How can spinal cord injuries affect your everyday life?

You may feel a rush of frustration and confusion in the time after a serious accident at work. When you go to drive your car or pick up an item, a rush of pain could stop you from doing so.

Noticing the ways that spinal cord trauma influences your actions and changes your daily life is important if you are suffering from an injury.

Pain in your chest and lungs

According to the Mayo Clinic, two major symptoms most people with spinal cord injuries experience are dizziness and an inability to balance when they stand or walk. Some may notice that these feelings also lead to shortness of breath or even clear liquid coming from their lungs.

If you notice yourself struggling to breathe clearly then you may need additional medical help. An increase in joint pain can happen if you are overcompensating by using some muscles more than others in the time after an injury.

Bathroom problems

When you need to urinate or defecate in the time after your accident, you may begin to notice a decline in your ability to sense that urgency. Being able to feel how full your bladder is can be hard if you have a spinal cord injury. After a while, you could struggle with urinary tract infections or kidney stones.

Change in muscle tone

When you struggle to walk long distances, you may eventually end up losing some control of your muscles. With increasing underuse, they could tighten up and become more painful than before.

Staying aware of how damaging spinal cord injuries are and how they affect your life can help you after an accident.