When your body hits something solid during a car accident, for instance, your chest hitting the dashboard, steering wheel or airbag, you may tear your blood vessels. Another circumstance that can cause such an injury is when a sharp object penetrates your body, damaging an internal organ.
When blood vessels break, blood will leak into body tissues and cavities. Basically, blood escapes the circulatory system and, in turn, collects inside the body.
Here are three signs of internal bleeding after a car accident:
1. Low blood pressure
Due to the significant reduction of the blood volume in the circulatory system, blood pressure usually lowers during internal bleeding. While you may be unable to tell when your blood pressure is low, some signs can help you deduce this. These include dizziness, lightheadedness, weakness, fatigue, blurred or distorted vision, numbness, shortness of breath, confusion, rapid heart rate and nausea.
2. Pain
You are likely to experience pain at the bleeding site. This may be from a wound if a sharp object penetrates your body or the irritation on the tissues surrounding the bleeding site. If your lung is the bleeding site, you may experience chest pains. If your stomach or intestine is the bleeding site, you may feel abdominal pain, and so forth.
3. Discoloration on the skin
When blood leaks beneath the skin, you will likely see a purplish or reddish hue. It may take some time before skin discoloration occurs.
What should you do?
It’s crucial to seek medical attention immediately after an accident, whether or not you have concerning symptoms. The above-discussed symptoms can take hours or days before they appear. By the time you notice them, your condition may have worsened.
That’s why it’s vital to have a medical examination immediately after a car accident. You should also consider legal guidance to understand your options for recovering the damages you have suffered.