When a person in Wilmington suffers a spinal cord injury, there are many issues that will be of significant concern. Once it is known that the injured person is going to survive the spinal cord damage, there are many complications that can present themselves. With those complications can come massive medical expenses. It’s important to understand what can result from a spinal cord injuries and how to deal with these medical issues.
Even without paralysis, there can still be physical changes such as a loss of bladder control. Since the brain receives signals from the spinal cord, there will be a separation between what the body needs to do and what the brain can tell it to do. An inability to control the bladder can lead to urinary tract infections, kidney infections and stones in the kidneys and bladder. There could also be issues with bowel control. The bowels will often work as they did before, but control can be lost with a spinal cord injury.
A lack of skin sensation could lead to unknown damage. Without the ability to feel, there might be an issue realizing if there is too much heat, cold or developing sores. The circulation can be affected. Since the spine is so important to all systems of the body, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, swelling in the extremities, blood clots and other problems can present themselves. Breathing can be difficult with the need for artificial respiration. This can result in the possibility for infections and pneumonia. Since it is difficult to exercise, a loss of muscle tone can happen. There can be mental and emotional problems such as depression due to the spinal cord injury.
Injuries to the spinal cord can happen in many different ways from a car crash to an accident at work to a simple fall. No matter how it happened, those who suffer this kind of injury often don’t realize what they’re up against. If the accident or incident was the fault of another or due to someone else’s negligence, it may be wise to know how to investigate the situation and pursue compensation with a legal filing. A legal professional can provide assistance in moving forward with a case.
Source: mayoclinic.org, “Spinal cord injury complications,” accessed June 16, 2015
