After a car accident, victims must let a doctor examine them from head to toe. Depending on the injury, car accident victims may not realize they sustained harm, or they may not connect the injury to the car collision.
WebMD explains various symptoms of nerve pain and damage. Those involved in motor vehicle accidents deserve to know the many ways a car collision may harm them.
Autonomic nerve damage
Autonomic nerves control digestion, blood pressure, heart rate and temperature regulation. Signs a person may have autonomic nerve damage include sweating too little or too much, constipation, dry mouth and eyes, bladder and sexual dysfunction, and lightheadedness. Patients with autonomic nerve damage may also not feel a heart attack, angina or other chest pains.
Sensory nerve damage
The body’s sensory nerves deliver information from the muscles and skin to the brain and spinal cord. Common indications of sensory nerve damage include sensitivity, pain, prickling, numbness and burning. Nerve damage may also reveal itself in issues with positional awareness.
Motor nerve damage
Motor nerves dictate actions and movements. Symptoms of damage to these nerves include declining muscles, weakness and paralysis. A person may also experience twitching.
Multiple nerve damage
Another reason car crash victims must receive immediate medical attention is that they may have damage to multiple types of nerves. For example, someone with multiple nerve damage could experience the burning associated with sensory nerve damage and the weakness associated with motor nerve damage.
Physical sensations after a car accident may indicate an unrelated health condition, or they could become a sign of nerve damage. Those involved in motor vehicle collisions cannot afford to take chances with any discomfort or odd feelings they experience.