You May Have Symptoms Days after Accident
Accidents are bad experiences. Period. If they didn’t catch you off guard, and shake you up, they wouldn’t be called accidents. To fall suddenly, or be blindsided by an approaching object, or rear-ended by another vehicle…any accident has the potential to leave a person in a state of shock. It’s normal to be shaken up, and to have delayed reactions after an accident. Your body and mind has just gone through a traumatic experience. You may feel a little “out of it,” or strangely “feeling well,” given the set of circumstances.
The best advice is to be seen by a medical doctor after an accident, even if you think you’re ok. Waiving that right is your choice, but it could make things more difficult in the long run. If there is any underlying physical damage to your body which resulted from the accident, it will surface eventually. It’s important to monitor how you are feeling and listen to concerned friends and family members if they notice something. Symptoms will typically begin within days after your accident. Make it a priority to see a doctor if you suspect something is wrong.
Some Delayed Physical Symptoms to Watch for after an Accident:
Headaches/Head Pains
After an accident, you’re likely to have minor aches and pains, including headaches which are fairly common. However, the severity of these symptoms is what you really need to keep an eye on. If there was any impact or blunt force to your head, or if your head was violently jolted back and forth, be especially concerned about signs of a concussion. Headaches are a symptom of a concussion, along with blurred vision, hearing trouble, dizziness, difficulty with memory and odd sleeping patterns. Brain injuries can be noticed by a change in behavior. Another concern is blood clots or bleeding in the brain. These things can remain mostly unnoticed until several hours or days after an accident.
Loss of Feeling/Numbness
Immediately after an accident, you may not realize a slipped disk in your spine, or a pinched nerve. A few hours or day later, you may experience stabbing pains, numbness in one of your extremities, a strange tingling sensation, or debilitating pain in your back. Neck and back injuries resulting from auto accidents are a common complaint. If there has been damage to your neck, spinal cord, muscles, ligaments or nerves…you will know soon enough.
Pain or Swelling of Abdomen
You can’t see internal bleeding, but you may see bruising. Internal bleeding is a life-threatening condition that can surface hours or days after an accident. Pain in the abdomen or abnormal swelling in the abdomen could be signs of internal bleeding. Also watch for other signs such as dizziness, or fainting spells.
If you sense something is wrong hours or days after an accident, be treated by emergency medical personnel for a proper diagnosis. To save your life, treat your injuries, and protect your legal rights; the sooner you receive medical treatment, the better.
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