Ear, Nose & Throat ENT Disorders Difficulty Breathing and Intercostal Retracting By Kristina Duda, RN facebook twitter linkedin Kristina Duda, BSN, RN, CPN, has been working in healthcare since 2002. She specializes in pediatrics and disease and infection prevention. Learn about our editorial process Kristina Duda, RN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO on January 07, 2020 Michael Menna, DO, is a board-certified, active attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Michael Menna, DO on January 07, 2020 Print Retracting is a term used by medical professionals when they are speaking about a physical symptom that a person may experience when they are having difficulty breathing. It is most commonly seen in people with asthma or other chronic lung diseases, but it may also occur in children or adults who have a respiratory illness and are having trouble breathing. Blend Images / Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images When looking at the chest of a person with retractions, they may have a skeletal appearance. The skin pulls in and out between each rib with each breath, and you may be able to "count ribs." If the appearance of the ribs is unusual or becomes more pronounced with each breath, the person is probably experiencing retracting. If you suspect retracting or aren't sure because the person is overweight or has a large abdomen, look around the neck and collarbone area. Often it will appear that the skin is being pulled in when breathing in these areas as well. What You Should Do Retracting is a serious sign of difficulty breathing and one that shouldn't be ignored. The more pronounced it is, the more difficulty the person could be having getting adequate oxygen. Retracting can occur in children even if they don't appear to be having trouble with their breathing. It's a sign that a person is working harder to breathe than they should be and may not be getting enough oxygen. If you or your child has no history of asthma or reactive airway disease and you notice retracting, seek medical attention right away. If you or your child has asthma, you are probably familiar with retracting and what it looks like. If you notice it, follow your asthma action plan. If you don't have an asthma action plan and the retracting does not improve after using a fast-acting inhaler or nebulizer treatment, seek medical attention. Retracting may also be referred to as "intercostal retracting." Other Retracting Signs to Watch For You may not always be able to see a person's ribs if they are having trouble breathing. Other signs to watch for include: Wheezing (a high-pitched whistling sound when breathing out)Nasal flaringFrequent coughingBlue or grayish color on the face or lipsAppearance that the neck muscles are being used to breath Children who are having difficulty breathing do not always show signs that adults would recognize. It's important to know what to watch for, even if your child has no history of breathing problems. Retracting is a term you may not be familiar with, but knowing what it is and what to do if you see it could save someone's life. If you are in doubt about what you are seeing, seek medical attention to be safe. Ignoring signs that indicate a person is having a hard time breathing could be life-threatening. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. "Intercostal Retractions". MedlinePlus 14 May 14. US National Library of Medicine. US Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health.