Each year, millions of people suffer injuries after a car accident. You may picture broken bones and cuts requiring stitches, but concussions are another common injury found after a car accident. When deciding if they should seek medical treatment following a car accident, many people forget to look for signs of a concussion. An undiagnosed and untreated concussion could have very dangerous consequences, so let’s learn a little more about how concussions occur and what you should be looking out for.
How Does an Auto Accident Result in a Concussion?
When you think about concussions you probably picture football players getting tackled to the ground or kids falling from high heights, but a concussion can occur in many ways.
During a car accident, many people suffer from whiplash. Whiplash causes your head and body to violently go back and forth, which is very similar to the motion that occurs when sports players suffer a concussion. The sudden and violent movement allows your brain to rock back and forth within your skull, which typically results in a concussion.
You may also fly forward, hitting your head on something in front of you in the car, such as the wheel, or the dashboard. The force of the blow can cause a similar shaking motion of your brain, resulting in a concussion.
Treatment and Symptoms of A Concussion
The first step towards treating a concussion involves getting it diagnosed. If you notice any of these symptoms after a car accident, you should seek further medical attention.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Tiredness
- Slurred speech
- Memory loss
- Pressure in the head
- Ringing in the ears
- Confusion
Remember, many of these symptoms may not appear for multiple days after the accident occurs. If you do notice any of these symptoms and a doctor diagnoses you with a concussion, they’ll begin recommending a treatment plan. This treatment plan will likely include a limit of physical activity, especially high-risk physical activity. If you’re suffering from pain, you may be prescribed painkillers or anti-anxiety medications to manage your symptoms. Resting your brain as much as possible is a vital part of concussion recovery. Your physician may instruct you to take days off of work or school depending on the severity of your symptoms. You’ll receive regular checkups to monitor your progress towards recovery, but every case of a concussion is unique. You may recover in as little as 3-5 days, but it can take up to a year depending on the severity of the concussion.
Don’t hesitate to seek medical treatment following your auto accident. At OrthoNOW, we provide concussion testing and treatment services to get your head back in gear. For more information about the services we provide, please call us at 855-447-6784.