Why do some crash injuries appear later?
Even minor car accidents on Tennessee roads can result in serious injuries. Those injuries often depend on various factors, such as the speed and direction in which the vehicles were moving at the time of the crash.
However, regardless of those factors or the type of accident, there are injuries that may not appear immediately after an accident.
Adrenaline can mask injuries
The first issue to be aware of is how adrenaline affects the human body. In the shock and aftermath of a car accident, it is very common for individuals to experience an adrenaline rush. One of the effects of an adrenaline rush is that it reduces the human body’s ability to sense and feel pain.
Therefore, the natural response of the body can be one of the factors that prevent you from feeling pain or even realizing you are injured – and that you need medical attention.
But injuries themselves can be delayed too
Adrenaline rushes aside, there are also many injuries that might appear anywhere from a few hours to a few days after a crash. Some of the most common injuries that have delayed symptoms, unfortunately, are some of the most serious ones.
These can include:
- Head injuries, ranging from concussions to traumatic brain injuries
- Neck injuries, including whiplash or spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries, which might only feel like back pain at first
Head injuries are some of the main culprits in these cases of delayed symptoms. The Mayo Clinic reports that signs of a concussion often do not show up right away, and may even be subtle when they do.
There is no way to determine precisely how long it will take for the indicators of these injuries to appear. It could be different for everyone. Additionally, the reason why these injuries have subtle or delayed symptoms varies in every case. Being aware of this risk can help you take action and protect yourself after an accident.
This is one of the reasons why it is so critical to obtain medical help as soon as possible, even after an accident that seemed minor. Medical professionals will be able to detect injuries you may not feel right away.