Accidents are the number three cause of all deaths in the U.S. Those who have suffered injuries because of accidents make up 25 percent of all persons treated in a hospital emergency room. If you have never been in an accident, or have recently experienced one, it’s important to educate yourself on some of the symptoms of post-accident injuries.
Kinds of Injuries
Whiplash: This kind of neck injury can happen in automobile accidents. Whiplash injuries can turn problematic as they might not be evident until a long time after the accident.
Head and Brain Injuries: In an automobile accident, head and brain injuries are a common occurrence; they range from mild concussions to TBI (traumatic brain injury).
Back Injuries: Back injury is another type of common injury suffered by drivers and passengers in a car accident. It can be in the form of strain, sprain, fracture, and injuries of the disc, lumbar spine, and thoracic spine. Just like neck injuries, the symptoms accompanying serious back injuries might take some time to be evident; a back injury might give rise to long-lasting pain and discomfort.
A Word of Caution
Auto accident injuries might not be evident immediately. The trauma of the accident causes the human body to produce the hormone endorphins; these hormones are in effect painkillers. With the excitement of the automobile accident along with the endorphins, you may not know at once that you have been injured.
Under the circumstances, the first thing you should do is get immediate medical attention and treatment for suspected injuries. Also necessary is a precautionary examination for injuries that may not be so obvious. This can happen even at low speeds or in an impact involving minimal property damage.
Those who are unfortunate enough to have an accident might feel all right immediately after the event, but notice the injuries and the accompanying symptoms only after time has passed. For example, a blow to your head seemed minor at first, without any pain or other symptoms. However, soon a fatal brain injury may become evident. Such delays in the onset of symptoms can vary from a mere five minutes to as much as three hours or even longer following the accident.
Brain Injury: A Typical Case
A victim of an accident might seem fine immediately after the mishap, but he/she might be undergoing a brain bleed, and with the building up of the resultant pressure is certain to experience typical symptoms of a traumatic cerebral injury. Unless medically evaluated immediately after an automobile accident, a sports injury, or just a slip on the floor, it can turn critical. Nausea, glossy eyes, severe headache, and sudden sleepiness are the common symptoms. According to experts, it is vital to get the accident victim to a hospital in a matter of hours, earlier if possible. Often emergency brain surgery is necessary to arrest the bleeding as also manage brain swelling.
Since a head injury is the most fatal of all injuries it is important to protect your head as much as possible while driving a car or riding a motorbike, and never take that injury lightly, even if you feel all right at first.
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