Living with an injury can reduce your quality of life if you have symptoms on a daily basis. This can be made all the more frustrating by the fact that whatever caused those injuries may not have even been your fault. However, it’s important to diagnose the cause of your symptoms, and recognize if they come from a chronic or acute injury, so that you can start the process of healing faster.
What are Chronic Injuries?
In most cases, chronic injuries are those that occur over time by performing small repetitive tasks that accumulate. They are most commonly seen in factory workers, office workers, and sports players. In general, the injury is related to the fact that a person performed the same movement over and over for years in such a way that damage slowly started to form in the tendons or muscles.
Chronic injuries can also be mental, however, such as a person living with PTSD following a car crash or similar accident. During a person’s life, symptoms from a chronic injury can ebb and flow, potentially going away for months at a time before coming back.
Common Types of Chronic Injuries
Some of the most common types of chronic injuries seen today include:
- Stress fractures such as a runner’s knee or shin splints
- Arthritis in the hands or other joints
- Tennis elbow
- Achilles tendinitis
- Rotator cuff issues
- General back and neck problems, typically muscular in nature
- Inflammation of the joints
- Lasting pain in scar tissue
Naturally, any of the above types of chronic injuries can leave you feeling a large amount of pain, but each has a range of symptoms. By identifying the symptoms, you are experiencing, you can speak with a doctor to see if they can diagnose the specific issue you are dealing with.
Common Symptoms of Chronic Injuries
To the above point, there are a number of symptoms associated with chronic injuries that a person can keep an eye out for. Most notably, keep an eye out for signs such as:
- Random swelling during certain activities
- Constant aches and pains that ebb and flow
- The feelings of pins and needles or a higher sensitivity to pain
- Fatigue, headaches, or even sleep deprivation
What are Acute Injuries?
On the other side of things, the second type of injury a person could suffer from is an acute injury. As opposed to chronic injuries which develop over time, acute injuries occur in a quick and immediate instant. Typically, acute injuries occur, and a person heals from them and doesn’t need to worry about symptoms from that injury anymore. However, acute injuries can result in chronic injuries in some specific circumstances.
Common Types of Acute Injuries
While most acute injuries are noticeable right away due to the higher amount of pain they cause in the moment, identifying the common types can help you recognize what occurred:
- Broken bones or fractured bones
- Dislocated shoulder
- Concussion
- Muscle tears or sprains
- ACL injuries
- Major cuts or bruising
Common Symptoms of Acute Injuries
While the symptoms of chronic injuries tend to be duller and occur over time, the symptoms of acute injuries tend to be more sudden and sharper. Keep an eye out for symptoms including:
- Sudden severe pain occurring at the point of injury
- Swelling at the site of the injury
- Unexpected limb weakness
- Visible broken bones or fractured bones
- Inability to move a joint through its range of motion
The Difference in Treatment for Acute and Chronic Injuries
Steps to Take Following an Injury
If you have experienced an injury, there are three primary steps you should follow to get treated and receive assistance as soon as possible.
1. Visit your doctor
First and foremost, you should always visit your doctor right away after experiencing some sort of major injury. They will be able to make a diagnosis based on what occurred and can prep you for the symptoms you may experience. Additionally, they can warn you if an acute injury has the potential to turn into a chronic injury, especially if that acute injury did not heal properly.
2. Contact your workplace
When suffering an injury, it’s best to contact your workplace shortly after to inform them of what has occurred. They will then understand why you are not on the job, which will put you less at risk to lose that job.
Additionally, if the accident occurred while on the job, you could be eligible for workers compensation, which your workplace can inform you of once you call them. This is a form of insurance that provides employees injured on the job with compensation for medical procedures, lost wages, and more.
3. Discuss legal options with an attorney
Finally, whether your injury is acute or chronic, it might be justified to contact your attorney. If the accident was the result of another person’s negligence, then you may have the ability to file a personal injury lawsuit against them so that you receive compensation.
Additionally, if your workplace offers you workers compensation but you believe your injuries are severe enough and occurred in such a situation that negligence on behalf of the company existed, pursuing a lawsuit may provide you with more compensation.
Safeguard your health today
When it comes to your health, there are no lengths you should stop at to bolster it. Living with a chronic or acute injury can be a frustrating experience, but it doesn’t mean your life is over. By getting yourself diagnosed, doctors can prescribe treatment that will alleviate daily symptoms you may be experiencing. This can help improve your quality of life while, in some cases, benefitting you so much you may forget the accident occurred.
However, if the accident was the result of negligence on behalf of another person, contact a lawyer in your area. Your personal injury case by be eligible for a lawsuit, which could result in receiving compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and more. Don’t hesitate to contact an attorney to discuss you situation as soon as possible.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
