Facial injuries are different types of physical injuries that appear on the face and they can be burns, scars, wounds, fractures of the nose or any other bone of the face as well as bruises or eye injuries. Facial fractures occur in the bones of the face, such as the jaw, nose and eye sockets.
Dr Debraj Shome, Senior Cosmetic Surgeon and Director, The Aesthetic Clinic, said, “Maxillofacial injuries lead to deformity if not treated properly or quickly. They may appear immediately after the accident or even years later. Some of the common maxillofacial injuries are eyelid, orbital, maxillary, mandibular or general facial abnormalities.”
Reason:
Dr. Debraj Shome explained, “The causes can be accidents or injuries while playing certain sports. Contact sports such as rugby and boxing are particularly dangerous, as are car accidents or any other way that can directly damage your face. The most common cause is a car accident on the road. Since people do not wear their seatbelts or respect the general rules of safe driving, even in cases when the car is not damaged, they can get hurt. Due to motion inertia, when the car stops suddenly, they can hit their head against things inside the car, such as a mirror or something else. Following even the simplest rules of safe driving is highly recommended because you never know when it can save you from a serious trauma.”
symptoms:
Facial injuries can cause a variety of symptoms that should not be ignored. Dr. Debraj Shome explains, “Apart from the obvious physical symptoms like cuts, bruises, or swelling, individuals may have difficulty moving their jaw or opening their mouth fully. This restriction can be accompanied by pain and tenderness around the affected area, making it challenging to perform everyday tasks like eating or speaking comfortably. In some cases, facial injuries can also cause vision disturbances due to damage to the area near the eyes.”
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He added, “Moreover, for those who have suffered facial trauma, emotional distress is a common but often overlooked symptom. The impact of an injury on one’s appearance can lead to feelings of self-consciousness and low self-esteem. It is crucial for individuals experiencing these psychological effects to seek support and counseling in addition to medical treatment for their physical symptoms. By addressing both the visible and hidden repercussions of facial trauma, individuals can work towards holistic healing and recovery.”
Why ignoring facial trauma is not a good idea?
The facial trauma itself is not usually a threat to your life but it is associated, almost always, with more complicated diseases. Dr Debraj Shome cautioned, “It can cause disfigurement, in the long term, if you choose to ignore it, and it will surely cause problems with your general well-being and your facial appearance. It’s best to check and treat everything in time before it gets more complicated.”
The diagnosis:
Earlier, the most used way of diagnosis used to be radiography, the usage of X-rays to show the bones. Dr Debraj Shome elaborated, “The bones are generally the ones that get hurt most often, therefore they are checked first. The best way of discovering all the effects of facial traumas is, however, through CT scans – The current gold standard of face trauma detection and cure. The CT scan (Computed Tomography scan) can scan your facial skeleton and make 3 3-dimensional images, exactly showing each fractured bone in detail. ”
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He asserted, “This is a better way of finding out what’s wrong with the face; however, it’s not available in every hospital. It is the most effective one, and in cases where people have suffered multiple injuries, it is needed, but it’s not always done. Another way of diagnosis is also the angiography, which provides images of the insides of the blood vessels; this way of diagnosis is used when there are large bruises on the face, as there could be bleeding somewhere.”
Treating facial traumas:
Dr Debraj Shome informed, “This kind of surgery uses plastic reconstructive surgery techniques that range from techniques of primary closure or dressings to skin grafts, free flaps, or tissue expansion. Reconstructive surgeries also include surgeries to treat unhealed facial fractures, or badly fixed facial fractures and techniques to treat asymmetry on the face, such as post a depressed maxillary or frontal bone fracture.”
Recovery after maxillofacial surgery:
Dr Debraj Shome concluded, “The recovery depends on the trauma and the type of surgery. If the surgery wasn’t such a complicated one, the recovery might be fast. In just a few days, the patients may be as well as before the surgery. However, in more serious surgeries, that take a longer time, the recovery period consists of a separate treatment, rest, and a lot of care of the patient. The most common recovery time is about two weeks. After two weeks, the patients are usually able to go back to work and the other activities they used to do before. It is usually mandatory post maxillary and mandibular and Le Fort fracture repair to not chew hard food and be on a liquid diet for weeks post-trauma surgery.”
