Whenever someone suffers a serious injury, there's a potential that the injury could get worse if it becomes infected. This can happen to a laceration suffered in a car accident, for example, or to a dog bite. Either way, once the infection sets in, things can become much more serious. There are even situations in which an infection can turn fatal.

So what do you need to know about infections? It's important to understand exactly what signs and symptoms to watch out for to see if your injury is getting worse.

Developing a fever

If you have a fever, especially if it is accompanied by chills, this is a result of your body fighting the infection. People often experience excessive sweating, a high temperature, stiffness and things of this nature. In some cases, people will even end up feeling nauseous and vomiting due to the infection itself.

An increase in pain

It is also important just to monitor your pain levels, which should be decreasing after the injury. If the pain is actually getting worse, then it may mean that an infection is making the injury site more serious than it was initially.

Discharge from the wound

Additionally, an injury may be infected if it has any sort of discharge once it has begun healing. This is especially problematic if this is foul smelling or discolored, such as a liquid that is brown, yellow or green. But even clear or white pus can also be an indication of an infection.

Have you suffered an injury?

If your injury does get infected, your medical bills could increase dramatically. If this happens to you, and it was the result of someone else's negligence, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation through all available legal means.

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