Car Accident/Heart injury?

[sgates8]

Hello, well to begin with I was involved in a high speed accident. I was driving and saw a vehicle doing at least 50-55 maybe 60 in the distance. I pulled over in an / shape and noticed he had to swerve to miss two vehicles..this is when he went into a line shape - and hit the front left end of my car where his car bounced off mine and ended up on the sidewalk behind me. I was stationary..

My questions is.. I was wearing a seatbelt (over chest only) and right after the impact I noticed chest pain, shock, and a warm sensation through my arms. However I was able to walk..talk..though shocked to the grass..when the ambulance showed up everything looked ok except my heart rate..which was high.

At the hospital I had an x-ray done which looked normal to the doctor and an EKG which was normal except for a high BPM due to shock. Its been about three days since then and feeling better..however strangely there is no bruising from the seatbelt and yet I have some pain up my spine on the back.. and a tight chest feeling occasionally.. i checked my blood pressure this morning and was very slightly in hypertension but otherwise was normal. Could there be an injury to my heart even after they x-rayed it and did an EKG?  I do get shortness of breath sometimes but no other side effects and sleep fine. Could there be something there within the heart? maybe an aneurism?

Really scaring me.. but I hope to see the doctor tomorrow for a check up and maybe an MRI. just to make sure. If anyone has any info on how much force it takes to damage the heart please tell me. I figured it was maybe the seat belt that spread the impact over my body that maybe saved me. Otherwise I have heard of other people developing issues later on in life or sooner after the accident. If blood pressure is normal is that usually a good sign?

Thank you for your time! this drunk driver was jailed and hopefully won't drive again! getting hit stationary at 50-60 was not something i'd like to experience again.

[ireneo]

Please do have it checked thoroughly. A friend of mine was riding a bike, got hit by a car. He went to the hospital that evening, they said he was bruised up but fine. The next morning he was gone. Apparently there was a tear in his aorta that they missed and overnight it opened up and poof, he was gone.  So make sure they check your vessels for any injuries as well as your heart.  I'm so sorry this happened to you.

[curmudgen]

Your heart was traveling at the same speed you were at the time of impact.  Your heart did not have a seat belt and it was free to move about in the thoracic cavity.  At the time of impact it continued forward and hit the inside of the rib cage and then bounced back onto the left lung... as a result your heart may have suffered bruising, blood vessels could be damaged..you may even have some lung damage..many people die from a torn aorta due to the force of a car accident.  Have this checked out....you are suffering from cardiac whip-lash.