Some injuries may be more evident after a car accident such as broken bones or sprains. But the impact of a car accident can also lead to headaches. In fact, it’s not uncommon to suffer a headache after a car accident.
Headaches may be mild and caused by bumping your head on the window after an accident or they could be more severe and be the result of a traumatic brain injury suffered during the accident. If it’s whiplash, you might need to seek whiplash treatment to recovery quickly.
Either way, a headache after an accident is nothing to take lightly. Read on to find out more information about headaches after a car accident and what should be done to seek the necessary treatment.
A Blow to the Head
The force of your car colliding into another object can cause you to bump your head either on the steering wheel, window, or another object in the car. Just the impact alone of hitting your head during a car accident can lead to constant headache.
Concussion
If you hit your head hard enough, it could cause a concussion. A concussion is a brain injury that is a result of the brain being shaken about rapidly. A headache is just one symptom of a concussion.
Other symptoms include confusion, dizziness, blurred vision, memory issues, or balance and connection problems. A concussion is considered a traumatic brain injury.
If you are experiencing signs and symptoms of a concussion such as a headache, then you should seek medical attention right away.
Whiplash
Whiplash can occur because of a sudden back and forth motion of the neck. It can be a car accident injury, but most commonly occurs after being rear-ended.
Whiplash can cause stiff muscles, loss of range of motion, soreness of the neck and surrounding muscles, and, you guessed it, headaches.
What To Know About Headaches After a Car Accident
After a car accident, the adrenaline coursing through your body can lead you to falsely believe that you are fine. However, hours or even days afterward you may experience signs or symptoms of pain or injury directly related to the accident.
Look for these symptoms of headache pain after you have been in an accident:
• tightness or pressure across your forehead
• a dull, aching sensation in the head
• pressure on the sides or back of the head
• tenderness of the scalp, neck or shoulders.
Headache pain after a car accident can last for only 30 minutes or up to an entire week. Sometimes the pain may come and go, while other times they may be constant. If you suffer from a headache for more than 15 days in a three-month period of time, that is a sure sign that you should seek medical attention for chronic headache pain.
Some headaches are just headaches. More intense, severe pain may be a sign of a bigger problem such as migraines. Tension headaches from muscle stiffness, stress, or anxiety after a car accident are not uncommon.
But if you develop more severe headache pain that is accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or sounds, intense pain behind the eye or ear, flashing lights, or severe, debilitating pain that affects your ability to perform daily tasks, it could be a migraine.
Other types of headaches in addition to tension or migraine headaches that can be the result of being involved in a car accident include vascular headaches, nerve dysfunction headaches, chronic facial headaches, musculoskeletal headaches, or cluster headaches.
Seek Treatment for Headaches after an Accident
For those who have suffered an auto accident, a headache can be a sign of a larger problem, especially after a hit to the head. Don’t ignore headache pain after an accident. Seek treatment from AICA Orthopedics specialists who have experience treating those who have suffered injuries after a car accident.
