Car accidents are more common than you think, resulting in numerous injuries and sometimes even death. When an accident happens, the body’s fight or flight response begins to engage immediately. Therefore, your body might trick you into thinking you are okay in the immediate aftermath of your accident. Unfortunately, with time, the hidden auto injuries Colonia might begin to take a toll on your health. Therefore, seeing a specialist after a car accident is important even if you have no noticeable symptoms. Meanwhile, continue reading to discover the common hidden auto injuries to watch out for.
- Neck Injuries
Whiplash is one of the most prevalent injuries sustained in vehicle accidents. The “back and forth” action between your neck and head often results in soft tissue injuries that are not instantly noticeable. Nonetheless, some warning signs you should look out for include neck pain, tingling, blurry vision, or generalized discomfort in the neck or back area.
Unfortunately, you might experience the effects of your neck injury if you don’t give it the appropriate care. Based on the extent of your whiplash injury, you might need pain management, physical therapy, and sometimes, medications to help you recover.
- Brain Injuries
The forces behind a whiplash are serious enough to lead to a concussion. This traumatic brain injury generally results from a blow to your head or internal damage caused by the same motion that leads to whiplash.
Typical warning signs of a concussion include headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, fatigue, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). A concussion will occur without you losing consciousness, and the symptoms could be delayed and unrecognizable right after your accident.
- Back Injuries
Spine injuries are not obvious immediately. After a car accident, it is safe to assume that you have a possible spinal cord injury, so you should see a specialist to rule them out.
Bleeding and swelling in or around the spinal cord can lead to paralysis or numbness that gradually affects your body. Less serious, but still an issue, is slowly developing back discomfort stemming from strained muscles. If left untreated, this back pain can lead to long-term back issues.
- Soft Tissues Injuries
Just as soft tissue damage causes back injuries and whiplash, your ankles, knees, and feet can also sustain an injury in a car accident. Wrist, shoulder, and elbow injuries are also common. As with other collision injuries, these concerns might not hurt immediately. This delayed response might even make you not associate the pain from these areas with your accident.
- Internal Damage
Internal bleeding could not be obvious immediately, but it is a life-threatening injury. The signs and symptoms might not show until you develop serious complications. Your specialist will examine you for internal damage through advanced technologies like CT scans, X-rays, and ultrasounds.
Modern vehicle safety systems are designed to protect you during a collision, and your body’s system is also geared to get you through the crisis. Unfortunately, neither can safeguard you from the hidden injuries of a car accident. Car accident injuries leave victims with physical damage that lasts weeks, months, years, or sometimes a lifetime. Once these injuries happen, seeking immediate medical care is vital in avoiding more serious health concerns. Your auto injury specialist will use advanced diagnostic procedures to examine for any hidden injuries you might have, and, using his knowledge, suggest appropriate care solutions.
