Car accidents can lead to an extensive list of injuries ranging from mild to serious. Whiplash is a common car accident injury that can cause blurred vision, headaches and tenderness or pain in the neck. It’s important to see a doctor immediately after a car crash because the onset of accident injury symptoms can often be delayed hours or even days.

If you are experiencing blurry vision after a car crash, do not wait to seek medical attention. A car accident doctor in Georgia can examine your injuries and diagnose the cause of your blurred vision. They will likely use diagnostic testing to determine if you have whiplash and rule out any serious injuries like a concussion or traumatic brain injury.

What Is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a common car accident injury (typically caused by rear-end accidents) caused by a rapid change in direction, speed or momentum. The sudden impact causes a violent back and forth whipping motion of the head and neck. Whiplash can affect ligaments, nerves, muscles and other tissues in the neck and even injure vertebrae or discs between spinal vertebrae. Whiplash injury symptoms can last weeks or (in more severe cases) lead to chronic neck pain.

Symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Dizziness
• Headaches starting at the base of the skull
• Blurred vision
• Numbness or tingling in the arms
• Ringing in the ears
• Fatigue
• Decreased range of motion
• Pain in the shoulders, back or arms

How Is Whiplash Diagnosed?

During your exam, your car accident doctor will ask you questions about your accident and when you first noticed your symptoms. They will likely need to touch and move your head, neck and arms and ask you to perform simple tasks to check your reflexes, range of motion and the degree of movement that causes or increases pain.

In most cases, your doctor will also order imaging tests to ensure another more serious condition isn’t at fault for your symptoms. X-rays, CT scans and MRIs can help rule out serious damage to the spinal cord or neck.

Can You Treat Whiplash?

Whiplash symptoms can be treated to control pain levels and restore range of motion in the neck, allowing you to get back to your normal activities sooner. Depending on the extent of your whiplash injury, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter medications and at-home care or prescription medications and physical therapy.

If at-home remedies and pain relievers aren’t resolving your symptoms, you may need to seek additional medical care, like chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic care focuses on restoring alignment and the normal function of the nerves, joints, ligaments, muscles and bones. It’s a noninvasive treatment option that may be effective for those who are experiencing blurry vision after a car accident.

A chiropractor who specializes in car accident injuries can help pinpoint the injured tissues and make adjustments to realign the body and relieve your symptoms. Misalignments in the neck, back and shoulders can cause headaches, blurred vision, dizziness and trouble focusing.

Injured In a Wreck? Get Fast Car Accident Care in Atlanta

Georgians who are injured in a car accident should seek medical attention immediately after the accident. Not only can a doctor detect and treat car accident injuries, but seeking medical care and receiving an official, documented injury diagnosis looks better on your insurance claim. If you are not prompt about seeking treatment for your car accident injuries, you may have trouble getting compensation for medical bills later down the road.

Our team of doctors and board-certified chiropractors at HURT911 are committed to providing you with quality car accident injury care. We aim to treat accident injuries of all kinds, including whiplash, to alleviate symptoms such as blurred vision and to help prevent chronic neck pain.

Schedule your same-day appointment at one of our Georgia clinics by calling 1-800-HURT-911.