Facial Injuries and Disorders – Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

The mouth, face, or jaw injuries are all considered facial injuries. These might include minor issues like scrapes and abrasions to more significant problems like fractured teeth and facial bones. The lower or upper jaw, mouth, cheeks, and eye sockets are all possible sites for bone fractures. These injuries frequently happen in car accidents, sports or leisure activities, fights, or attacks.

Also, they occur in work-related duties, home improvement projects, or unintentional falls. Many patients with facial injuries are initially examined in the emergency room before being sent for further care by a plastic surgeon or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Symptoms of Facial Injuries

• Modifications in how the face feels.
• Unbalanced or malformed facial bones.
• Bleeding and swelling make it difficult to breathe via the nose.
• Also, having two distinct visions.
• Absence of teeth.
• Swelling or bruises around the eyes that might impair eyesight.

Causes

Any area of the face can be injured. Thus, there are a variety of potential causes for facial injuries such as:

Minor Grazes and Wounds

Falling down, shaving, bumping into something, and other common events can result in cuts and grazes to the face. Everyday living involves accidental bumps and knocks. But injuries can also be the consequence of intentional injury.

Bruises

Blood that leaks from the tiny blood vessels under the skin causes a bruise. As the blood is stuck, it leaves a purple-red mark on the skin. The bruise will ultimately change color and disappear. Getting hit, bumped, or squeezed frequently results in bruising.

Your blood vessels’ sensitivity determines how readily you bruise. Moreover, a person may bruise more easily if they use blood-thinning medications or have certain medical problems, such as certain blood diseases.

Open Wounds

Even though a cut from a sharp item, like a knife, only looks to be little on the outside, it can nevertheless cause interior harm. If tendons, muscles, or bone are visible after a cut or incision, it considers “deep.” When the edges of a cut cannot be brought back together, the wound becomes gaping.

Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds can have a variety of reasons, but most frequently originate from a shock or blow to the head or face.

Fracture (Broken Bone)

A facial fracture is a fracture of the facial bone. It typically follows trauma (force arises due to an incident, collision, or fall). It might be challenging to determine whether an injury is a fracture, dislocation, sprain, or strain simply by looking at it. Always treat an injury as a fracture if you are unsure. Fracture warning signs might include:

• Discomfort or soreness at the site
• Swelling
• Deformity
• Redness
• Also, bruising
• Loss of function

Bleeding or Cut Tongue

Your tongue is a delicate muscle that can be wounded or scratched by objects like your teeth, utensils, or pieces of food. For instance, you might also hurt your tongue by falling or playing sports. Additionally, biting your tongue might result in swelling or bleeding.

Treatment For Facial Injuries

If the damage hinders normal functioning or results in a significant deformity, the doctor performs surgery. The aim of treatment is to:

• Control bleeding
• Establish a clear airway
• Fix the broken bone fragments and treat the fracture
• Avoid scars if you can
• Also, prevent permanent double vision, sagging cheekbones, or sunken eyes
• Rule out additional injuries

If the patient is stable and does not have a neck fracture, treatment should begin as soon as possible. Cover the wound with an adhesive plaster, bandage, or sterile dressing if it is likely to become dirty. Or if you are going someplace where there may be a lot of dust or dirt in the air.

Change the bandage often until the wound has healed if the plaster or dressing gets moist or your injury flows through it. Furthermore. use salt water to cleanse your mouth after treating a minor cut on your tongue to keep it healthy.

Outlook

With the right care, the majority of individuals thrive. In 6 to 12 months, there can be a requirement for more surgery to address changes in appearance. Minor face injuries or cuts are simple to cure on your own. A major or deep wound or cut, however, will require medical treatment. When driving, everyone should use a seatbelt. When engaging in jobs or activities that might cause facial injuries, use protective headgear.