After surveying the damage done to your vehicle in the car accident, you probably counted yourself lucky. From the looks of your car, you may be amazed that you walked away relatively unharmed. You have some aches and pains, but that’s expected. After all, you were in a car accident.
Fast forward a day or two, and you notice that you have a headache that doesn’t seem to subside. You took over-the-counter medications for it, got some extra sleep and even had a little extra caffeine, thinking that would help. Unfortunately, the headache just keeps coming back, or perhaps it never really went away. You were just masking this vital symptom that could actually mean you need to head to the hospital.
A headache could alert you to something serious
Headaches come in a variety of forms. Some headaches result from medical issues, but others relate to trauma such as a car accident. Your headache could save your life. For instance, a persistent headache is among the symptoms for a traumatic brain injury. Your headache could indicate a problem with the spine, neck or head, such as whiplash, fractures and more. A headache may be just the beginning of a set of symptoms that definitely let you know there is a problem.
At this point, you may still be thinking that it’s just a headache, and it will go away eventually. However, if — during what you think is an acceptable time to suffer from a persistent headache — the pain worsens and OTC medications become ineffective, your condition may be worsening. The sooner you seek medical attention, the sooner you can receive a diagnosis and begin treatment.
Where to turn for support
Now that doctors are treating you for whatever underlying condition your headache warned you of, you may begin to realize that you will not be bouncing back from the car accident as quickly as you first believed. You could need time off work to recover and additional medical care on top the trips you have already made to the doctor.
When you add up the potential financial losses and other damages you face in the wake of the crash, stress and anxiety may set in. To keep your stress from hindering your recovery, you may benefit from seeking some advice and assistance from an Illinois attorney with experience in personal injury claims in order to determine the best course of action to pursue the compensation you deserve.