You may need to take your pain medicine first. Holding a pillow or blanket against your injured rib can make the deep breaths less painful.Take 10 deep breaths every hour, even if you awaken during the first few nights.Your provider may have you blow into a special device which measures how much air you move with each breath (spirometer). Do slow deep-breathing and gentle coughing exercises every 2 hours, to get rid of the mucous from your lungs and prevent partial lung collapse.To help prevent problems, your provider may recommend deep breathing exercises. If you take shallow breaths for too long, it can put you at risk for pneumonia. Tell your provider about any other medicines you are taking as drug interactions may occur.īeing in pain when you breathe can cause you to take shallow breaths. To avoid nausea or vomiting, try taking your pain medicines with food.To avoid becoming constipated, drink more fluids, eat high-fiber foods, and use stool softeners.

DO NOT drink alcohol, drive, or operate heavy machinery while you are taking these medicines.

Take these medicines on the schedule your provider prescribed.

If your pain is severe, you may need prescription pain medicines (narcotics) to keep your pain under control while your bruise heals.

DO NOT take this medication if you have liver disease or reduced liver function.

DO NOT take more than the amount recommended on the bottle or by your provider.Īcetaminophen (Tylenol) may also be used for pain by most people.

Talk with your provider before using these medicines if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, or have had stomach ulcers or internal bleeding in the past.

You can buy these pain medicines at the store. If your pain is not severe, you can use ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) for pain relief.

Wrap the ice pack in a cloth before applying to the injured area.

Apply an ice pack to the injured area for 20 minutes, 2 to 3 times per day for the first one to two days.

It also numbs the area and helps relieve pain. Icing helps reduce swelling by decreasing the blood flow in the area. Here are some ways to help relieve pain and discomfort as you heal.

Broken ribs healing process