It is crucial to assess your health after a car accident, whether it was a minor fender bender or a catastrophic collision that totaled your vehicle.
While some sustain minor scrapes, others may think they escaped unhurt, only to realize they are suffering from internal bleeding. If left untreated, internal bleeding can be fatal.
Internal bleeding often goes unnoticed because the injury is not physical. It is subtle and difficult to detect, and its symptoms could be mistaken for other conditions.
So, what are the signs of internal bleeding after a car accident?
Read on to find out so you can better know what to look out for and how to advocate for yourself in front of your healthcare provider.
Warning Signs and Symptoms
You can experience any of the following signs of internal bleeding after a car accident. Further down the article, we will discuss more specific symptoms of internal bleeding.
- Sudden dizziness, especially when you stand.
- Muscle weakness or fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Pain in your chest
- Severe headaches
- Sudden vision problems
- Syncope (fainting)
- Shortness of breath
- Gastrointestinal problems like vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea
- Numbness or tingling sensation in your fingers or toes
Bloody stool or vomit is another significant symptom to watch out for, especially if you suffered abdominal trauma in a car accident. This could make your vomit or stool look like fresh blood or black.
You could also have bruises around your navel or abdomen if you’ve suffered stomach injuries. Consult a doctor right away if you notice any of these symptoms.
Shock
It’s crucial to watch out for shock caused by internal bleeding. Shock is a serious, life-threatening condition caused by reduced blood flow throughout the body.
With internal bleeding, shock results when bleeding starts suddenly and worsens quickly. Symptoms of shock include:
- A sudden drop in blood pressure
- Sudden change in behavior, such as extreme anxiety
- Clammy or pale skin
- Rapid pulse and breathing
- Urinating less frequently or not urinating at all
- Unconsciousness
Your organs do not get enough oxygen to function well when in shock. A prolonged state of shock may result in organ failure or damage, which might be fatal.
Make a quick call to your local emergency number if you think you could be in shock. You may take simple first aid measures to look after yourself until emergency professionals come or have someone else do it for you.
Forms of Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding can occur in many different organs in your body depending on where you were injured during the accident (or any other incident that caused you to experience symptoms of internal bleeding).
Bleeding in the brain
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is what is referred to as internal bleeding in the brain. These severe injuries may affect many aspects of your life, particularly if they go undetected.
TBIs should be treated by a medical professional soon after the signs and symptoms are identified. These injuries can cause cognitive impairment, serious behavioral and mental health issues, changes in sensory processing, and even paralysis.
It is especially crucial to watch out for signs of internal bleeding after a car accident in the brain if you were hit on the head. The symptoms include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Confusion
- Headache
- Lightheadedness
- Sudden fatigue or lethargy
- Sleep disturbances
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty with memory and attention
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Symptoms of severe internal bleeding in the brain include seizures, slurred speech, increased agitation, dilated pupils, tingling sensation in your fingers or toes, and increased agitation.
Gastrointestinal bleeding
You may experience internal bleeding in your chest or abdomen if you suffered any blunt force trauma in these areas. Gastrointestinal bleeding is an internal bleeding injury to your digestive tract.
The symptoms might be anything from mild to severe. Gastrointestinal bleeding may present in one of two ways: overt symptoms that are apparent or occult symptoms that are hidden.
The black or tarry stools mentioned earlier and visible blood in your vomit or stool are examples of overt symptoms. Blood in vomit sometimes has a coffee-ground texture and a brown color. Rectal bleeding can also be experienced too.
Occult symptoms are more difficult to link with internal bleeding directly. These symptoms include pain in the chest or abdomen, dizziness, shortness of breath, and fainting.
If you ignore injuries that might cause internal bleeding, you risk developing shock, anemia, or possibly dying.
Internal bleeding in muscles or joints
Internal bleeding might result from injury to your limbs or muscles. Additionally, any tendon, joint, or connective tissue that holds your bones in place might experience internal bleeding. Symptoms may include discomfort in your joints or muscles or reduced range of motion in the affected area.
