If you get injured, the onset of an infection can make things much worse. For instance, it could be a dog bite that gets infected, or maybe you suffered cuts and lacerations during a car accident. Debris got into the wound and an infection set in over the next week.
If this happens, it’s important to get proper medical treatment. This may go beyond the immediate treatment that you got right after the incident. You need to know when it’s time to go back to the doctor, as some infections could turn into very dangerous and even deadly diseases, such as sepsis. Do not delay.
5 potential signs
Always trust your gut and get medical attention if you believe it is necessary. But to help you decide when that is, here are three potential signs of infection to watch for:
- Redness or red streaks spreading from the injury site.
- Pain and discomfort that gets worse as the days go by.
- The onset of symptoms of sickness, such as chills or a fever.
- Any discharge from the injured area, like pus or other clear fluid.
- Stiffness and difficulty moving the area that was injured. This is most common with extremities.
If you do see these symptoms, you could be in the early stages of an infection. Getting medical care for this issue may be very expensive and you could miss a lot of time at work, so be sure you know how to seek financial compensation if someone else was responsible. This could mean a negligent property owner, a dog owner or just another driver who made an avoidable error and caused an accident.