Among the list of various causes of injuries among children and adults, car accidents have been reported as one of the top causes. It accounts for 55% of spinal injury cases in the US.
What types of injuries can I get from vehicle accidents?
Car accident injuries have an effect on different parts of the body. The most commonly affected are the head, neck and spine, and sometimes some other organs of the body, too. But car accidents also usually affect internal organs, and upper and lower limbs. The three most common injuries would be the whiplash, traumatic brain injury, and back injury. Other injuries might include those of the limbs and internal organs.
Whiplash. The most typical type of car accident is the whiplash. It accounts for much more than 1 million vehicle accident back injuries each year. Ten percent of these vehicle accident back injuries bring about long term disability. This type of vehicle accident back injury happens most frequently during rear end collisions and can also when the vehicle strikes an immobile object or gets struck broad-side by another vehicle.
Traumatic Brain Injury. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a really severe damage that may result in a car accident. This occurs when the external force of a car accident traumatizes the brain. It may cause permanent or temporary impairment of the neurological functions. Skull fractures, bruises of the brain (hematoma), and nerve damage are frequently related to such brain injury.
Back Injuries. Thoracic disks and lumbar disks may also be injured in vehicle accidents. Compression fractures may be triggered in such accidents which can cause permanent disability. Also, herniations or bulges might cause spinal cord compression.
Internal Organ Damage. Internal injuries from a vehicle accident might consist of injuries to bowels, kidneys, the spleen, liver, lungs, heart or aorta. Fractured ribs are quite common and might also puncture lungs and other internal organs.
How can we treat these injuries?
Any vehicle accident injury, if not fatal, may be cured by constant therapy and proper medications. Disc injuries may need surgery to remove disc material fragments or spinal fusion. Prescriptive medications are often utilized initially but for continuing pain and inflammation, patients are sent to physical therapists or chiropractors to rehabilitate motor functions and relieve the pain.
These accidents can be prevented by observing correct driving etiquette and checking your car's seatbelts for full functionality. Eventually, being careful on the road is the best solution. Prevent yourself from getting into any vehicle associated accidents by keeping your eyes on the road, concentrating on your driving and always following driving safety precautions.
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