Causes of Internal Bleeding
Of course, internal bleeding is significantly influenced by auto accidents and associated injuries. In fact, most incidences of blunt abdominal trauma arise from car accidents.
This trauma also results from falls from great heights, bicycle accidents, sports-related injuries, and workplace accidents.
Traumatic brain injuries are another issue. Statistically, car accidents are responsible for about 25 percent of individuals with TBIs being hospitalized yearly. These car accident injuries may impact passengers, pedestrians, and motorcyclists.
Certain kinds of internal bleeding can be brought on by a pre-existing illness or genetic predisposition that is subsequently aggravated by injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.
Risk Factors
According to the CDC, over two million Americans annually visit the emergency room due to car accident injuries. Statistics show that women are about 73% more likely to sustain injuries in a car accident than males, placing them at higher risk.
Additionally, some risk factors are particularly associated with internal bleeding. If you have a condition that slows down the clotting of your blood, you may be at higher risk of suffering from internal bleeding.
Blood thinners, like aspirin, can also lead to internal bleeding and increase your risk of organ damage. Internal bleeding can occur due to any trauma experienced after an automobile collision, irrespective of the degree of force.
Internal bleeding can even occur without any injury to the skin. Generally, the more the force of the crash – the higher speed, the heavier the vehicles involved, and the more impact your car absorbed – the more likely you are to suffer internal bleeding.
Diagnosing Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding symptoms are not always obvious. For this reason, it is crucial to get medical assistance immediately when you are involved in an accident where you suffer blunt trauma.
You may require some imaging, an extensive physical examination, and several tests for a healthcare provider to diagnose your internal bleeding.
Even an X-ray could be enough based on the severity of your internal bleeding damage. A CT scan may be required for injuries that are trickier to identify on an X-ray.
Additionally, angiography, a type of imaging, allows medical professionals to inspect each of your blood arteries in detail.
Doctors can also use some tests to determine where you are bleeding internally. There are even tests that help establish how serious the bleeding is.
Prevention
Seatbelts aren’t just for show. It is crucial to buckle up when driving or riding in a car. Failure to use a seatbelt almost doubles your risk of death than when using it.
Another crucial preventive measure is to ensure that your car has a high rating for injury prevention. Note that a woman in a car with a good rating may be at higher risk of injury than a man in the same car due to differences in the types of test dummies used in automotive ratings.
Internal Bleeding Treatment
Mild internal bleeding sometimes stops on its own. You will be okay in this scenario. However, you will require intensive treatment for more serious bleeding.
Your doctor’s initial priority will be to identify the cause of the internal bleeding and control it. Providing additional treatment without taking this crucial first step will be impossible.
After stopping the bleeding, your doctor will develop a strategy based on the accident’s severity that caused the injury, which organ took the brunt of the impact, and your overall state of health.
Your physician will prioritize stabilizing your body, ensuring the injury heals correctly. Regardless of your physician’s treatment plan, they will advise you to rest.
Resting will help your body focus its vital resources on healing and reduce the risk of further complications due to the injury. It will assist in reducing inflammation and prevent the wound from reopening.
Depending on the nature of your injury, you could require physical, occupational, or speech therapy once the injury is gone. These procedures will help you return to your pre-accident quality of life.
Next Steps…
Overall, the signs of internal bleeding after a car accident range from minor to major. Even seemingly minor internal bleeding can have a huge long-term impact if left untreated.
It is crucial to seek medical attention after a car crash so that your doctor can rule out the case of internal bleeding.
Remember, these injuries do not come cheat. You will spend significant money on hospital bills and take time off work, straining you financially.
At Legal Giant, we can connect you with an experienced lawyer who will assess the full extent of your injuries and help you file a car accident claim.
Our partner attorneys will handle your claim as you focus on recovery, doing everything possible to get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact us at (855) 740-5024 for a free case evaluation today.
