Oh Jeong-yeon, “Did you break your ribs while coughing?”… What happened after starving to the extreme?

Actress Oh Jeong-yeon shared her recent recovery after a rib fracture.

Recently, Oh Jeong-yeon posted a photo of herself vacationing at a resort on her social media with the caption, “January and December of 2024 in the same place.” He said, “In January, I felt like a sick chicken due to a rib fracture following the flu, and now in December, I have come back with a healthy body after surviving the year hard.” He added, “I want to come back here again in 2025 in better condition.”

Earlier this year, Oh Jeong-yeon reported that she fractured her ribs after coughing severely. He said, “As I was busy preparing for the body profile shoot, I couldn’t diet and ended up starving to the extreme.” He added, “After the shoot, my body’s immunity dropped and I caught the flu.” He added, “I was coughing violently for almost a month and my ribs were cracked. When I went to the hospital, they said my ribs were fractured.”

Is it possible to fracture a rib while coughing?

Like Oh Jeong-yeon, when you get the flu or something like that, you start coughing. Coughing is the body’s response to prevent harmful substances from entering the airways and remove harmful substances from the lungs and bronchi. According to the Mayo Clinic in the United States, when a bad substance tickles the throat or airway, the brain sends a signal to the chest muscles to cough. If we do not cough, our lungs are already polluted with all kinds of dirty substances brought in from outside, and phlegm produced in the lungs accumulates.

Coughing is a natural defense mechanism of the body, but if it is too severe or continues for a long time, it can irritate the lungs and make the coughing worse. If you cough frequently or severely, you may experience dizziness, headache, vomiting, fainting, and chest pain. As the stomach becomes strained, symptoms of urinary incontinence may appear. There is a possibility of broken ribs like Oh Jeong-yeon experienced.

Ribs can be fractured not only by coughing, but also by pressure, falls, and bruises. If a fracture is left untreated, complications may occur as the sharp surface of the broken bone pierces the lung parenchyma, blood vessels, or blood vessels of the chest wall. In severe cases, abdominal organs may be damaged.

Treatment varies depending on the location, degree, and number of fractured ribs, but due to the risk of organ damage, it is best to visit a hospital quickly. You can accurately determine the condition through X-rays and CT scans, stabilize the chest wall by compressing the ribs with a chest band, or relieve pain with painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Coughing for over 2 months?… Could be chronic cough

Cough, which causes rib fractures, is largely divided into acute and chronic. Acute cough lasts for about 3 to 8 weeks. It occurs when you catch the flu like Oh Jeong-yeon or are infected with a virus or bacteria, such as pneumonia. If a cough persists for more than 8 weeks, it can be considered chronic. Chronic cough often occurs when nasal secretions increase due to allergic rhinitis, post-cold rhinitis, or sinusitis. People suffering from asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, lung cancer, heart failure, etc. can easily develop chronic cough.

If your cough persists for more than 8 weeks even though you do not have an underlying disease, you need to check the cause. If a severe cough is accompanied by symptoms such as fever, difficulty breathing, or wheezing, prompt treatment is important. The same applies when symptoms such as coughing, dark green phlegm, phlegm with blood, cold sweat, and weight loss appear.

Meanwhile, as the number of flu patients has increased rapidly due to the recent cold weather, a flu epidemic advisory was issued nationwide on the 20th. The flu is more dangerous the older you are. There is a statistic that 3 out of 100 flu patients over 80 years old lose their lives. To avoid getting the flu, you need to wash your hands regularly and consume a balanced diet to boost your immunity. Getting vaccinated is also helpful.