When involved in a car accident, you may suffer from an ocular or orbital injury resulting from the impact.
For most patients with one of these facial injuries, the pain will be anywhere from moderate to severe in nature due to the high density of sensory pain fibers in this region.
While orbital fractures are often obvious, there are times when they are subtle and can be difficult to diagnose. Therefore, a CT scan may be necessary to determine if there has been trauma. When treating this type of injury, bony deformities have to be addressed as well as concerns regarding visual acuity and soft tissue injuries. Corneal abrasions are also common with this type of trauma, which makes pain control particularly important. In addition, if the injury is connected to the sinus or nasal cavity, antibiotics will need to be administered.
Depending upon the extent of the injury, it may be necessary to consult with an ophthalmologist in order to address vision and eye function concerns created by the injury. For example, a retrobulbar hemorrhage, which presents itself as bleeding behind the globe, can put pressure on the eye socket in such a way that it hinders blood flow to the retina and results in blindness.
With prompt treatment, ocular and orbital injuries typically heal without much trouble. The injury may, however result in cosmetic issues that might need to be addressed. Even with surgery, the appearance of the injuries generally cannot be covered up. It is also possible to experience vision loss or chronic double vision. Therefore, it is important to follow the proper treatment program to ensure your injury heals correctly after a car accident. Contact Advanced Spine & Rehab today to learn more about how we can help!