Dealing with Summer Injuries to the Face

Dealing with Summer Injuries to the Face

Injuries that occur as a result of sports are very high in the summer months. Whether you are playing baseball, soccer, or even tennis, any sport can put you at risk for injuries to the mouth and facial region. Because the face is one of the most vulnerable areas of the body, it can receive some of the gravest injuries. No matter how careful you are and what precautions you take, injuries happen to the best of us; knowing the types of injuries that can occur and what you should do is key to a positive outcome.

TYPES OF INJURIES

Injuries occur during all types of sports, not just contact sports. Any activity that requires the use of an object, such as a bat or racquet, puts the participants’ faces in danger. This does not mean that you should not participate in any sports; it just means you should exercise caution. There are two types of injuries that you can suffer to the facial region – injuries to the soft tissue and fractures to the face, such as the nose, or cheek/jaw bone.

Soft tissue injuries usually involve some type of laceration to the face. They can occur inside the mouth or anywhere on the face. When the lacerations occur to the facial region, they can cause not only pain, but embarrassment too. When we handle this type of injury, we make sure that not only is the injury cared for, but that the resulting cosmetics are pleasing to the patient as we know how detrimental an injury to the face can be for a person. The key in this type of injury is to get the bleeding under control and to be seen right away to see what type of treatment is necessary to minimize the permanent scars in the area of injury.

Fractures can be very painful as well as debilitating. Depending on the severity of the break and the area that is broken, we may need to perform surgery or stabilize the area with a cast or even wires. The same is true for fractures, as is the case for lacerations; we are very cognizant of the need to care for your cosmetics as we help the area heal, but you need to be seen right away to stabilize the area.

PREVENTING FACIAL INJURIES

We all know that is not entirely possible to prevent every injury. No matter how careful you are or what gear you wear, you could still be at risk for an injury that occurs out of complete accident or as a result of someone else’s carelessness. In order to protect yourself, you can obtain a customized mouth guard for your protection as well as wear a face mask. You should also take care to be aware of your surroundings: never be around someone swinging a bat or racquet; establish safety rules for any sport that you play; and understand the risks of the sport that you are playing.

If you suffer a facial injury, time is of the essence to be seen. The quicker you receive treatment, the less likely the damage will be permanent. We do everything we can to ensure our patient’s a positive outcome from their injury. If you suffer an injury, no matter how minor, it is always a good idea to be seen right away. If you cannot get into our office, at the very least, go to the emergency room where you can have the pain minimized and your injury stabilized until we are able to see you. This will enable you to avoid causing any further damage to the area and to have the area assessed so that we know what we need to do for you right away.

If you suffered a facial or mouth injury, please call us for an appointment today!


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