Serious car accidents often severely injure victims in ways that anyone can recognize. Injuries like a broken bone or significant head wound catch the attention of medical professionals almost immediately. But what about injuries that the naked eye cannot see?
Millions of people suffer from medical injuries after a car accident every year. With so many people receiving injuries, there may be more to your scratches and bruises than you may expect. Here are some common hidden injuries that you should look out for:
Joint injuries
The impact of a car accident can injure knees, elbows, and shoulders in ways that you may not be able to recognize immediately. What makes it harder to identify is that victims may see any pain in these joints following an accident as only temporary.
Brain injuries
A person with no external bruising or bleeding may still have suffered a traumatic brain injury after their accident. Common signs of these injuries include nausea, dizziness, different-sized pupils, and sleepiness.
Spinal column injuries
The disks in your neck and back sit in a very delicate position. A violent impact can knock a disk loose and cause a victim to suffer back or neck pain, nerve damage, and numbness. If these injuries go without treatment for too long, the consequences may become worse or permanent.
Always seek medical attention
Hidden injuries are dangerous because of how long they can go without anyone noticing them. Even if you were fortunate enough to walk away from an accident, you might have sustained injuries. Be sure to see a doctor immediately following your accident to verify if you are suffering from a hidden injury.