When you drive or ride in a car, boat, or even a golf cart, you have some chance of suffering a serious injury in a motor vehicle accident. While virtually any type of injury is possible, broken bones, whiplash, lacerations, and traumatic brain injuries are common.
With the right medical care, you may eventually recover fully from your injury. Still, according to a recent study, older individuals often take longer to recover than their younger friends and relatives.
Deterioration of the immune system
While you probably know your immune system helps to fight disease, you may not recognize the vital role it plays in recovering from a physical injury. That is, if you have a healthy immune system, you are likely to have a shorter recovery period.
Nevertheless, as individuals age, their immune systems tend to degrade naturally. Even if you feel well and are rarely sick, your immune system is probably not as good as it once was. Of course, if you have certain age-related medical conditions, such as heart disease, dementia, or diabetes, you may face a long road to recovery after suffering an injury.
Reduction of skin elasticity
As you age, you may naturally experience a reduction in both skin elasticity and collagen production. Still, elasticity and collagen are essential for restoring skin to its pre-injury state. If you have reduced skin elasticity, your wounds may be slow to heal.
Even if they ultimately heal completely, wounds may leave behind sensitive scar tissue due to a lack of skin elasticity. Therefore, if a motor vehicle accident leaves you with lacerations or deep cuts, your skin and muscular tissue may never be the same again.