Stomach Pain After Car Accident

It’s not common to develop diarrhea after a car accident, but if you have this symptom, it could mean that your digestive tract was injured during the collision. There could be something wrong with your intestine that is causing the malabsorption and diarrhea.

However minor they may be, accidents are very stressful. They can affect your mental and emotional well-being and your bodily functions. Studies have shown that stress and anxiety can induce diarrhea and also worsen irritable bowel syndrome, so these could be the cause of your loose bowel movement.

To ensure nothing’s wrong with your bowels, you must return to your doctor for a GI evaluation and laboratory tests. This will include an ultrasound and a CT scan of the abdomen to look for injuries to the abdominal organs.

During the collision, the force will throw your body forward. The seat belt will keep you in your seat and prevent you from hitting the dashboard or flying through the window. But in the process, as the seat belt restrains you, it may dig into the soft tissues of your shoulders, chest, abdomen, and lap and cause significant bruising over these regions.

If you’re having pain in these areas, you can take an over-the-counter painkiller to at least control it. If some swelling occurs, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication can help reduce the swelling. It’s also perfectly okay to apply a cold compress over these regions to help keep the pain and swelling down. You can keep the cold compress over the areas for about 20 minutes and switch to a hot compress after about a couple of days.

Why do I have a swollen stomach after a car accident?

A swollen stomach is a sign of abdominal trauma and could mean severe injuries to vital organs and blood vessels in the abdominal cavity.

During car accidents, blunt trauma could cause massive injuries to the internal organs. If these organs rupture or are punctured, they could bleed into the abdominal cavity and cause blood to pool in the cavities. This collection of blood could contribute to abdominal pain and swelling.

Swollen stomach may also be due to injuries to the abdomen itself. The blunt trauma could rupture the blood vessels of the stomach, resulting in discoloration and the formation of a hematoma. Because there is tissue injury, there will also be inflammation and swelling.

If you have swollen stomach and pain symptoms that won’t go away, please visit your doctor immediately for proper medical care. Imaging studies will be ordered to check the abdominal cavity for any abnormalities.

You need to watch out for late-appearing symptoms and injuries if you were involved in a car accident.

Firstly, headaches and migraines could mean a severe concussion or brain injury. It could also mean a blood clot formation or hematoma in the brain.

Secondly, whiplash can be a late-appearing injury. Symptoms of whiplash include painful neck movements, limited range of motion, tenderness upon palpation, headaches, neck stiffness, and neck pain.

Thirdly, back pain is a late-appearing injury from disc herniation, bulging disc, back muscle strain, back muscle spasm, facet joint fractures, and impinged nerves. 

Fourthly, numbness and radiculopathy are widespread and could mean nerve impingement or a pinched nerve. Symptoms include pain radiating down the distribution of the injured nerve, numbness, and tingling or burning sensations.

Fifthly, changes in cognitive and psychological behavior could mean brain injury.