Knowing When To Seek Help For A Sports Injury
Posted on: 25 July 2018
Whether you are playing a team sport or exercising in the gym, accidents happen that cause an injury. Sometimes, it is a pulled muscle or sprain, and sometimes it is a broken bone or a deep cut. No matter what happened, one of the most important things to know is when you need to seek medical help.
Unless you are out running alone, there is probably someone around who can help you get up. If this person is a coach or a trainer, it is a good idea to take their advice if they recommend seeing a sport injury doctor. However, sometimes you are not aware of the extent of the injury until much later. Here is some information to guide you if you are debating on going to a quick care or emergency room.
Head Injuries
If you fall and hit your head, something falls on your head, or your head slams into anything, you should seek medical attention. It might not be anything, but when it comes to head injuries, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
If you decide to wait things out a bit, at the first sign of vision, speech, or motor function problems you need to get to an emergency room. If necessary, call 911.
Inability to Bear Weight
When an accident first happens, you may be hesitant to use that part of your body because it hurts. When the injured part normally bears weight when you sit, stand, or walk, you may not be able to do so initially.
Rest and ice the area for 20 minutes. Remove the ice but still rest the area, elevated if possible for another 30 minutes. Replace the ice for another 20 minutes. If after the second 20 minutes the area cannot bear any weight, it is time to seek help.
Cannot Stop Bleeding
If you have been cut, and the blood is flowing freely, wrap it with some gauze, hold the area at heart level or above, if possible, and put some pressure on the cut. If the wound starts to bleed again after it has stopped, or every time you lower the area, you should go get some stitches or staples.
If you are feeling light-headed from the loss of blood, definitely get to a medical facility, but be sure to have someone else drive you there.
While some injuries will require medical help but can wait until the next day, if any of the above occur it is best to get help as soon as possible. You do not want to cause more damage because you were waiting for something more serious to happen.
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