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. 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. Even if the crash seems minor, the impact can trigger a complex physiological response, affecting not only your muscles and bones but also your internal organs and nervous system. 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 car accident injuries.
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 delayed stomach pain after a car accident.
- 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 after a car accident.
- 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.
- Increased Stomach Acid Production: Stress can cause your stomach to produce excess stomach acid, causing acid reflux, nausea, or indigestion.
- Delayed Digestion: Some people experience the opposite effect, where their digestive system slows down because of shock, which can lead to constipation or related discomfort.
Seat Belt Syndrome and Abdominal Trauma
Seat belts are designed to save lives by preventing you from being thrown from the vehicle, but they can also cause injuries, especially in high-impact crashes. If your body gets abruptly stopped by a seat belt, the force can put significant pressure on the abdomen, leading to a condition known as “seat belt syndrome.” This can lead to some symptoms and injuries, including:
- Bruising and Soft Tissue Injuries: The pressure from the seat belt can cause bruising and inflammation in and around the abdominal muscles and supporting tissues, which can cause tenderness and pain.
- Internal Organ Damage: In severe cases, the force of the seat belt can damage internal organs such as the stomach, intestines, liver, or spleen, potentially leading to internal bleeding or organ damage.
- Intestinal Perforation or Injury: A strong impact may cause injury to the intestines, which can result in significant pain and digestive disturbances.
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
Certain symptoms may be a sign of a serious medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. 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 a car crash, 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.
- Additional symptoms may include dizziness, fainting, rapid heartbeat, high fever, or chills.
Diagnosing Stomach Pain and Diarrhea After a Car Accident
Dealing with stomach pain or digestive issues after a car accident can be alarming, especially since these symptoms may be a sign of underlying injuries that require medical attention. Your car accident doctor will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine the root cause of your pain and discomfort. Here’s what you can expect when your car accident doctor assesses and diagnoses your car accident injuries.
Physical Examination
A car accident doctor will begin with a physical examination of your abdominal area for signs of trauma, including tenderness, bruising or swelling, and more. Sensitivity to touch may indicate internal bruising, organ injury, or muscle strain. Discoloration or swelling in the abdominal region could signal internal bleeding or organ damage. If your body involuntarily tenses up when the abdomen is touched, called the guarding reflex, this may also be a sign of an injury that requires further testing.
Imaging Tests
If your car accident doctor suspects you may have internal injuries, they may order imaging tests including X-rays, CT scans, or an ultrasound. X-rays can help identify fractures in the ribcage or pelvis, while a CT scan provides more detailed cross-sectional images of your abdomen to identify organ damage, internal bleeding, or fractures. An ultrasound uses sound waves to detect abnormalities, such as fluid buildup (a potential sign of internal bleeding) or organ swelling.
Stool Tests
If diarrhea is your main symptom, your car accident doctor may perform stool tests to rule out infections or gastrointestinal conditions. Blood in the stool can be a sign of an intestinal injury, ulceration, or other type of internal bleeding. In some cases, trauma from a car accident can also trigger or worsen conditions like irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease.
Treatment Options for Car Accident-Related Stomach Pain and Diarrhea
The treatment approach depends on the specific cause of the digestive issues and abdominal pain after a car accident. Your car accident doctor will create a personalized treatment plan for your specific symptoms and injuries that incorporates some of the following treatment options:
Medications
Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can reduce inflammation and discomfort. However, if internal injuries are suspected, it’s important to avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen because they may increase the risk of bleeding. Your doctor may also recommend certain anti-diarrheal medications, antacids, or a prescription for antibiotics, depending on the cause of your stomach pain and diarrhea after a car accident.
Chiropractic Care
A car accident can cause misalignment in the spine, which may impact the nervous system and contribute to digestive problems. Chiropractic adjustments are gentle and drug-free approaches to help restore alignment, reduce nerve compression, and improve overall gut function. Going to a car accident chiropractor can also relieve stress-induced digestive issues since your nervous system plays a key role in digestion.
Physical Therapy
If musculoskeletal injuries (such as whiplash or rib fractures) contribute to abdominal discomfort, physical therapy can support you through your recovery. Your physical therapist may recommend targeted exercises to strengthen core muscles and improve mobility. They may also incorporate soft tissue massage to relieve tension in the abdominal and back muscles. Applying heat therapy can also help reduce inflammation and promote healing.
Surgical Intervention
In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to address internal bleeding, ruptured organs, or bowel perforation. Emergency procedures like laparoscopic surgery may be performed to prevent life-threatening complications.
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.