Why Do Headaches and Migraines Matter After a Car Accident?
What should you do if you have a headache following a car accident? Learn important information about the seriousness of headaches and migraines after auto accidents.
You have to be vigilant following any sort of accident or head trauma. Feeling “okay” immediately after an accident is never enough to be confident that you haven’t sustained dangerous injuries. In fact, many people put their health in jeopardy by brushing off chronic and persistent headaches following accidents. What’s at stake when you ignore headaches and migraines when you know you’ve potentially sustained head trauma?
During auto accidents, it’s common for the impact and force involved to cause your brain to actually hit your skull’s inner wall. This can result in internal bruising and bleeding. While headaches are telltale signs that your brain has been impacted by an accident, it’s very possible that you’ll also experience long-term symptoms that can include memory loss, cognitive impairment, ear ringing, sound sensitivity, and more. At Guardian Medical, we encourage anyone who is experiencing headache and migraine symptoms to be evaluated by a doctor for signs of head and brain trauma. Every day that you allow internal bleeding and inflammation to go unaddressed is another day of risking long-term complications that can greatly impact your quality of life.
Why Do I Have a Headache After a Car Accident?
There are several reasons why you might be experiencing chronic headaches and migraine symptoms after being in a crash. While headaches can stem from different causes, the one characteristic that every post-accident headache shares is that it should be evaluated right away. Take a look at different causes of headaches after car accidents.
Concussion
“Concussion is the most common type of mild traumatic brain injury and can have serious consequences,” according to a published clinical analysis of concussions and their consequences. Many people walk away from car accidents without realizing that they are concussed. Any blow to the head can create a concussion. The impact of hitting a steering wheel or headrest can certainly be enough to induce a concussion. Under normal circumstances, the fluid surrounding your brain will prevent it from making contact with the walls of your skull. However, strong force can be enough to allow the brain to make contact with the skull.
If you have a concussion headache, you are very likely to also experience the following symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Sensitivity to lights and sounds.
- Dizziness.
- Confusion.
- Ringing in the ears.
- Memory loss.
- Slurred speech.
- Disrupted sleep.
- Anxiety and mood issues.
It’s important to be evaluated for post-concussion syndrome if you’ve sustained a head injury. Giving your brain proper rest is critical for allowing your brain to heal. Continuing to be exposed to lights, sounds, screens, and high-stimulation environments can create serious long-term brain impairments.
Post-Traumatic Injuries
The force applied to the head and neck during a car accident can create pain, tension, and misalignment in the cervical spine that can radiate to the head to create classic headaches symptoms. While you might be trying to treat a headache, it’s very possible that the root cause of your neck injury needs to be addressed before you can see any improvements.
Muscle Strain
It’s also possible for headaches to be caused by muscle strains that occurred during the forceful movement of the accident. If you jerked back and forth, muscles in your neck or upper back may have been strained during the accident. A muscle strain if often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Reduced range of motion.
- Tight muscles.
- Muscle tenderness.
- Swelling and redness.
Addressing any misalignments or knots impacting the neck or shoulders may be enough to treat your muscle strain injury. Muscle strains throughout the musculoskeletal system can cause headaches because they produce tightness, tension, inflammation and restricted blood flow. When blood flow is restricted to the brain due to a blockage or subluxation, this can create chronic headaches.
Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries after a car accident. Whiplash happens because of the severe jerking motion that strains the soft tissue in the neck, shoulders, and back during impact. A whiplash headache is more likely to occur days to weeks following a car accident.
Pinched Nerve
If your spine becomes compressed due to the force of an accident, you may experience a pinched nerve. A pinched nerve can also be part of a compression injury called a disc herniation that can irritate the nerves within the neck and base of the skull. Headaches caused by pinched nerves are often accompanied by sensations of numbness, tingling, and burning.
Get Help If You’re Experiencing Headaches or Migraines Following a Car Accident
Nobody should be left to deal with lingering pain after a car accident. Symptoms involving your head can be especially worrisome because they may indicate head trauma, bleeding, or swelling that can cause severe permanent damage. While head injuries are common following auto accidents, musculoskeletal injuries affecting the spine and neck can actually cause pressure and inflammation that lead to chronic and debilitating headaches.
At Guardian Medical, we enable patients to have their care overseen by trained medical doctors. Our doctors are experts in post-accident medical care that can help patients to document their injuries and treatments. Guardian Medical doctors accompany you at appointments with your chosen chiropractor, physical therapist, or wellness provider. Call Guardian Medical at 303-222-0363 to book a consultation.
