Whether you fall from a scaffold or trip on a piece of equipment left out in an unsafe place, there are many ways that you could suffer from an injury on a construction site. One problem that many people could underestimate the severity of is a spinal cord injury.
You may go about your day without noticing the serious signs of this problem until later on. Staying aware of how spinal trauma impacts your life is important.
Stiffness and pain
According to the Mayo Clinic, you may assume that the waves of pain you feel after falling could just be skin deep. However, not all spinal cord injuries are apparent immediately after the accident itself.
As days or weeks pass, you could start to struggle when you try to lift items or move as freely as you could before. An early symptom may be a tingling sensation when you shift where you are looking or move too quickly.
Strange bladder problems
Being able to know when you need to use the bathroom is an important part of your sensory experience. When an accident harms your spinal cord, you could struggle to fully empty your bowels and bladder.
You may not notice how serious this problem is at first, or you may attribute it to another physical problem, such as constipation.
Change in breathing
If you cough more and find yourself struggling to clear your lungs, you may worry about allergies or other seasonal problems. However, a spinal cord injury could leave you with ragged breathing that increasingly frustrates you.
Staying aware of the subtle signs of a spinal cord injury can help you after a fall at work.
