Even the most cautious person cannot anticipate accidents. Any measures to proactively care for your health seems to go out the window when you have an accident or injury to nurse. The most important thing is to find a way to manage and care for the injury, including seeking medical assistance.
More About Accidents and Injuries
The one thing that makes Accidents and injuries scary is that they are abrupt. Most of the time, they blind-side you, making it difficult for you to minimize invasion. When they do happen, you must consider them medical emergencies.
However, not all accidents and injuries are severe or fatal. Sometimes you are lucky to incur small bruises and scrapes on your skin. Still, you should seek medical care after car accidents or other suchlike injuries.
Common Injuries After Accidents
When you are involved in an accident, usually a car accident, it is hard to determine the kind of injury you have. The best way to do so is to visit an emergency room for further diagnosis. Some of the common injuries featured during treatments of accidents include:
- Bone fractures
- Open wounds and cuts
- Concussions and head injuries
- Dislocations and missing body parts
- Nerve damage – usually noticed through feelings of numbness or tingling sensations.
​When to Seek A Doctor
Usually, we encourage you to seek treatment in an ER near you when you are involved in accidents and injuries. However, some people often overlook the need, especially when there aren’t any clear signs that their health is compromised. What you must know is that some injuries take time to manifest any symptoms. This can leave you oblivious of your trauma, until a later time when the symptoms catch up with you. In that case, here are some things to tell you that you need to seek accident and injury treatment:
- Excessive bleeding – bleeding of any kind should get your attention. However, if the bleeding is significant, then you have no choice but to see a doctor about it.
- Swelling and tenderness – any part of your body that feels inflamed or tender should push you into visiting an ER.
- Excruciating pain – indeed, seek a doctor even when the pain is not as bad as you would have imagined it to be after an accident.
- Numbness – if you are not feeling anything in one of your ligaments after an accident or injury, you need medical assistance immediately. This could indicate nerve damage, or worse, an injury in your spine.
- Open wounds – it can be a mere cut or an open fracture. Either way, if your skin is broken and you can see the inside of part of your body, you need a doctor.
- Confusion and distraction – this can be a sign of a significant head injury.
- Seizures and passing out – it is more critical is they go on for longer than a few minutes.
How to Respond to An Accident or Injury
There is no definitive path for you to follow when you have been involved in an accident or injury. However, here are some tips to help you respond appropriately:
- Check that all your body parts are intact – if anything is missing, even as small as a tooth, it helps to find it before you seek treatment.
- Call a doctor – emergency doctors exist to assist in handling accidents and injuries. Besides, if something is critically wrong with you, you will require assistance in moving you to a medical care facility.
- Stop the bleeding – you can put controlled pressure on the bleeding site as you seek medical assistance. This will help control blood loss.
- Try to stay awake – being conscious can be hard when you have been in an accident or injury. Try as much as possible to remain awake and maintain brain activity.
- Limit your movement – whether you feel pain or not, avoid moving your body as it could progress and worse any current injury you have. This applies to your legs, hands, and even neck. This way, if anything is broken, there is a chance of fixing it without losing some fragments.
