When Should You Go to a Neurology Clinic in San Antonio?

San Antonio, formally the City of San Antonio, is the seventh-largest city in the United States and the second-largest in Texas, with 2,368,000 people. When it comes to living in Texas, the city is one of the best. However, a significant number of residents claim chronic pain and physical damage due to accidents and injuries. In such cases, San Antonio has a considerable number of skilled neurologists who can get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.

An automobile collision can be seriously destructive to your physical health. Accident victims frequently suffer from fractures, dislocations, rips, wounds, and bruises. However, the injuries you suffer in a car accident are sometimes much more acute and long-lasting than you anticipate. The symptoms may have been minor at first, but they have steadily worsened. These signs and symptoms may be related to nerve damage and neurological problems caused by the vehicle accident. It is why you must enlist the professional advice of a neurologist, spine doctor, or other car accident specialist to determine the best diagnosis and pain management. 

Head injuries are one of the most common forms of injuries sustained in car accidents. These injuries can range in severity and have the potential to be detrimental to your health. The brain, in particular, can get seriously injured as a result of a car collision. The following are the various forms of brain injuries that can occur in an automobile accident.

Types of Neurological Disorders Caused by Car Accidents

1) Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury is the most common neurological injury caused by a car accident (TBI). It happens 

• when the head collides with something,
• when something penetrates the brain tissue, or
• when the brain shifts so quickly that it hits the inside of the skull.

Traumatic brain injuries can result in brain bleeding or bruising, which can cause a variety of short- and long-term issues. More than 144,000 Texans suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, with more than 5,700 of them becoming incapacitated permanently. An alcohol-impaired motorist is involved in more than half of all car accidents that result in TBIs.

2) Skull Fracture

Unlike most other bones in your body, the skull is devoid of bone marrow. When a bone in the skull fractures, it is called a skull fracture. Head traumas, such as skull fractures, are the leading cause of adult dysfunction and mortality. It occurs commonly as a result of irresponsible driving and getting involved in a car collision. Because the skull is devoid of bone marrow, it becomes invulnerable and tough to break. A fractured skull cannot withstand the force of a hard blow in the event of an accident. As a result, the risk of brain damage becomes more likely. The fracture may heal on its own if it is linear. If not, it can take months to recover completely, but the pain usually goes away after two weeks.

3) Radiculopathy

Car accidents can result in radiculopathy, a neurological condition. When the nerves exiting the spinal column are injured or squeezed in some way, this happens. Radiculopathy is most common in the neck and lower back, but it can occur anywhere along the spine. Pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness are all symptoms. Even if a person has no outward injuries, the power of a car collision can induce radiculopathy since the spine is often injured significantly more than car accident victims think.

4) Contusions

A concussion can make you feel out of sorts, even if it appears to be a minor injury. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, often known as a concussion (TBI). It is somewhat similar to whiplash. Except that instead of your spine jerking, your brain jolts inside your skull and collides with its walls. A concussion is a brief injury that affects your brain function. You may experience headaches, loss of consciousness, trouble with balance and coordination, and, most importantly, memory impairment. You can also experience slight ringing in your ears, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, and nausea. Car accident doctors use MRI, CT scans to assess if you have suffered a concussion.

5) Diffuse Axonal Injury

The tearing and shearing of the brain’s long connecting nerve fibers, also known as axons, is characterized as diffuse axonal damage. It is a type of brain injury that occurs as a result of an automobile accident. Even if it does not induce bleeding, it does cause brain cell destruction. When the brain is injured as it rotates and shifts inside the bony skull, DAI occurs. Damage to brain cells causes them to be unable to operate in the right way. Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a type of brain damage that produces unconsciousness and extreme pain in multiple areas of the brain. Patients with an acute diffuse axonal injury may lose consciousness and remain in a permanent vegetative state or coma for a more prolonged period until surgery occurs, depending on the severity of their condition. For those who do recover from diffuse axonal damage, intensive therapy is the best course of action.

6) Neuropathy

Neuropathy is another neurological condition that can result after an automobile accident. The peripheral nervous system, which comprises all nerves in the body that are not in the brain or spinal cord, is affected by this disorder. Numbness, tingling, prickling sensations, and weakness are all symptoms of neuropathy, which happens when nerves are compressed, crushed, stretched, or severed.

How Can These Injuries Get Treated?

It is critical to get medical attention as quickly as possible if you suspect you have sustained a brain injury, whether severe or not. Many excellent health care professionals in your area can assist you. However, if you have brain damage, as mentioned above, you should look into clinics specifically for neurology in San Antonio.

In many circumstances, nerve injury never gets repaired entirely. But different treatments can minimize your discomfort. Because nerve damage is often progressive, it is crucial to seek medical advice as soon as you discover symptoms. As a result, the risk of irreversible injury gets reduced to a considerable low. Patients who see a neurologist can help control pain by employing a few basic measures in addition to the doctor’s suggestions. It may mean:

• Controlling blood sugar levels in diabetic patients
• Stay active by moving about
• Correcting nutritional deficits
• If a medication is causing nerve damage, it should be changed.
• Use relaxation techniques
• Physical therapy or surgery to relieve nerve compression or trauma
• Medicines for the treatment of autoimmune diseases

Moreover, your doctor may recommend pain killers or other medications to help you manage your nerve discomfort. Alternative and complementary therapies may also assist in alleviating your nerve discomfort and pain. Acupuncture, Biofeedback, Hypnosis, Meditation, and Antioxidant Vitamins are among them. 

Additionally, they will advise you to consume a well-balanced diet. A low-fat, well-balanced diet rich in vitamins B6, B12, and folate will assist in safeguarding the neurological system. Make sure you eat plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains in your diet. They may tell you to drink water and other fluids in large quantities. Pain can be inconvenient, but it may be managed with the help of a doctor until the underlying cause gets identified and addressed. 

Final Thoughts

If you have a nerve-related disorder, seeing a neurologist is your best hope for getting better quickly. Recovering from a car accident will be a piece of cake with them at your beck.