If you are someone who suffers from summertime allergies, you may not worry much about having a runny nose during June, July or August. Still, if you have had a motor vehicle accident recently, your runny nose may not be a minor inconvenience. In fact, it could be a symptom of something much more serious.
Your brain and spinal column have a waterlike fluid that surrounds them. This fluid, officially called cerebrospinal fluid, helps to remove the potentially toxic waste products your brain and spinal cord produce. It also provides critical support to pieces of your central nervous system.
Can cerebrospinal fluid leak?
To remain healthy, it is important to have a normal supply of cerebrospinal fluid. Unfortunately, though, the membranes that keep your cerebrospinal fluid in place are delicate. According to the Mayo Clinic, head trauma can cause these membranes to break. It is not uncommon to sustain head trauma in a motor vehicle accident, of course.
How do you know you have a cerebrospinal fluid leak?
If a car accident causes your cerebrospinal fluid to leak, your first symptom may be a runny nose. That is, rather than being normal mucus, the discharge from your nose may be cerebrospinal fluid. If you have a potential cerebrospinal fluid leak, you should treat the matter as a medical emergency and seek immediate treatment.
What is the risk to your health?
Besides possibly causing your brain to have inadequate support, a cerebrospinal fluid leak makes you vulnerable to serious brain infections. Furthermore, toxic substances may accumulate in your brain or around your spinal cord, potentially poisoning them.
Ultimately, even though diagnosing and treating a cerebrospinal fluid leak can be expensive, you may be eligible for significant financial compensation to help you receive the care you deserve.
