doctor after a car wreck with no symptoms

Should I See a Doctor After a Car Wreck Even If I Don’t Have Symptoms


Regardless of the speed or the type of impact, a vehicular accident is always a traumatic event. Many people do not want to spend the time or energy visiting a doctor if they have only minor pain, or if they don’t have any pain at all. However, this is almost certainly a mistake. Do not try to push through the pain or assume the injuries will disappear on their own. Seeking medical attention with an accident doctor soon after a car accident injury can help you recover faster and more completely.

Some of the injuries we treat can include brain injury, neurological damage, spine injury, neck injury, whiplash, fracture, dislocation, lacerations, and abrasions.

How Adrenaline and Endorphins Affect Car Accident Injury

When someone is involved in an auto accident, the excitement can cause their body to produce more adrenaline and endorphins. These chemicals help the victim get through the traumatic event they have experienced, including blocking or limiting any pain that the individual feels.

Because of the way these hormones affect pain levels, feeling fine immediately after an accident does not mean that the person is not hurt — it likely means that the fight-or-flight chemicals are blocking any pain they may have. Usually, once the excitement ends and the body discontinues releasing these chemicals, the pain will begin to set in.

This means that while you may feel relatively okay after your auto accident, you may be injured and need treatment. Your symptoms may not be immediate, taking days to manifest, which can put you in danger of improper healing, continued pain and further injury. It’s important to get a complete medical evaluation immediately after your accident to diagnose injuries and treat them right away, instead of taking a risk and suffering needlessly.

Soft Tissue Damage After a Car Accident

Car accidents of any speed can result in a lot of force exerted on the driver and the passengers of the car. Soft tissue, made up of muscle, tendons, and ligaments, is easily injured as a result of this force. The most common automobile soft tissue injury is whiplash. It is generally caused as the head and neck are jerked suddenly as a result of the impact.

Whiplash can result in pain, swelling, and reduced mobility. While it is relatively common in automobile accidents, it does not always present itself immediately. Often hours or days may pass before the pain appears. The earlier soft tissue damage can be diagnosed, the sooner and more complete the recovery process can be.

Other soft tissue injuries can include bruises, strains, sprains, tendonitis, ligament and tendon ruptures, nerve damage and bulging discs in the spine. Due to the nature of a car accident, any sudden stop that results in the body or body parts moving in ways they shouldn’t lead to soft tissue injury.

Car Accident Brain and Head Injury

Everyone is familiar with concussions, yet most people assume that unless they experience unconsciousness or immediate disorientation, that they do not have a head injury. Concussions and head injuries can be very serious. If during an accident the head was jolted suddenly, with or without impact on an object, or if there was a strike to the head, medical attention should be sought immediately to rule out a concussion.

While many head injuries can be immediately recognizable, some can be much more subtle. Clouded thinking, headache, blurry vision, and the inability to concentrate are all symptoms of a possible concussion. These symptoms may not appear for hours or days following the accident.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by vehicle accidents accounted for 14 percent of all TBI-related emergency room visits in 2013. TBI is caused by anything that disrupts the normal function of the brain (such as the impact from a car accident) and may be very mild to quite severe. Most TBIs tend to be mild concussions, but any questionable symptom needs to be checked out by a qualified doctor right away.

Even mild symptoms, such as a slight headache or some mild neck pain, can indicate a more serious problem that can get worse if left untreated. If you or a loved one experience any abnormalities after an automobile accident, no matter how minor, seek medical attention immediately.

Visit an Accident Doctor As Quickly As Possible After a Car Accident Injury

There are many instances where injuries are a result of a vehicular accident, but the pain is not immediately felt. For any level of pain or discomfort you experience, or even for none at all, it is important to follow up with a medical professional as quickly as possible. Pain, swelling, or confusion caused by car accident injury can manifest itself in the hours and days following the accident. Seeing an auto injury doctor can not only ensure that any immediate injuries are diagnosed early but also to advise you on what to look for in case other symptoms of injury occur.

Another reason immediate medical care is recommended is to ensure that Personal Insurance Protection (PIP) will be available to you and your passengers in the event it is necessary. PIP benefits are reimbursements made from your insurance carrier that covers auto accident injury expenses such as doctor visits, physical therapy, and lost wages. However, in order to apply for PIP benefits, you must be examined by a qualified doctor within 14 days of your car accident.

Also, visiting a doctor that specializes in auto accident injuries is vital for correct diagnosis and proper treatment. We have the expertise in auto accident injuries, which your regular doctor may not have. Our medical experts will carefully work with you to design a custom treatment plan perfectly suited to your individual injuries and level of pain. The Florida Physical Medicine team also has the experience required for billing your PIP insurance, which many family doctors don’t have, so in addition to getting proper medical care, you don’t have to worry about billing your insurance.

After experiencing any auto accident, no matter how minor, seeking medical attention quickly can help ensure you have a full and complete recovery.

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