Traffic accidents are becoming increasingly common and are among the leading causes of soft tissue injuries passengers and drivers suffer. The clinical presentations of each injury vary depending on the circumstances of each collision. Collaborating with your primary care provider after a Roswell motor vehicle accident injury will lead to an accurate diagnosis and development of appropriate treatment and management approaches to restore your well-being.
Factors determining the severity of your motor vehicle injury
You must undergo a comprehensive physical examination after your motor vehicle accident to reveal your concerns and help your doctor develop an appropriate approach to restore your wellness. Patients with minor accident injuries may get better a few days after their accident without necessarily undergoing treatment. However, receiving medical care for severe injuries is critical to prevent adversities like permanent physical disability. The following factors will determine your predisposition to minor or severe injuries after a motor vehicle accident:
- Were you wearing a seatbelt?
- Did the collision affect the rear, side, or front of your car?
- Was the collision low-speed or high-speed?
- Were there airbags in the vehicle?
How do physicians categorize motor vehicle inquiries?
Car accidents usually cause two types of injuries:
- Impact injuries: These complications happen after you hit a part of the vehicle’s interior during a collision.
- Penetrating injuries: You may also develop cuts and scrapes due to loose objects flying inside the car during the accident. These health concerns are also known as penetrating injuries.
Emergency care is critical regardless of the type of injury you develop after a motor vehicle accident. The most popular types of injuries patients report after a motor vehicle accident include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI): This impact injury happens when the skull hits an interior part of the vehicle. It is important to seek emergency care for TBIs like a concussion to prevent the progression of a mild injury into long-lasting adverse effects, including brain damage.
- Spinal cord injuries: These complications also require immediate medical intervention. Most patients with spinal cord injuries report numbness below the area of injury. Emergency care may prevent paralysis.
- Facial injuries: These penetrating injuries include scarring, bruising, bleeding, and eye damage.
- Neck and chest injuries: You may develop a neck injury like bruising from your seatbelt. Thoracic trauma is an impact injury that may cause significant damage if you fail to receive immediate care.
- Whiplash: This injury occurs when the head snaps backward or forward, mainly due to faulty airbag deployment, causing the head’s weight to strain neck muscles.
- Broken or bruised ribs: You should seek medical intervention for your chest pain to determine whether the cause is mild bruising or broken ribs and thus receive appropriate treatment to eliminate your symptoms.
- Sprains and strains: These soft tissue injuries may be less severe than other motor vehicle injuries but should not be ignored lest they progress into adverse stages.
Contact Apex Spine and Neurosurgery if you have been in an accident to receive appropriate care for any concerns.
