When you think about car accidents, you probably think that you would recognize signs of an injury right away. The truth is that you may not even realize that something hurts until a day or two after the accident. It is important to seek medical attention at the scene, but there are some injuries you may not see right away.
There are some things you should know about delayed injuries after a car accident.
Soft tissue injuries can take time to show up
When you injure yourself and develop a bruise, it can take a couple of days before you actually see the bruise. The same applies to soft tissue injuries in a car accident. The velocity of many car accidents can lead to strain and bruising of soft tissue, but you may not feel it for a day or two when the bruising finally develops.
Adrenaline can block pain receptors
Your body’s fight or flight response activates in the face of an accident, triggering a rush of adrenaline to your body. Adrenaline can mask your body’s natural pain response and block pain receptors. As a result, you may not realize that something hurts until hours later, or even the next day, when your adrenaline levels have dissipated.
Just because you do not feel any pain right away at the scene does not mean you did not suffer an injury. Never tell anyone on an accident scene that you are fine. Get a medical evaluation and reach out to your doctor right away if you start to feel discomfort.
