Automobile accidents are not exactly uncommon on roadways in the Empire State. In fact, between 2012 and 2014, nearly 1,100 New Yorkers died in car accidents. Roughly another 137,000 state residents sought emergency medical care after an automobile crash during that time.
During a car crash, you may expect to sustain a variety of injuries, ranging from whiplash to broken bones. You may not, though, realize that your ears may be in danger during even minor collisions. Still, because your ears are important to your quality of life, you should understand the type of damage your ears may suffer in an automobile accident.
Physical injuries
Your ear is an almost miraculous part of your body. To allow you to hear, your outer ear captures sound waves and sends them to your eardrum. From there, tiny bones and hairs inside your ear change sound waves to electrical impulses that your brain can process. Unfortunately, much of your ear is vulnerable to physical damage during an automobile accident. Not only can foreign objects harm parts of your ear, but the sort of loud sounds common in automobile accidents can also cause hearing loss.
Brain injuries
Your brain controls your ability to process and understand sound signals from your ears. If you sustain an injury to the part of your brain responsible for your hearing, you may hear sounds differently, miss some sounds or lose your ability to hear altogether.
Balance problems
Even if an automobile accident does not harm your ability to hear, damage to the ear during a collision may cause you to experience balance problems. Because the inner ear plays a role in balance, you may have difficulty steadying yourself after a collision. Of course, balance problems often have a variety of consequences, including vision complications, nausea and dizziness.
Because your ears are critical to how you live your life, you must watch for emerging ear injuries after any car accident. Remember, though, symptoms may not appear immediately. As such, if you find yourself in the middle of any type of car accident, you should seek a medical evaluation to ensure your ears have not sustained damage.