When we were young children, many of us would have fallen over every day, perhaps multiple times. Kids fall all the time and simply brush themselves off and move on unless there are obvious serious injuries.
Nonetheless, falls don’t stop after reaching adulthood. Falls are among the leading causes of unintentional injuries and deaths among adults in the U.S., with millions of injuries occurring every year.
If you fall, is it always necessary to visit the hospital? This will largely depend on the following factors.
Obvious signs of injuries
If you have obvious injuries, such as deep lacerations, swelling or severe bruising, then it is always advisable to seek medical attention. You may have fractured or dislocated a bone or suffered a muscular injury, and the safest way to address these injuries is to consult with a doctor and obtain treatment.
If you lost consciousness
When a person falls and doesn’t really remember how it happened, this could be mistaken for not being very serious. Especially if they are able to walk away without much pain. Nonetheless, this could actually be a sign of something much more serious. A person who has fallen, but doesn’t remember much about what happened, could have lost consciousness. This means that they have suffered a head injury, which is always serious and should always be treated as a medical emergency.
When symptoms come on later
Perhaps you picked yourself up immediately after the fall and made your way home. There were no signs of pain so you didn’t bother with the hospital. However, 24 hours later, you feel light-headed and your stomach is aching. This could be a sign of serious injuries that have delayed symptoms, such as internal bleeding or brain damage.
When asking if you should see a doctor after a fall, the answer is much more likely to be yes than no. It is always best to err on the side of caution. If your fall was caused by someone else’s negligence, then personal injury compensation could be an option.
