You don't have to be on an adventurous vacation to come home with an injury. A simple fall on the stairs can break a wrist. Lifting luggage can hurt your back before you've even started your trip. Some injuries are just annoying. Other injuries need medical care right away, even when there is no visible wound.
Falls and Collisions
Lifting a heavy suitcase can hurt your back. Stepping awkwardly can cause you to twist your ankle. Sprains and strains involve different tissues. When you have a sprain, it means that a ligament has been stretched beyond its limits or torn. Ligaments connect bones to each other at joints. A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is overstretched or torn. This can occur from a single event, but it can also be caused by repeatedly using the same muscle or tendon over time. Either kind of injury can make walking difficult.
Both injuries can cause swelling and pain, so you won't know how much your trip will be affected based on the name alone. A strained muscle may go into spasm. A sprained joint may bruise and make it difficult to move. Stop the activity and seek medical advice if you have significant pain, even if it means changing your plans.
A broken bone may require imaging to determine the extent of the damage. Pain and swelling can accompany a fracture, and sometimes a limb may appear out of shape. Attempting to catch yourself with an outstretched hand during a fall can result in a broken wrist. Fractures can also occur during skiing falls or car accidents. If you think a bone is broken, get medical care right away. Don't wait until the trip is over. The doctor will decide which tests you need.
A fall from even a small height can cause serious problems when you have weak bones. Since osteoporosis increases the likelihood of fractures, a simple slip can result in much worse than just a bruise. Use handrails and wear shoes with good traction to help prevent slips on steps or wet surfaces. These are good precautions to take around a hotel as well as during outdoor activities.
Whiplash may develop after a collision. A rear-end collision can cause the head to move rapidly forward and backward, injuring the neck. The soreness may develop over the next few days, along with stiffness or headaches. A fall can also cause rapid neck movement. You cannot determine from neck pain alone whether you have whiplash or another type of injury. A medical exam can determine if there is damage such as a fracture.
A concussion can affect how you think as well as how you feel. After a fall or collision, you may feel dizzy or develop a headache. You may also have trouble thinking clearly. Feeling fine at first does not rule out a concussion: some symptoms take hours or days to appear.
With a bruise, damaged blood vessels leave blood under the skin. Muscle or bone can also be bruised. A sharp object can puncture the skin and reach into deeper tissue. The mark on the surface may be small. Minor cuts need to be cleaned and covered, and a doctor can evaluate deeper injuries or the need for a tetanus shot.
Water and Outdoor Activities
Surviving drowning does not mean you will escape injury. Some survivors suffer no long-term effects, while others suffer brain damage due to lack of oxygen while in the water. A person who is rescued from drowning needs medical care even if they look and feel fine. There is also the risk of an impact injury in a shallow pool. A diver who hits the bottom can injure their head or spinal cord.
You don't have to go to the beach to get sunburned. Ultraviolet rays can still reach your skin on cloudy days and they'll bounce off snow or water. If you get a bad burn, it could blister and you may need to see a doctor. Use sunscreen as instructed and put it back on after you swim. Wearing clothes and staying in the shade can also help you avoid getting too much sun. Once you've been burned, stay out of the sun until the burn has healed.
Heat illness can develop without a sunburn. If you become weak or dizzy during an activity on a hot day, stop and rest somewhere cool. Sweating heavily is another possible indicator of being too hot. However, sweating can also be present during heat stroke. Sweating alone cannot eliminate this possibility. If someone becomes confused or loses consciousness in the heat, call the local emergency number immediately and start cooling them until help arrives.
Care and Records After an Injury
Some symptoms require emergency assistance. After a head injury, these include a headache that continues to worsen, repeated vomiting or difficulty waking the person. Severe bleeding also requires emergency care. Leave any object stuck deep in a wound for medical professionals to remove. A wound that gets redder or warmer may be infected. Fever or pus-like drainage can be warning signs too.
You may not know yet whether you want to seek compensation. Regardless, save your records. Once medical needs have been addressed, photographs of the scene can provide documentation of a hazard. If someone witnessed the accident, obtain their contact information so you can reach them after the trip. Also, get a copy of any incident report.
The fact that you were hurt does not settle who, if anyone, is legally responsible. A skilled personal injury lawyer like those at Bey & Associates can assess that question using the details of the accident and your medical records. Bills and receipts show what the injury has cost you. Keep these together with records of missed work and your correspondence about the accident.
