Black Eyes From Accidents?

Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) can turn your world upside down in an instant, leaving you with more questions than answers. I had a new patient exam the other day that perfectly sums this up. A gentleman ended up with two black eyes following a crazy chain reaction crash. An SUV rear-ended a truck, which slammed into another SUV, which then plowed into his Lyft driver’s SUV, shoving it forward 20+ feet. No direct head trauma, yet he is sporting concussion symptoms and those telltale raccoon eyes. I am Dr. Aaron Workman of Chambers Medical Group, one of the highest rated car accident medical care providers in Kentucky, and I will explain what is happening and why this can occur in rear end collisions.

The Cause?

Black eyes (periorbital ecchymosis), happen when blood pools under the thin skin around your eyes. That skin is delicate, almost like tissue paper, so it does not take much for broken vessels to leave a mark. In an MVA, the forces at play can be brutal, even if your head does not hit a dashboard or airbag. In this case, the sudden jolt from that multi-car pileup could have rattled his head enough to cause tiny blood vessels to burst. Days later, that blood settles under the eyes, turning them black and blue.

What worried this patient initially was that he did not hit his head, but he still has concussion symptoms – dizziness, headaches, that foggy feeling. This points to the severity of force he suffered. A rapid acceleration/deceleration, like what happens when your car gets slammed forward, can whip, not only the neck, but your brain around inside your skull. It is not always about a direct blow, but with enough momentum it can cause the same issue.

The Delayed Timing?

The delay in timing is all about gravity and time. Right after the MVA, your body is going through some stress, the adrenaline’s pumping, and possibly hiding the damage from injury. As things calm down the blood from broken blood vessels migrates eventually finding its way to the eye area giving them that dark appearance. This was the reason for the patient to seek medical care … little visual trauma immediately following the MVA, but those black eyes popped up with a delayed surprise. It is clear the brain has taken a beating when this occurs no matter what you may be feeling.

What To Do?

If this occurs it should not be ignored. Black eyes after an MVA, especially with dizziness or headaches, mean it is time to see a doctor. Imaging like a CT scan can check for serious issues such as fractures or brain bleeds, and a healthcare professional can sort out if it is just bruising or something worse. Ice might help the swelling, but it is not a fix, so get checked out.

Black eyes after an MVA are your body’s way of waving a warning flag. Whether it is busted vessels from the jolt or a sign of a hidden fracture, they are not just cosmetic problems. This patient’s crazy LYFT ride shows how “no-head contact” crashes can leave a mark you may not initially see. So, if you are looking at a bruised face in the mirror post-accident, do not wait, let the doctors at Chambers Medical Group help.

— This article is written by Aaron Workman, DC, one of the members of Chambers Medical Group’s team of car accident chiropractors who offer a variety of treatments and therapies ranging from diagnostic testing to various soft tissue therapies for car accidents and injuries in Kentucky.

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