As a motorcycle rider, you are aware of the kinds of injuries you could suffer if another vehicle hits you while you ride. The impact might fling you off your bike and against the concrete pavement, causing the hard surface to scrape against your skin. Impacts like these may create an injury known as a road rash.
Road rashes take many different forms. They also vary in their severity. You might walk away from a motorcycle accident with a road rash that does not take long to heal. But this is not always the case.
The variety of road rashes
Medical News Today explains that road rashes, called abrasions by the medical community, produce different symptoms depending on how deep the injury goes. If you suffer a road rash that does not progress further than the top layer of your skin, you might not experience more than just pain and bleeding. The abrasion could be more painful if you suffer damage to multiple nerve endings.
A motorcycle accident may do more than scrape off some of your top skin layer. You might suffer broken bones or damaged tendons, blood vessels or nerves. A road rash could also cause a foreign object to lodge in your wound. Common examples include glass, metal or dirt. These injuries may cause additional health problems and a longer recovery time.
Signs of a dangerous road rash
Because a road rash makes a break in your skin, it is possible for infections like bacteria to enter your body. It is important to treat road rashes as soon as possible for this reason. There are a number of symptoms that may indicate a danger to your health, including:
- Suffering a fever
- A worsening discoloration or swelling near the wound
- Bad odors from the road rash
- Pus draining from the wound
- A warm sensation around the wound
If the wound is not healing after two weeks, it may also indicate a serious problem. Even if you suffer a minor abrasion, keep your medical history in mind. You might be vulnerable to tetanus if you have not received a tetanus shot in the past 10 years. Conditions like cardiovascular problems or diabetes may also cause you problems if you have a skin wound.