Despite the increasing technology and safety designs in modern vehicles, having an accident still places you at risk of injury. Because of the heightened adrenaline and anxiety that often accompanies a crash, especially one involving a tractor-trailer or other large vehicle, you may not be aware of your injuries until significant time has passed. This could be dangerous if you have an injury that could become progressively worse, such as an internal injury or one that is bleeding badly.
Blood loss can become a critical issue very quickly, and chances are the medical team that responds to your accident will be looking for signs that you are losing blood. Unchecked, blood loss can send your body into shock and place you at risk of organ damage and death.
Recognizing the symptoms of shock
When your body suddenly loses a large quantity of blood, you may begin to experience signs of hypovolemic shock. As its name implies, the body enters a state of shock because the volume of blood is too low, typically following a drop of 15 percent or more. Because the symptoms of hypovolemic shock resemble many of the natural signs an accident victim may display, it is not always easy for medical responders to recognize if you are reaching this stage of your injury. Signs of shock include these:
- Your skin may turn pale.
- You may seem anxious and agitated.
- Your breathing may become rapid.
- Your heart rate may increase.
As you can see, any accident victim may react this way even without any injuries. However, you may have already lost a significant amount of blood when other symptoms appear, such as these:
- Your blood’s diastolic pressure rises.
- You begin to sweat and grow more restless.
- Your systolic pressure drops.
- Your heart rate reaches 120 beats per minute or higher.
- Your skin turns cold.
If left untreated, you may begin to lose consciousness and have difficulty breathing. When this happens, you have reached stage-4 hypovolemia, and your situation is dire. Since blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the other organs in your body, including your heart and brain, you may begin to suffer organ damage and heart failure.
Getting the help you need
If you are aware of these symptoms and understand what they mean, you may be able to alert medical personal that you suspect you are going into shock. Receiving medical intervention, such as IV fluids and efforts to stop the bleeding, may improve your chances of making a full recovery.
Nevertheless, you will also likely face the burden of medical expenses that accompany a recovery after a motor vehicle accident. With the assistance of an attorney, you may be able to recoup some of those losses from the responsible driver through the civil courts in Tennessee.