When you get into a car accident or suffer another kind of physical trauma, then you may have injuries as a result. Some injuries don’t appear right away. This is particularly common when the incident is severe, since the body is so full of adrenaline that you may not recognize pain or develop bruising right away.
After your body begins to relax and the adrenaline dissipates, you begin to feel worse. That’s normal for people involved in traumatic incidents, which is why it’s so important to go to the hospital after an accident, even if you feel fine.
Some common injuries occur hours or days after an accident. They include headaches, abdominal pain and swelling, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and even numbness. For people prone to blood clots, those may develop in the hours following an accident as well.
What can you do to stay safe after an accident?
The primary thing you need to do is to go to the hospital. Always get a check-up after a crash or serious accident, since there may be injuries you can’t see with the naked eye. Scans, X-rays and other medical techniques could identify injuries you didn’t even realize you have.
Another thing you can do after an accident is to make sure to let others know that you’ve been involved. Family and friends want to make sure you’re safe and healthy, so they’ll take time to call and check on you. If you begin to develop injuries later on, they may recognize them sooner than you and be able to take you to the hospital or call for an ambulance as needed.
Personal injuries aren’t always easy to live with, but early treatment helps limit the damage. Remember that your health has to come first and is worth a short visit to the hospital.