Should I Be Worried If I Have Ringing in My Ears After a Car Crash?

E. Stewart Poisson |  |  Car Accidents
women holding head in pain after being involved in a car crash

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in North Carolina, you may be experiencing a wide variety of physical symptoms as a result. A car crash can cause ringing in the ears and other medical issues that can affect a person shortly after the accident and potentially long into the future.

When should you be worried about ringing in the ears after a car accident? Can a car accident cause tinnitus?

What Causes Tinnitus After Car Accidents?

Tinnitus is a medical condition that causes people to experience noises in one or both ears. Often, people say the noise sounds like a ringing in the ears. The noise is not created by an external force, so other people cannot hear it.

Underlying issues like age-related hearing loss often cause tinnitus. However, the condition can also be triggered by significant injuries sustained after a violent wreck. Whiplash and ear ringing often go hand-in-hand. Common causes of tinnitus after a car accident can include:

  • Whiplash
  • Head Injury
  • Airbag deployment
  • Damage to the eardrum
  • Loud noises
  • Psychological trauma, stress, or anxiety

These are signs that a more serious condition may be causing the tinnitus after a car crash, and you require immediate medical attention.

How Long Does Tinnitus Usually Last?

Tinnitus after a car accident can be a temporary or chronic problem. Some people find tinnitus temporary, and symptoms improve in days or weeks. However, depending on the cause and severity of the problem, tinnitus can be chronic, and constant ringing can last for months or years.

The Importance of Seeking Medical Care After an Accident

Since tinnitus can be a sign of a more significant medical issue like head trauma, concussion, or damage to the eardrum, you must seek medical attention immediately after an accident. Tinnitus symptoms are hard to ignore, which can be a lifesaver when the adrenaline rush following an accident masks other signs of serious injuries like pain.

Underlying causes of tinnitus, like a traumatic brain injury, can be life-threatening when left untreated after a motor vehicle accident.

How Our Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You

At Poisson, Poisson & Bower, PLLC, our North Carolina car accident lawyers can help you get the treatment you need while fighting to protect your legal rights and pursue fair compensation for your car accident-related injuries.

If you have had ringing in the ears after a car accident, contact our office today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney and get a North Carolina legal legacy on your side.

Author: E. Stewart Poisson
E. Stewart Poisson

Stewart Poisson focuses her practice on litigation. Stewart opened the Wilmington office of Poisson, Poisson & Bower, PLLC in 2006. She assists clients in both of the firm’s offices in the fields of Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury and handles all appellate work for the firm. She particularly enjoys helping clients who have been injured in workplace accidents caused by the negligence of a third party. She represents clients in the both the personal injury claim and the workers’ compensation claim and is skilled at maximizing her clients’ recovery in these complicated cases.