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Seeking Treatment After a Car Accident

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After a car accident, you are likely feeling disoriented. You are probably upset about your car and whatever damages it may have incurred. Depending on the accident’s severity, you may also be experiencing painful symptoms of the injuries you sustained during the impact. Unfortunately, you will also have to make several important decisions during this uncomfortable time in your life. While you are still reeling from your collision, you will have to file a report, seek medical care, and document your experiences.

Car Accident Doctor in New York City

These initial steps don’t even account for the recovery process, which can be painful and long-lasting. We may not be able to make any decisions for you, but the Accident Help Zone can make the process a little easier while you are not at your best. Learn what injuries and treatments are common after car accidents and how Accident Help Zone can connect you to the resources you need. 

Common Car Accident Injuries and Treatments 

Even though no two car accidents are the same, they still share very similar injury patterns. Many injuries will happen in combination with other injuries, depending on the nature of the accident. It is essential to seek medical treatment immediately and not self-diagnose or ignore the severity of the situation. The longer you go without medical treatment, the more serious your symptoms could become if left unattended. 

Bruising and Cuts 

The most common of all car accident injuries, mild to severe bruising, and cuts are commonplace. Even if you walk away from a car accident with just bruising and cuts as the only visible damage from the wreck, you should still seek medical attention. Bruising may be an external signal that a more serious situation is happening inside your body. The force of impact, even in mild accidents, can cause serious problems that may not look that serious to you.

Treatment for car accident injuries like bruising is usually both oral and topical analgesics in addition to the application of ice packs. Seeking medical attention for both shallow and deeper lacerations is crucial because they will require cleaning and proper disinfecting before dressing wounds. Depending on how the cut was made and how long before you sought treatment, you may also be prescribed an antibiotic to apply topically or to take orally. 

Whiplash 

The second most common car accident injury is whiplash and whiplash-associated disorders. Whiplash is the rapid movement of the head back and forth that causes damage to soft tissues and strains the head and neck. Whiplash can range from mild to severe depending on the force of impact.

The symptoms of whiplash can last only a few days with proper treatment or can worsen over time, prompting follow-up medical care. Whiplash is generally treated with over-the-counter pain medications and the occasional neck brace to prevent painful quick motions of the neck and head while healing. Some mobility exercises are also helpful in decreasing pain and restoring flexibility to the neck.  

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 

The flashing lights, breaking glass, crying, injuries, the speed at which the accident happens, the helplessness that drivers can feel in the moments before impact, and many more uncomfortable feelings that may interrupt daily life can result from car accident trauma.

Post-traumatic stress syndrome is a long-lasting emotional and mental response that can also have physical indicators from a traumatic experience. This disorder is usually approached with combination treatments such as therapy and medically managed support. 

Internal Bleeding 

Internal bleeding can be an undetectable but grave condition in which your body is damaged from the inside but has little to no external indicators. A host of events can cause internal bleeding during injury accidents; impacts, seatbelts, steering wheels, foreign objects, etc., can all cause internal bleeding.

Any car accident doctor in New York will tell you that time is of the essence when identifying and treating internal injuries. Despite being tired or in pain, seeking treatment before you head home could be the difference in what treatment you need and how long your recovery time will be. 

Fractured or Broken Bones 

Bone damage happens with great frequency in injury accidents. Because bone injuries are based on the force of impact and the person’s health, fractured and are common injuries. Fractured and broken bones are also relatively simple injuries to treat if addressed directly after the accident.

However, if fractures and broken bones are left untreated, they can create additional health problems that can cause painful conditions later in life, including bone spurs and hairline fractures. Treatment is usually a cast or stabilization to prevent movement while healing.

Herniated Discs 

Back injuries are also common in car accidents. Based on how you are seated in a car, your body absorbs impact from all sides, and your spine usually takes in the brunt of that force. Herniated discs can cause painful irritation and inflammation in the spine.

Discs can also compress nerves, causing additional damage like sciatica pain. Herniated discs are treated with physical therapy and chiropractic approaches. Depending on how advanced the injury is, herniated discs can also be treated with minor and major surgical options. 

Resources Provided by Accident Help Zone 

Many common injuries can be treated by an auto accident doctor in New Jersey or New York. When you are confused and hurt and don’t know who to call, the hesitation and frustration come in, so you just go home.

Accident Help Zone wants to make sure that you seek medical attention right away instead. We make it easy for you to find specialized auto accident care in New York or New Jersey to meet your needs. You can easily select doctors by the area you are in at that moment; there is no need to travel any further for care. If you want to narrow your search even further, you can choose by injury specialty. 

Contact The Experts

Get the treatment you need when you need it most. Use Accident Help Zone as your trusted resource to find the care you deserve, and contact us with any questions along the way.