According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), sports injuries account for one-fifth of all ER visits every year, with teens and young adults comprising about 66 percent of these visits.
If you regularly engage in physical activity, regardless of whether it is in exercise or sports, you are at a greater risk for injuries—even those that may require an ER visit. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should give up living an active lifestyle. All it takes is to know how you can minimize your risk for injuries and what to do or when to seek prompt medical intervention when you sustain one.
In this article, we are going to discuss the symptoms of a sports injury that warrant emergency medical care.
Sports Injury Symptoms that Require an ER Visit
While most sports injuries can be treated by your orthopedic doctor, there are those that lead to an ER visit. The following are red flags that what you have might be a severe sports injury.
1.) Signs of Infection
- Fever
- Chills
- Sweats
- Nausea and vomiting
2.) Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Visibly misshapen limb or joint
- Sudden, persistent, and severe pain
- Inability to walk, bear weight, or use the affected extremity
- Severe swelling or redness
- Tenderness
- Signs of an open fracture (e.g., broken skin with a bone sticking out)
3.) Neurological Symptoms
- Double or blurred vision
- Loss of sensation and/or paralysis
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Seizures
- Dizziness
- Severe headache
4.) Other Signs and Symptoms to Watch Out For
- Slowed, irregular, or rapid heart rate
- Chest pain
- Low or very high blood pressure
- Unresolved bleeding (within 10 to 15 minutes after application of direct pressure)
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest tightness
Sports Medicine Physician in Farmington, MI
If you’re looking to partner with a highly credentialed sports medicine physician in the Farmington area in Michigan, visit us here at TriCounty Orthopedics. Dr. Jack Lennox is highly experienced in both the non-surgical and surgical treatment modalities, and he can equip you with useful information to help you lower your risk of getting sidelined by devastating sports injuries.
If you have a very pressing orthopedic issue, visit your local ER. For follow-up and continuing care with Dr. Lennox, call us today at (248) 474-5575, or request your appointment using this form.
