Dealing with a car crash may leave you with more than a damaged vehicle and a bad day. The crash itself may have left your body with damage that is not apparent in the time immediately afterward.
Underlying injuries include some with severe and life-threatening consequences. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms and signs that your body is dealing with an injury in the hours and days following a car accident.
Bruising may equal active bleeding
You may expect bruises in the areas of your body that hit against the seatbelt, the armrest and the airbag. While some measure of bruising is normal, anything that gets worse or spreads over a larger area of skin should raise concern that there is a vessel or organ actively bleeding. A bruise that deepens and gets black indicates that more blood is pooling under the skin. The abdominal area is particularly prone to internal bleeding that may require emergency medical intervention.
Extreme lethargy can mean brain trauma
A traumatic brain injury does not happen only if you crack your head open. Any movement of the head that forces the brain to move around and hit the skull can lead to brain injury. In the wake of a crash, you should pay particular attention to these possible brain injury signs:
- Exhaustion and lethargy
- Insomnia
- Intense head pain
- Memory recall issues
- Emotional swings
A traumatic brain injury may leave you with permanent damage and place irreversible limitations on your lifestyle if not treated.
Pay close attention to the way your body feels following a car accident. Should you feel even remotely off, you should seek out medical attention immediately.
