If you’re involved in a serious accident, you may have a spinal cord injury as a result. Spinal cord injuries vary in their severity, but they may include permanent paralysis, chronic pain and other symptoms.
The unfortunate reality about many spinal cord injuries is that they can come with complications. Some of the complications can be life-threatening.
What are common complications from spinal cord injuries?
Some of the common complications from spinal cord injuries include:
- Fractures, which are more likely to occur even with low-impact activity. This is because of the higher risk of osteoporosis or osteopenia in those with spinal cord injuries.
- Deep vein thrombosis, which is when blood clots form deep in the veins of the legs. If those clots break free, they could cause a pulmonary embolism, which is a medical emergency.
- Autonomic dysreflexia, which is most common in those with a spinal cord injury at the T6 level or above. This causes the blood pressure to rise significantly and cause a slow heart rate, headache, anxiety and other symptoms. This is a medical emergency.
- Pneumonia, which is more likely in those whose lungs have been affected by their spinal cord injury.
- Kidney and bladder stones.
- Septicemia, which is when an infection spreads to the bloodstream.
All of these and other complications are possible with spinal cord injuries. Depending on where the injury is, they may be more or less likely for specific patients. The patients do need to be monitored closely for these issues, because they could lead to serious illness or death in some cases.
Regular medical appointments can help minimize the risk of infections spreading, but those with spinal cord injuries have to recognize the signs of these conditions. That way, they can seek help immediately if they begin to have complications from their injuries.
You deserve help after suffering a spinal cord injury
Suffering from a spinal cord injury changes your life and the lives of those around you. You deserve to work with an attorney who has the experience needed to get you the compensation that you need. Our team of attorneys at Wyatt Law Firm have been here to help out clients since 1990.