Warning: She Coughed Vigorously, and... You Won't Believe How It Ended
Coughing is important as it is the body's natural way to rid itself of bacteria and viruses. However, one must be careful not to cough too forcefully, as demonstrated by the unusual story below.
(Photo: shutterstock)An elderly woman residing in Massachusetts coughed with such force that she caused a rib fracture, as published in the the New England Journal of Medicine.
A 66-year-old woman visited her doctor, complaining of a dry cough and right-side pain that lasted for about two weeks.
The patient was diagnosed with the flu and prescribed medication that did not relieve her symptoms. After several days, she returned to the doctor. A further examination revealed a large bruise on the painful side, leading the doctor to suspect that it was something much more serious than the flu.
A CT scan showed that the woman had a fracture on her ninth rib, with the broken part completely detached from the rib. Additional tests revealed that she was suffering from whooping cough, which led to the severe coughing.
After receiving appropriate antibiotic treatment and surgery, the woman recovered, and of course, her relatives received preventive care to avoid contracting the disease.
Whooping cough is usually not a dangerous disease but can lead to complications in extreme cases. Initially, symptoms resemble those of the flu: sore throat, fever, watery eyes, and only after a week does the severe cough start.
It should be noted that one should not suppress a cough, as it is the body's natural way to expel bacteria and viruses. However, coughing should be done within limits, as highlighted by this unusual story, and one must consider that excessive coughing could endanger the organs adjacent to the lungs.
