Car accidents are unexpected – unexpectedly horrible! No one wants to be in a situation where they get their car hit. Many people think that coming out of a car accident with no visible injury could be a lifesaver but this is more wrong than anything.
While bruises and cuts tend to be the external injuries contributing to temporary pain until they are healed, there are some internal symptoms that your body might not feel initially but they do have a significant impact on your daily life.
If left untreated, these symptoms can go on for years to come and turn into an extremely unwanted chronic injury. In this article, we will discuss the six internal car accident injuries that will come to a while after the accident and what you can do to get them treated.
If you feel any of the symptoms described below, you need to get in touch with your accident doctor right away but do not hesitate in taking legal help if the case is severe. Such internal injuries normally appear 24 to 48 hours after the accident and their symptoms are completely dependent upon the complexity and severity of the accident and your present medical condition at the time of the accident.
These injuries are:
- Headache
- Back Pain
- Abdomen Pain
- Upper Body Stiffness
- PTSD
- Numbness and Tingling
If you have recently been in an accident, you might suffer from these issues. Surprisingly, even people with most minor accidents can have these issues.
Let’s discuss them in detail:
Headaches
Many people experience a strong sensation and a rush of adrenaline when they are involved in a car accident. Initially, they can experience almost no side effects from the accident. However, with the progression of time and given the fact that adrenaline fades, a few of the earliest signs that they will have can easily lead to serious damage.
This may be the start of extreme and chronic headaches. These headaches can be signs of a concussion or a more severe cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly if they are followed by other signs such as dizziness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, or memory and concentration issues. A headache could be a symptom of a blood clot or inflammation within the brain that may eventually lead to a seizure if left untreated and unresolved.
Back Pain
If the pain in the back grows following a crash, it may be an indication that you have sustained a major injury within the spinal region. You can also sense the pain radiating to the thighs and hips. This discomfort may be a symptom of muscle, tendon, or ligament injury to your spine, or something even more drastic. For example, a pinched or compressed nerve, a broken vertebra, or a herniated or bulging disc. You need to deal with the issue instantly. Back injuries might greatly limit your movement and can potentially prohibit you from standing or sitting for extended periods. This can impair your capacity to work and make a living.
Abdomen Pain
Many accidents where you get in impactful contact may result in severe injuries and cause a person to experience damage to vital organs and cause internal bleeding. Without proper medical treatment, bleeding may lead to organ failure and become lethal.
Among the most prominent symptoms of an internal organ, injuries are abdominal pain or swelling. This is because internal bleeding will irritate the tissues and exert pressure on the organs. Abdominal pain is also followed by other signs such as:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Bruising
- Shortness Of Breath
- Visual Changes
- Tingling Or Numbness Of The Hands And Legs
And if you can feel discomfort in your abdomen, bleeding can actually occur in a different part of your body, including your brain. This is why it is seriously important that you get yourself checked by a medical specialist. A damaged abdomen can lead to issues like infertility and a disturbed menstrual cycle.
Upper Body Stiffness
A car crash jolt will inflict injury to the nerves, muscles, ligaments, and tendons of your shoulders and neck. This issue does not show symptoms immediately. If you start to experience weakness in some parts of the body just after the collision, it may be an indication that you have sustained the following:
- Whiplash
- Rotator cuff injury
- Soft tissue injury.
If you write off those symptoms, the disease can only get worse and lead to constant, crippling pain that keeps you from exercising, doing homework, or just enjoying life as you should. You need to see a doctor and get yourself a proper whiplash injury treatment. Your doctor will assess you and prescribe imaging tests like an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan to establish the diagnosis. Many people have reported that leaving an injury as simple as whiplash has led them to suffer the pain for more than three years or so. Therefore, visiting your doctor on time is vital.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
It is completely normal for people to feel stress after an accident. A small accident with no damage can lead to low blood pressure, shaking, and even the fear of driving. Many people see their loved ones pass away from an accident and this can be just a horrible sight to witness.
If you are suffering from panic attacks, nightmares, and flashbacks of the accident then you are most likely suffering from the post-traumatic stress disorder. These symptoms are serious and require serious medical attention. Your accident doctor will recommend that you seek proper psychological sessions with a trained professional.
Mental health professionals know how to handle such issues and you might have to go through the following depending completely upon your mental state:
- One on one therapy
- Group Counselling
- Anti-depressants
- Sleeping pills
- Social sessions to share your issue
You might be surprised to know that talking about a particular issue helps a lot in accepting it and coming to terms with it. Try talking about your feelings with someone close to you whom you feel won’t judge you or give you a hard time.
Numbness and Tingling
Numbness and tingling in your limbs and other parts of the body are really not a good thing to experience. These signs may represent any variety of medical complications that caused you to recover from a car crash injury. There are multiple reasons why you might be feeling numbness or tingling right after a car accident. They can be a symptom of
- blood clot
- internal bleeding
- spinal cord injury
- brain damage
These are not just your only options. It may be difficult to determine the cause of the symptoms. For example, you might experience numbness and tingling due to smaller issues like whiplash. Getting a proper whiplash injury treatment has reduced the sensations immediately. You must always get yourself treated by a professional chiropractor for positive results.
Conclusion
Many car accidents do not show any external symptoms. This does not mean that there aren’t any. There are a lot of internal injuries that can leave a significant impact on your health like chronic pain if you don’t seek timely treatment. If you want to be completely sure that your accident has not led to any unwanted health complications, make sure that you visit your doctor for professional advice and treatment.