Many car accident injuries will be obvious as soon as the event has occurred, either because they are visible like lacerations or you immediately feel the pain, like a broken bone. However, it is possible for symptoms and injuries to be delayed, not appearing for days or even weeks after the initial event. In some cases, a serious or fatal condition can worsen in the time before symptoms appear and treatment can be sought. This may be because your body is hiding symptoms, or you are brushing them off as unrelated. It is important to seek care quickly after an accident to rule out these conditions and to understand why this happens.
Why Symptoms May Be Delayed
In the moment of a car accident, you may experience a range of emotions- shock, fear, confusion- and the body reacts to these feelings. When a chaotic or stressful situation occurs, the body releases adrenaline, the hormone that sets off your flight or fight response. Adrenaline is designed to help you power through intense situations, so it can often cause you to not feel pain, even when serious car accident injuries are present. In addition to this, your body can go into shock which may also prevent you from feeling pains. These effects can take days or weeks to wear off after the initial incident.
However, this delay does not mean the injuries are not present and taking root in the body. Injuries can continue to worsen without any outward symptoms so that by the time you notice them, they are much more serious than they were immediately following the accident. Even minor injuries can lead to more severe problems if they are not treated.
Common Injuries with Delayed Symptoms
Some injuries will likely not have delayed symptoms. This includes visibly obvious injuries like cuts, bruises, or burns that cannot be ignored or anything that causes deformity or paralysis. However, most common injuries can be delayed, including some of these examples:
- “Seat Belt Syndrome,” in which the pressure of a lap belt leads to internal bleeding or bruising. This can include organ damage or hemorrhages that become life-threatening when not treated. It can be 24 hours to 3 days before abdominal pain, digestive symptoms, and light-headedness appear as the first signs of this issue.
- Concussions and whiplash brought on by the violent, back and forth movement of the head upon impact can show up days or weeks after the accident. While some brain injuries can be fatal, concussions and whiplash will likely simply worsen over this time period.
- Mental effects like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can also appear up to months, or even years, after the incident.
Other conditions like soft tissue injuries and chronic pain can also be delayed in this way. Beyond the immediate aftermath of the accident, you should look out for these symptoms and seek care if they suddenly appear:
- Headaches: These may indicate head or neck injuries, like concussions, or even hematomas- blood clots that can be deadly if left untreated.
- Neck and Shoulder Pain or Stiffness: Whiplash is the most common car accident injury, and these are the most common symptoms.
- Numbness: Any loss of feeling in the arms or hands, or legs and feet, can indicate neck and spine injuries or nerve damage.
- Abdominal Pain: Bruises may be unavoidable, but if they are painful or worsen, you may have suffered from internal bleeding and should be evaluated.
- Difficulty with Movement or Coordination: Concussions and brain injuries can impact these abilities and may worsen, or leave you vulnerable to injury.
- Trouble Concentrating or Remembering: Concussions and brain injuries can negatively affect your cognitive abilities and should be taken seriously.
Seeking Care for Delayed Symptoms
Even if you walk away from the scene thinking you avoided car accident injuries, the best thing you can do is seek a medical evaluation as quickly as possible. An experienced doctor will know what to look for to identify the most common car accident injuries, allowing them to diagnose you sooner. Beginning treatment as soon as possible can prevent injuries from becoming more serious over time and mean less invasive treatment.
If you were not able to get immediate treatment, do not hesitate to visit the doctor whenever your symptoms begin. Do not worry about appearing paranoid or that your symptoms are not related to your accident. Even after days or weeks, treatment can help you avoid serious side effects and begin treatment.
