Celebrity Health: George Clooney
It's common to say 'break a leg' to an actor, but in George Clooney's case, break a rib would be far more appropriate
Monday October 01 2007
George Clooney can count himself lucky. Last week, the heart-throb star crashed his high-performance motorbike while riding in New Jersey.
His passenger (girlfriend Sarah Larson, left,) sustained a broken foot, while Clooney himself escaped with cracked ribs.
Broken ribs are, in fact, a common injury. Car crashes and contact sports are the most common causes.
Usually a direct blow to the chest is involved, but you don't have to be a dare-devil or rugby player to damage your ribs. Slipping on the pavement could be enough to do the trick.
The ribs have two main functions -- to protect the internal organs and to assist with the mechanics of breathing. Broken ribs can make breathing more difficult as there is less space in your chest for your lungs to inflate.
In addition, the chest muscles are less efficient, so it's harder to take a breath.
So how can you tell you've broken your ribs? Give away symptoms include a pain in the rib area. This may become more acute when you take a deep breath or press against the bruised part of your body.
Twisting your upper torso may, in addition, bring on a sensation of pain.
Doctors treat broken ribs by controlling the pain until the fracture heals. The process usually takes one to two months.
Older people are also at greater risk. With age, the ribs loose their "elasticity", meaning they are more vulnerable to fracturing.
Sometimes broken ribs can lead to dangerous complications. The sharp edges of fractured ribs may puncture the lung or the surrounding tissue. As a result, blood or air may accumulate in the cavity between the lungs and the chest wall, with potentially fatal consequences.
Short of giving up sports or swapping your motorbike for a 4x4, you can't really safeguard against broken ribs. However, doctors do recommend a diet high in calcium, which lowers the risk of osteoporosis.
