Have you started experiencing painful headaches shortly after being in a car accident? While you might just think they will go away after the stress and strain of dealing with the event has passed, you might be surprised when the headaches stick around for longer than you thought. If you don’t have any obvious signs of injury, like cuts, scrapes, and bruises, then you might be tempted to skip the doctor’s office after an accident. However, car accident doctors are highly skilled in identifying what are known as hidden injuries, the kinds of injuries you get in a car accident that don’t always show up right away. That’s why you should visit a chiropractor in Conyers, even if all you notice afterward are a few headaches!
Why Are Headaches So Common After a Car Accident?
The stress of being in a car accident is enough to give some people a headache. From the shock of being in an accident to the adrenaline coursing through your body, there’s no wonder you might experience a headache or even fatigue after such an event. However, headaches are also common because of how your head and neck are so easily affected by this type of accident. While the seatbelt and airbags are designed to protect you and keep you from being ejected from the vehicle, they can’t keep you from being injured altogether. Unfortunately, your head and neck are susceptible to getting jostled around and shaken up when your vehicle collides with another. That can cause headaches as well as car accident injuries like a concussion, whiplash, or another type of spinal damage.
4 Types of Headaches After a Car Accident
Here are four examples of headaches you might experience after a car accident:
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are common for many people even if they haven’t been in a car accident. These can occur when you have experienced emotional or physical stress, especially when you tense up your body or experience strain or damage to your muscles. When we are stressed or experience an accident, our bodies can tense up and muscles may compensate for other areas of the body that are in pain. This can lead to tension headaches that feel like you have a tight band across your forehead and temples.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches can be frustrating because you experience several headaches in a row. When you get cluster headaches, you might start to think you are experiencing relief but then another one kicks in right afterward. Cluster headaches can feel like short bursts of pain that occur one after another and last for days or even weeks at a time. Cluster headaches can feel like a pounding in your head and do run the risk of becoming chronic.
Migraine Headaches
A migraine is a type of headache that comes with uncomfortable symptoms like sensitivity to noise and light, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, and vomiting. These types of headaches can be so painful that they keep you from participating in your daily activities. This kind of debilitating headache can cause severe pain at the back of your head or behind your eyes and can last for hours.
Whiplash Headaches
Whiplash headaches are commonly associated with whiplash, the most common car accident injury. These types of headaches are often a sign and symptom of this injury and can help doctors to diagnose whiplash. Whiplash headaches can start in the base of your neck and radiate into your whole head, causing you pain and discomfort.