Electronic Health Reporter

Falls and car accidents are common causes of injuries. Dealing with the aftermath of these events can be overwhelming. A person suffers from physical illness, but emotional trauma such as flashbacks of an auto wreck can be worst of all-cause ongoing pain and distracting attention to perform daily activities. To come out of this, you should seek professional medical care.

Types of Car Accident Wounds and Injuries

Abrasion

When your skin rubs against a rough surface, for example, road rash, an abrasion occurs. The victim not usually bleeds, but the wound needs to be cleaned on time to avoid infection.

Puncture

A puncture wound is a small hole caused by a sharp object, such as a nail. The victim may not bleed much, but immediate visit to the doctor must prevent infection because these wounds can be profound and can damage internal organs.

Laceration

When your skin gets tear, or you get a deep cut, it is known as laceration. Accidents with sharp pointed tools like knives are frequent causes of lacerations. The victim may bleed heavily; therefore, an immediate visit to the doctor becomes a must.

Avulsion

When the tissue beneath the skin tears away, the injury is called avulsion. It usually occurs during body-crushing accidents and gunshots. The victim bleeds heavily.

Now comes the serious car accident injuries which, if left untreated, could result in death of a person.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

As the name indicates, ‘traumatic brain injury’ occurs when a piercing injury damages a victim’s brain. On average, more than 50,000 people die from this deadly injury annually, and around 80,000 to 90,000 gets long-term damage.

The brain controls your overall body, your ability to think, remember things, see, hear, talk, feel, walk, and much more. The brain nerves are connected to the spinal cord and even control your breathing and other body functions. Imagine, even a minor injury in the head can affect your overall ability to perform daily tasks than how you will survive without getting proper treatment. Impossible!

Spinal cord injuries and paralysis

Same as you can’t bear the pain of TBI, damage to the spinal cord is equally painful. It can result in partial or total paralysis –– making you disable for the rest of your life. Therefore, if the impact of a crash on the body causes you spinal cord injuries, do not delay the treatment.

Back Injuries

Our spines are delicate and cannot sustain heavy impact. The pain from back injuries may be delayed in showing up post car crash but can be serious and long-lasting.

Internal injuries

The damage to internal organs occurs when the body is hit by flying debris or an object hits hard, results in internal bleeding which requires emergency medical treatment.

Burns

The victim can suffer burns if a vehicle catches fire after a car collision crash or if they get contact with hot surfaces, fluids, and chemicals. Very severe burns may not just require tropical treatments, but your doctor may also suggest surgery and skin grafting.

Fractures and broken bones

The most common injury a person suffers due to a car accident is broken parts of the body; legs, ribs, wrists, arms, and ankles. Moreover, many victims suffer a fractured pelvis that may require surgery to repair.

Neck injuries and whiplash

Whiplash and neck injuries are also common in accidents. It occurs when the neck’s soft tissue gets damaged either by sudden back or forth movement of the neck or any other reason that puts pressure on the neck, with or without a seatbelt. Even a speed of 15 mph can cause you whiplash. Likewise, severe disk injury can also result from car accidents.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Indeed, not all auto collision injuries are physical. This means you might have PTSD –a mental and emotional disorder/injuries post-accident. Sleep disorders, flashbacks of the incident, loss of hunger, and many more there are different symptoms of PTSD.

In such a case, things that used to be routine for you may become hard or even impossible to perform. And to get back to a normal life, you may need to get mental health treatment from a professional psychologist.

How long does it usually take to heal mentally and physically after an accident?

There is no straight answer to this question. It depends on the severity of injuries a person sustained and other factors given below.

• Your age
• Your health before an accident
• The amount of time you took to reach the hospital
• Your access to experienced doctors and their accident injury treatment plan
• How much rest you get
• How seriously you follow the treatment plan
• Your diet and daily exercise habits

It can take weeks or even three to four months to feel better after a collision.

Tips for Recovering After An Accident

No matter how hard you try to recover at home, from the injuries mentioned above, the best place to start accident injury treatment is by visiting a qualified doctor. Once they diagnose your injuries, they’ll develop a treatment plan to help you recover fast.

• Follow your doctor’s recommendations.
• Use ice for auto injury pain
• Consider physical therapy
• Try massage therapy
• Take it easy
• Slowly begin an exercise
• Drink plenty of water to promote healing
• Eat recovery foods
• Stay active
• Avoid alcohol
• Talk with friends or relatives.
• Ease yourself while performing tasks
• Try to return to your normal activities
• Be patient

Last words

Although recovering from injuries requires patience, there are a few tips to quicken your healing process and get back to a normal lifestyle. We hope this article clears your understanding related to car accident physical and mental injuries, and also you get some wonderful advice for faster recovery.

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