Working in any industry comes with certain risks for injury — there’s no way around it. The difference from industry to industry is often the severity of common injuries, how long it takes to recover from them and what lasting effects sufferers could endure. For instance, civilian contractors from Louisiana who work on military installations across the globe could suffer from one or more effects caused by a spinal cord injury.
Many of the body’s processes require input from the spinal cord in order to happen. For instance, the body sweats when too hot and causes goosebumps when too cold in order to help regulate the temperature of the body. In many instances, people with spinal cord injuries lose these crucial abilities below the injury site, which makes it necessary to use means outside the body such as blankets or fans with temperature changes others may not even notice.
The bodily control of blood pressure and heart rate could be compromised in those with a spinal cord injury. The signals from the brain that tell the heart to beat faster or constrict blood vessels in the body to raise the blood pressure just cannot get through. Blood pressure could also drop dangerously low when sitting up after lying down since the blood vessels below the injury site cannot constrict fast enough to prevent it. Other issues such as deep vein thrombosis, autonomic hyperreflexia or spinal shock, among other things, can also occur.
Recovering from a spinal cord injury often includes dealing with these and other secondary issues that arise due to the injury. Civilian contractors could face a long and arduous recovery from this type of injury. Medical costs, lost income and other financial losses create additional stress that a Louisiana patient just does not need. Fortunately, it may be possible to seek compensation through the Defense Base Act. The benefits received often depend on the circumstances, so providing the right information at the right time is essential.
