Common Injury Symptoms You Might Feel After an Accident

Some people have no injuries after an accident, while many suffer some symptoms either right after the incident or days after it. Here are some common injury symptoms that you might feel after you’ve been in an accident.

Headaches

One of the most common symptoms people have after an accident is developing headaches. These headaches usually go away in a couple of days on their own; however, this might not always be the case. These symptoms might sign an underlying problem like blood clots in the brain, different kinds of neck injuries, and even concussions. To be entirely sure your headaches won’t develop into a severe condition that can threaten your life, consult the doctor as soon as they appear. Another substantial injury risk you need to be aware of is the risk of traumatic brain injury. Brain injury can occur when you hit your head, especially in an accident, because the soft brain tissue may hit the hard inside of your skull. This can lead to brain damage, a condition that needs to be treated right away.

Neck Pain

Along with headaches and back pain, neck pain is a joint discomfort in people who have recently been in an accident. Generally speaking, pain in the neck and shoulders is usually a sign of whiplash. As a Pasadena whiplash injury lawyer suggests, whiplash can occur even after low-speed collisions. This condition can occur right after the accident, but it usually takes a couple of days to set in. If you start to notice pain or any stiffness around your neck, head, and shoulders, head to your doctor’s office that very second. One way to properly diagnose whiplash is by having an x-ray or an MRI of the affected area. If whiplash is not the cause of your symptoms, it could indicate a spinal injury.

Back Pain

It’s not rare that people walk away from an accident completely unscratched. However, if you happen to experience any pain in your head, neck, or back, it may signal a more serious problem with your body. People are usually in shock after an accident, and high adrenaline levels can linger in the body a few days after, so you might not notice the pain at first. Back pain that occurs a few days after the accident can be a symptom of soft tissue injury, sprain, herniated disc, or even a spinal injury. Whichever the case, our backs are a critical part of our bodies for basically every possible action, and we need to do our best to protect it. Remember to consult your designated physician as soon as you start experiencing even mild discomfort after being in an accident.

Abdominal Pain 

Another widespread symptom that shows up after someone has been in an accident is abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is usually a sign of internal bleeding, and it doesn’t always manifest itself right away. Internal bleeding is tricky to diagnose just by giving someone a physical exam. Usually, specific blood tests are necessary for it to be discovered. However, suppose there are visible purple bruises, and you feel dizzy. In that case, a doctor may suspect you are bleeding internally and should assess the situation right away, especially if you’ve been in an accident. Internal bleeding is a severe condition that gets more serious with every second it’s left untreated. Emergency staff will often do a triage on the scene of the accident. They usually inspect the abdomen by separating it into four quadrants to have a better idea of which internal organ suffered the most damage.

PTSD

Although the physical symptoms are the most common occurrence after a person has been in an accident, they can be accompanied by some mental disorders. PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder, and as the name suggests, this condition occurs after someone has suffered a traumatic experience like an accident, for example. This condition doesn’t happen, but it can also affect the people who have directly been in the car accident and the bystanders. Post-traumatic stress disorder usually starts slow, so people typically think they are experiencing mild anxiety. However, the symptoms of PTSD are known to start very subtly and gradually get much worse as more time passes. If you think you’re experiencing symptoms of PTSD, consult your therapist on what could be the best course of action before it gets horrible.

If you have any of these injury symptoms, do not wait another minute to visit your doctor, as these can quickly develop into more severe conditions.