Car Accidents Can Cause Heart Problems and Blood Pressure Spikes
While vehicles are safer than ever nowadays, driving is still the most dangerous activity people engage in. A severe car accident can cause blunt force trauma to the chest and heart, leading to problems with blood pressure and heart function that can linger for weeks or months.
From physical injuries and the psychological stress of the event to the medications administered afterward for pain and inflammation, understanding these influences is crucial for managing cardiac care and recovery after a car accident.
Stress Response and Blood Pressure
The psychological stress associated with a car accident can cause temporary spikes in blood pressure. The body's "fight or flight" response releases stress hormones like adrenaline, which increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels, leading to elevated blood pressure. While this response is typically short-term, prolonged stress can contribute to long-term hypertension.
Bruised Heart Muscle
In addition to a spike in stress hormones and blood pressure, the accident may cause a myocardial contusion (i.e., a bruised heart). This occurs when an object impacts the chest but doesn’t penetrate the skin.
In a car accident, the heart can be injured by:
- Seat belt tension
- Airbag deployment
- An object inside or outside of the vehicle slamming into the chest
- A vehicle striking a cyclist or pedestrian in the chest
- Chest compressions (CPR) by a witness or emergency responder
Note that seatbelts are a crucial safety feature and not wearing a seatbelt increases the likelihood of fatal injuries to the brain, spinal cord, and internal organs. Preventing severe injuries reduces the strain on the heart and therefore helps prevent cardiac failure.
What’s the Chance of a Myocardial Contusion?
Anyone can suffer a myocardial contusion under the right circumstances, however, adults who are 65 years and older are at a greater risk of suffering heart failure up to six months after a crash.
Myocardial contusion happens in roughly 1 in 10 people with a sternal fracture. Major blunt trauma to the chest injures the heart in 15% of cases.
The risk of a heart attack or heart failure is an important reason why, if you’re feeling chest pain after an accident, to seek immediate care at the nearest emergency room.
Cardiac Contusion Symptoms
Mild myocardial contusion may only exhibit as rapid heartbeats. If your myocardial contusion is worse, it may feel similar to having a heart attack, and produce one or more of the following symptoms:
- Abnormal heartbeat
- A crunching feeling in your chest
- Fast breathing
- Heart palpitations
- Lightheadedness
- Low blood pressure
- Pain in your ribs
- Scrapes or bruises on your chest
- Shortness of breath
- Upset stomach
Tests to Diagnose a Bruised Heart
Tests for a myocardial contusion may involve chest X-rays, CT scan, echocardiogram, EKG, and heart MRI. A blood test should be ordered to look for the cardiac enzymes troponin I or troponin T, which can indicate a heart muscle injury. The doctors and nurses should also be monitoring your blood pressure for any arrhythmia, strain, or sudden drops.
Complications of a Cardiac Contusion
Heart bruising may not sound like a cause for alarm to some, but any damage or abnormality to its structure can be life-threatening. Lack of timely treatment for an injured heart can lead to:
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Cardiac tamponade (pressure on the heart from too much blood and fluid in the sac around the heart)
- Cardiogenic shock (mild to severe inadequate blood flow to the brain and body)
- Myocardial rupture (the heart's walls, muscles or valves come apart)
- Death without warning
Medications and Their Effects on Blood Pressure
Pain management for other injuries sustained in a car accident often involves medications that can influence blood pressure. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), commonly used for pain relief, can lead to fluid retention and decreased kidney function, potentially increasing blood pressure. Opioids, another class of pain relievers, can cause bradycardia (slow heart rate) and vasodilation, leading to hypotension (low blood pressure).
Impact of Injuries on Blood Pressure
Traumatic injuries can lead to fluctuations in blood pressure. For instance, severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are often associated with early hypotension (low blood pressure), which has been linked to poor outcomes. Guidelines recommend early and aggressive management of hypotension following TBIs to improve patient prognosis.
Conversely, injuries affecting the spinal cord can result in orthostatic hypotension – a condition where blood pressure drops significantly upon standing. This is particularly prevalent in individuals with spinal cord injuries, with studies reporting rates as high as 82% in those with tetraplegia.
Duration of Blood Pressure After Effects
The duration of blood pressure fluctuations post-injury varies based on the severity of the injury, the individual's overall health, and the presence of chronic conditions. In cases of acute pain, blood pressure typically normalizes once the pain is managed or subsides. However, chronic pain can lead to sustained hypertension due to ongoing pain signaling and stress responses.
Stress Reduction Activities That Help Lower Blood Pressure
While blood pressure can reduce in high-stress individuals after learning techniques to control it, reducing stress doesn’t lower blood pressure in everyone. Managing stress still has significant health benefits, including helping the heart heal.
Ways to manage stress include:
- Reducing your schedule: If you’re feeling overloaded by your calendar and to-do list, ask others to do some things. Say no to things you don't want to do.
- Moments of breathing: Taking deep, slow breaths can help you relax.
- Regular exercise: Physical activity eases stress and high blood pressure. Get your healthcare professional's approval before engaging in strenuous activities.
- Meditating in nature: Going outside and being around trees and plants has been shown to improve mood and serenity.
- Getting enough sleep: Too little sleep can make problems seem worse than they are. Sleeping 7-9 hours provides significant health benefits.
- Accepting your feelings: Allow yourself to feel frustrated, grief, and other emotions. Talk to friends or a therapist to help process your trauma and find solutions that bring contentment.
After Treatment for Heart Problems, Talk to an Injury Attorney
Traumatic injuries can cause complex heart problems and blood pressure issues, which in turn can lead to reduced quality of life and missed time from work. If you have been injured in an automobile accident, filing a personal injury claim may be the only way to get the proper help you need.
You may need to take medications for the rest of your life or find yourself unable to work and support your family. You shouldn’t suffer financially due to someone else’s negligence. Get an Atlanta car accident lawyer to negotiate on your behalf and fight for your peace of mind.
Contact the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates right away so we can help you get the medical treatment you need and the financial compensation you deserve for your heart injury and pain.
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