ribs were broken, what should i do?
Mon, 25 Jul 2016
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Pulmonologist,  's  Response
Thanks for your question on Healthcare Magic.
I can understand your concern.
You had blunt chest trauma. And current symptoms like chest pain, breathing difficulty etc are suggestive of following possibilities.
1. Rib fracture
2. Pneumothorax
3. Pulmonary contusion
4. Musculoskeletal pain.
All these are commonly seen after blunt chest trauma.
So better to get done chest x ray first.
If chest x ray is normal then no need to worry for rib fracture or pneumothorax.
Musculoskeletal pain can also cause similar symptoms.
So avoid movements causing pain. Avoid bad postures in sleep. Avoid heavyweight lifting and strenuous exercise.
Apply warm water pad on affected areas. Take painkiller like ibuprofen.
Wear chest belt to prevent mobilization of painful parts.
Don't worry, you will be alright with all these but first get done chest x ray to rule out internal lung injury.
Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.
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Suggest Treatment For Pain In Ribs And Difficulty In Breathing After Chest Injury

Thanks for your question on Healthcare Magic. I can understand your concern. You had blunt chest trauma. And current symptoms like chest pain, breathing difficulty etc are suggestive of following possibilities. 1. Rib fracture 2. Pneumothorax 3. Pulmonary contusion 4. Musculoskeletal pain. All these are commonly seen after blunt chest trauma. So better to get done chest x ray first. If chest x ray is normal then no need to worry for rib fracture or pneumothorax. Musculoskeletal pain can also cause similar symptoms. So avoid movements causing pain. Avoid bad postures in sleep. Avoid heavyweight lifting and strenuous exercise. Apply warm water pad on affected areas. Take painkiller like ibuprofen. Wear chest belt to prevent mobilization of painful parts. Don t worry, you will be alright with all these but first get done chest x ray to rule out internal lung injury. Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.