Most people associate whiplash, headaches, and broken bones with car accident injuries. But it is also possible to experience gastrointestinal distress like stomach pain and diarrhea after a car accident, too. If you start to experience stomach pain and diarrhea after an accident, it is important that you visit your Snellville car accident specialists right away to get checked out. Abdominal pain and diarrhea after a car accident can occur for a variety of reasons and may be a sign that there is something serious going on inside your body.
How Your Body Reacts to a Car Accident
The stress and emotional trauma of a car accident can lead to a number of physical responses as your body deals with the traumatic experience. Immediately after the accident has occurred, your body gets flooded with adrenaline, which may even keep you from noticing any pain. Adrenaline and shock can keep you moving and alert after an accident, but once they wear off, your body may respond physically with symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea.
While wearing your seat belt properly can help keep you safe during a car accident, it is still possible to suffer seat belt-related injuries. The primary role of a seat belt is to prevent you from being ejected from the vehicle in the event of a crash. If the force of the accident is strong enough, your seat belt may tighten around your waist and cause distressing abdominal symptoms, scrapes, and bruises. Any visible injuries after a car accident are easy to identify and talk to your doctor about, but don’t forget to mention other responses you may have experienced, like stomach pain after the accident.
In serious cases, abdominal pain after a car accident can be a sign of damage to internal organs in your abdomen. Your Snellville car accident doctor can help rule out internal organ damage or any internal bleeding. This is sometimes referred to as “seat belt syndrome,” when your internal organs are injured or damaged during a car accident.
Car accident injuries can also impact soft tissues in your body, like muscles, ligaments, and tendons. If your body was jolted around or twisted during the car accident, it can cause pain if these soft tissues become strained or sprained. You might experience soreness, discomfort, and bruising in your abdominal area. Any inflammation or swelling in your abdomen can put pressure on nearby organs, causing stomach pain, diarrhea, and other symptoms.
Potential Causes of Stomach Pain from a Car Accident
Abdominal pain after a car accident can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Physical Trauma: The impact of a car accident can cause trauma to the abdomen, leading to internal injuries ranging from bruising to organ damage.
- Stress and Anxiety: Car accidents can be emotionally and psychologically traumatic, leading to stress and anxiety, which in turn can affect the gastrointestinal system and cause symptoms like diarrhea and stomach pain.
- Seat Belt Injury: While seat belts save lives by preventing more severe injuries, they can also cause abdominal bruising or other injuries upon impact, leading to stomach pain and discomfort.
- Medication Side Effects: If you’re taking medication for pain or other injuries sustained in the accident, side effects such as upset stomach or diarrhea may occur.
- Food Poisoning: It’s possible that the symptoms could be coincidental and not directly related to the accident. If you consumed contaminated food before or after the accident, it could lead to stomach pain and diarrhea.
- Pre-existing Conditions: If you have pre-existing conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the stress of the accident could exacerbate your symptoms.
When to See a Doctor for Stomach Pain and Diarrhea After a Car Accident
You might be tempted to “tough it out” after a car accident because you think your pain and discomfort are relatively mild. However, it is actually in your best interest to visit your doctor immediately after a car accident for two reasons. The first reason is to determine whether or not you have any serious injuries or internal damage after the accident. What seems like mild symptoms at first can turn into more serious and painful symptoms if left untreated. The second reason is that you want to demonstrate to insurance companies that any injuries you may have suffered are documented as a result of the car accident. Early documentation helps make it clear that your symptoms were directly related to the car accident because you knew how to find a car accident doctor right away.
What to Look Out for After a Car Accident
Here are some guidelines on when to see a doctor for diarrhea and stomach pain from a car accident:
- Severe or Persistent Symptoms: If you’re experiencing severe or persistent stomach pain that doesn’t go away or gets worse over time, or if your diarrhea is severe and doesn’t improve after a day or two, it’s important to seek medical attention promptly.
- Signs of Internal Injury: Watch out for signs of internal injury such as abdominal tenderness, swelling, or deep bruising. If you notice any of these symptoms, especially if they get worse over time, it’s important to see a doctor immediately.
- Changes in Bowel Habits: If you experience a sudden change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea after the accident, especially if it’s accompanied by other concerning symptoms like blood in the stool or persistent vomiting, it’s important to get a medical evaluation.
- Difficulty Eating or Drinking: If you have difficulty eating or drinking due to stomach pain or if you’re unable to keep food or fluids down, it’s a sign that you should see a doctor as soon as possible to prevent dehydration and get checked out for any underlying issues.
- Worsening Pain with Movement: If your stomach pain worsens with movement, coughing, or deep breathing, it could indicate internal injuries such as organ damage or bleeding, and immediate medical attention is necessary.
Car Accident Injury Care with AICA Orthopedics
When you visit car accident specialists like your AICA Snellville chiropractor, you can trust our expertise in diagnosing and treating a wide range of car accident injuries. You will receive a thorough examination, and your doctor may even recommend diagnostic imaging tools like an MRI or CT scan to get a clearer picture of your abdominal area to help rule out any serious or life-threatening injuries. This can also help your doctor develop an appropriate treatment plan to match your diagnosis so you can start experiencing relief from your pain and uncomfortable symptoms as soon as possible.
Visit AICA Orthopedics in Snellville and meet with the team of car accident injury doctors and specialists after any type of car accident to get the quality care and treatment you deserve.