How long a headache lasts after a collision depends on the type and severity of the underlying injury. A headache from minor whiplash can resolve within a few days. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause persistent headaches for months or longer. Seek medical attention after any collision.
What Are the Most Common Types of Headaches After a Car Accident?
Headaches range from minor annoyances to debilitating symptoms of a severe injury. Complications can occur without adequate medical care.
Car accidents can cause many different injuries that include headaches as symptoms, including the following:
- Concussions – Headaches are one of the many symptoms of a concussion. Concussions result from a sudden or forceful blow to the head. They can also occur when the brain shakes violently inside the skull, moving rapidly from side to side or backward and forward.
- Whiplash – Whiplash is a common injury in car wrecks. The back-and-forth movement of the neck damages soft tissue leading to a range of symptoms, including headaches. However, the headaches often don’t appear until days later. This delay causes many accident victims to wrongly think they’re not injured.
- Muscle sprains – Even a relatively minor collision can cause soft tissue injuries in the neck, head, or upper back. Spraining these soft tissues can impair movement in the neck and cause pain and headaches.
- Disc herniation – The vertebral discs in the neck can compress or herniate from the force placed on the body during a collision. Symptoms include headaches, tingling, weakness, and numbness. A reduced range of motion in the arms or neck is also typical of a herniated disc.
- Fractures – A fractured bone in the neck can trigger debilitating headaches and severe pain. Headaches can also develop if the skull fractures after trauma to the head.
- Pinched nerves – A violent and sudden jolt might irritate the nerves at the base of the skull, compress the nerve roots in the neck, or herniate a disc in the spine. Pain, numbness, and tingling from compressed nerves can radiate from the injury site and cause headaches.
What Are Some of the Causes of a Headache After a Car Accident?
A post-traumatic headache is a medical term to describe a headache that develops after trauma, such as a car crash. It might occur instantly as a throbbing pain or take days to appear. Delayed symptoms often lead people to believe they are uninjured and do not need to seek medical attention – a decision that can seriously affect their long-term health.
Headaches often occur after car accidents because of the extreme forces collisions have on victims. The driver might hit their head on the steering wheel, or a passenger’s neck might jerk from the sudden stopping motion of the car. Even without external trauma, damage to muscles, soft tissue, and nerves can cause radiating pain that triggers severe headaches.
Can a Constant Headache Be a Symptom of a More Serious Injury?
Persistent or worsening headaches after a car accident might indicate an underlying injury. You must go to the hospital immediately so a doctor can diagnose you and develop a treatment plan.
What Should You Do If You Are Suffering from a Constant Headache After a Car Accident?
You should seek treatment once you leave the accident scene regardless of the severity of the crash or how you feel physically. Going home and hoping you’ll feel better with rest and over-the-counter pain medications is risky, as you may have suffered injuries you aren’t aware of yet.
A physician can examine you and perform the necessary diagnostic tests to determine whether you need further care. Follow the doctor’s orders if they recommend ongoing treatment such as prescription medications, pain management, physical therapy, or surgery. Denying treatment, stopping it too soon, or determining your own treatment methods can delay or stop the healing process and negatively affect your personal injury claim.
What Are Some Treatments for a Car Accident Headache?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for treating headaches after car accidents. The type of treatment you need will depend on the cause of your headache and the extent of the pain. Remember to seek professional medical help rather than try to treat your injury on your own.
While every situation is unique, some of the most common treatment plans for headaches after car crashes include the following:
- Medication – Over-the-counter or prescription painkillers might manage or alleviate the pain from your headaches. You might also take an anti-inflammatory medicine to reduce inflammation and swelling at the injury site.
- Preventive medicines – Sometimes, doctors prescribe drugs to prevent headaches from recurring if they are persistent or worsen over time.
- Nerve stimulators – A device that stimulates the nerves in the neck by transmitting electrical signals can relieve headaches from whiplash or muscle sprain.
- Physical therapy – A physical therapist can recommend exercises to build muscle strength and improve range of motion. Working to loosen stiff muscles can alleviate headaches caused by soft tissue damage.
- Relaxation and biofeedback therapy – Learning ways of relaxing your mind and reducing stress can help manage pain. You may even be able to stop your headaches and prevent them from coming back.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer at The Wilhite Law Firm
Even if headaches were a normal part of your life before a car crash, they are a symptom you should not ignore afterward. Often, headaches can signify a more severe problem you must address. After you seek medical treatment, your next step should be to call The Wilhite Law Firm for legal assistance.
Since opening in 1977, we have built a reputation for compassionate client advocacy and aggressive representation. That service has earned us recognition from legal organizations such as Super Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and Martindale-Hubbell.
When you hire The Wilhite Law Firm, our team will protect your rights and pursue the best possible outcome for your case. Contact us today for a free consultation with a car accident lawyer and find out what your case could be worth.
