Most work injury discussion is centered around musculoskeletal health conditions, like back, neck, hand, knee, or foot injuries, but not all workplace incidents have to do with muscle tissue and bones. Internal injuries and internal bleeding can occasionally occur from workplace accidents, such as falls or motor vehicle accidents. Internal health issues may also take place in addition to the musculoskeletal ones.
We can treat almost any type of internal injury for the following federal workers, including:
- Postal workers
- Construction workers
- Office workers and clerks
- Jail and prison workers
- TSA employees
- Registered nurses
- Forest service employees
- Compliance officers
We want to hear from you if you’ve had difficulty finding the right solution for your work-related health issues. Contact us today to schedule a consultation, get a second opinion, or learn more about our services.
Common Internal Injuries For Workers and Federal Employees
When people are harmed below the surface of the skin, in the body cavity or abdomen, internal injuries occur. These are the most common types:
- Internal bleeding. When an artery or a vein inside a person is damaged, internal bleeding occurs, whether in the head, chest, or abdomen. Blood may not be leaving the body, but it won’t go properly through the circulatory system and can be fatal if not treated immediately.
- Ruptured spleen. Blood spills from the spleen into the abdominal cavity when it is ruptured in an accident, causing dangerous blood loss. Blood transfusions and surgery may be necessary to remove the spleen in these instances.
- Kidney injury. As the vital organs that filter waste from the blood, an injury to the kidneys can be devastating and dangerous. Blunt force trauma and penetration can both cause damage to the kidneys, causing pain, bleeding, or possible organ failure. Occasionally, surgery is necessary to repair or remove the kidney. Renal failure may take months or even a year to recover from, depending on the severity of the case.
- Liver injury. Liver trauma is one of the most common abdominal injuries because of the liver’s large size and placement in the body. Also known as liver lacerations, these are treated through blood transfusions, monitoring, rest, and occasionally surgery for severe cases.
- Broken ribs. Broken ribs can be both painful and debilitating, and more than three million Americans suffer from them every year. Most broken ribs are treated with pain relievers and rest. They can be caused by any sort of accident, from car accidents to falls, and sideline workers for months, depending on the severity of the injury.
- Abdominal injuries. These affect the “hollow organs” like the stomach, small intestine, colon, ureters, or bladder. Any cut or tear to these organs can cause pain or bleeding that may need to be corrected by surgery.
Workers who sustain internal health issues should seek immediate medical attention. Many often miss work, whether they have physically demanding jobs or not, due to the rest needed in recovery.
Primary Causes
Most cases occur because of one isolated incident, as opposed to overuse and repetitive motion. A significant amount of force is generally needed to damage an organ. Below are the four most common causes of internal damage in the workplace.
- Car accidents. Workers who drive or ride in vehicles during their jobs are always at risk for injury, whether they wear seatbelts or not. These accidents can lead to internal health problems, whether you’re driving a car that collides with another object or if you are a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.
- Falls. Internal health issues can often occur after a person has fallen, either from a great height or even from a slip. Most fall accidents occur to those working in construction but can happen to anyone, even those working in an office setting, where workers might fall down a staircase.
- Blunt force trauma. An umbrella term for an injury caused by an object striking the body, blunt force trauma can result from many situations, such as car accidents or physical assault. Broken ribs, ruptured organs, and general abdominal bleeding are common with blunt force trauma.
- Penetration. When people are penetrated by objects in the torso or abdomen, they will likely have sustained internal injuries. While this is rarer than other causes, penetration incidents are just as, if not more, serious. Car accidents and factory accidents are common causes of penetration injuries.
While the majority of on-the-job internal injuries are sustained by construction workers, industrial workers, and laborers, they can occur to anybody at any time. Victims often sustain many different internal health issues at one time, making them more serious and complicated to deal with. For example, those who suffer from internal bleeding may also have a spleen rupture or kidney damage.
Symptoms and Signs of an Internal Injury
Even if no bleeding is apparent, a large amount of blood can be lost. Damaged organs can have serious complications that may prove fatal. It is vital to recognize the symptoms so you can quickly get the medical help you need.
These are some of the most common signs and symptoms.
- Abdominal pain or tenderness
- Abdominal rigidness or bruising
- Left arm and shoulder pain (spleen injury)
- Blood in the urine
- Cold and clammy skin
- Racing heart/rapid pulse
- Rapid breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
If you notice any combination of these signs, you should seek medical help immediately. Internal injury victims should be transported to emergency rooms or hospitals as soon as they suspect something might be wrong.
Treating Organ Damage
Damages to your organs are not to be taken lightly. They can lead to life-threatening blood loss, as well as organ failure. Time and patience are important in the recovery from internal injuries. Your body may need weeks or months of rest while your organs heal. Some more severe internal injuries may require surgery, either to remove organs with ruptures or repair the damages in the chest or abdomen. Patients need a thoughtful and careful pain management plan throughout the process of recovery. After initial treatment, treatment for chronic pain or other health conditions may be necessary.
Deciding to go back to work after sustaining an internal injury may be difficult. With an organ damage, it is not as easy to determine if you are fully healed and ready to go back to work. Working closely with your doctor will help you make an informed decision of when you can return to your normal tasks at work.
Contact Pain Stop MD
We care for Texas workers and federal employees at Pain Stop MD. Our familiarity with worker injuries, workers’ compensation processes, and the hardships workers go through when they are injured can help you in your situation.
Our full-range clinic can offer you the treatments you need to be pain-free and prevent further injury. From chronic pain to singular accidents, our experience will help us make the right diagnoses, run the right tests, and provide the right treatments. If we’re not able to help you with your problem, we’ll help you find somebody who can.
The pain and stress of getting injured on the job can be overwhelming and scary, but we are here to make all the medical aspects of your injury easier, from figuring out the core of a problem to prescribing proper treatments.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation or learn more about our clinic’s services.