Serious hidden injuries to look for after a car accident

Car accidents can be very traumatic, both physically and psychologically. While a lot of people survive these accidents and recover, some are seriously injured and unable to return to life as it was before the accident.

Ambulance staff usually examine car accident victims right away at the scene and if necessary, transport the person to the hospital for examination, tests and potentially diagnoses.

Sometimes, though, a person may feel fine and medical professionals may not find anything wrong with them right away. However, that does not necessarily mean that the person is fine.

Hidden injuries that neither the patient nor the doctor can find right away exist and they can be unidentifiable to the eye or medical examinations.

Even a minor car accident can transfer significant force throughout the body, and because the body tries to heal itself, you may not feel pain for hours, days or even weeks. These injuries could be debilitating and even life-threatening if undetected or left untreated.

The most common hidden injuries after car accidents include:

1. Injuries to the neck: the whipping between the head and neck can cause damage to the soft tissue, which could be painless for a while. However, when it comes to the neck and its connection to the head and the spine, these injuries could have devastating effects. It is critical to remain alert for signs of neck soreness, pain or numbness.
2. Injuries to the spine: the same is true with injuries to the spine, which could go undetected. After a car accident, it is best to assume that you may have a potential spinal cord injury. Spine injuries left untreated can cause swelling around the spinal cord and bleeding, which can cause numbness and paralysis that develops gradually.
3. Internal body injuries: the body may begin to bleed out internally after an accident and that can go undetected. Signs and symptoms are not always obvious in internal bleeding until a person finds themselves in a severe condition, which can be untreatable or even fatal at that point. In addition, body organs could be impacted by the force of a car crash, and symptoms of those injuries can go undetected for quite a while.

Injuries sustained in a car accident can range in severity, and it is possible that neither the person nor the doctor finds the injury right away, which can potentially cause severe harm to a person.

After an accident, it is critical to seek medical attention and remain alert in the coming days, weeks and months for any signs of injuries to any part of the body. Remember that sometimes injuries take time to become noticeable.