Even though your car has airbags, seatbelts, crumple zones and many other safety features, you may still suffer an injury in a car accident. After all, car accidents send more than 4.4 million Americans to the emergency room every year.
While some accident-associated injuries clearly require immediate medical attention, others may seem like a wait-and-see approach is better. Still, if you have a chronic or major nosebleed in the days or weeks after a motor vehicle crash, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Is your nosebleed minor?
You may have had dozens of nosebleeds during your life. Nevertheless, if any of the following are true, your nosebleed may not be a minor problem:
- Your nosebleed happens after a traumatic event, such as a car accident or fall
- Your nosebleed occurs after you bump your head
- Your nosebleed lasts more than 20 minutes
- Your nosebleed causes you to lose an excessive amount of blood
A serious nosebleed may be a symptom of a traumatic brain injury or other potentially life-threatening medical conditions. Likewise, if your blood does not clot effectively, you may be at risk of bleeding to death.
Can you drive safely?
It may be tempting to drive yourself to the emergency room for treatment. Doing so, though, may be a catastrophic mistake. That is, loss of blood may cause you to lose consciousness behind the wheel. Similarly, your nosebleed may distract you from the driving task. Either way, you do not want to make matters worse.
Ultimately, because you may not be able to differentiate between an ordinary nosebleed and a dangerous one, calling 911 for transportation to the hospital may improve your odds of recovering completely.