Imagine this – you’re driving along the highway at a high speed when suddenly the car right in front of you comes to a grinding halt. You hit the brakes hard, and even though the seatbelt manages to save the upper half of your torso, you feel a sharp pain in your abdomen. It takes a few minutes to compose yourself, and then you finally get around to checking your body for any injuries you might’ve sustained. Aside from some soreness in your lower back, you seem to be in one piece. No need to call the 911, you think, and start dialing the number of a car accident attorney to sue the driver who gave you such a fright in the first place. You are not alone. That’s what thousands of car crash survivors do; call up a car accident attorney, even in Tampa where the number of fatal crashes is way up in comparison to all US cities.
Truth is, this is the worst possible thing you can do! You might seem fine on the surface, but what about the inside of your body? That sharp, stabbing pain you felt? It could be a sign that you’ve bruised your kidney. It might not seem like a big deal in the beginning, but if not diagnosed and treated early and properly, bruised kidneys can lead to a world of discomfort and pain, and may even cause serious kidney problems or even death in extreme cases. Read on to understand how road accidents commonly cause traumatic injuries to your kidneys, and what you can do about it.
Symptoms of Bruised Kidneys
Your kidneys are situated deep inside the back of the upper abdomen which offers considerable protection from outside forces. This is necessary as kidneys have a large blood supply and extensive damage to those organs may cause bleeding. However, it is still possible to sustain a kidney injury, commonly called a kidney contusion, via direct traumatic impact on the abdomen or lower back that causes blood vessels in the kidneys to rupture. During car accidents, this section undergoes tremendous pressure, but it is not immediately noticeable. This is why it is better to call for emergency medical care if you’ve been in a car crash. Leaving this problem unattended may lead to serious complications like high blood pressure, kidney failure, infection, and delayed bleeding.
If you feel a constant, throbbing pain in your upper abdomen, it could be an indicator that there is bleeding on the inside of the kidney from the impact. The lower back region also experiences this pain along with tenderness, and it is most acute in the area between the flank and the ribs. Emergency medical care providers recognize these symptoms, and they are also aware of the need to check for skin discoloration at the point of impact. Other common symptoms of kidney contusion are vomiting, nausea, muscle spasms in the lower back, and blood in the urine.
How to Diagnose Bruised Kidneys?
In order to diagnose bruised kidneys after an automobile accident, the emergency medical care providers will check for physical symptoms and conduct a physical examination. This involves searching for signs of hemorrhage, shock, extreme tenderness, and signs of kidney failure. They might ask you some questions related to your symptoms as well as history of the events leading up to the bruising of your kidneys. If the damage is severe, you might need a surgical intervention.
With prompt diagnosis and treatment, most patients suffering from kidney contusions are able to recover easily. So if you think you’re fine after a car crash and you just want to call up a car accident attorney in Tampa or any other place, think again. Assuming that you do not require any medical attention after a crash could be one of the biggest mistakes you ever make. Get emergency medical care and stay healthy.