Accidents: Scarred for Life

It is always bad to get hurt. Not only do we feel pain and need time to heal, taking us away from things we enjoy, but most bad injuries leave some kind of scar. These scars remain, reminding us of the terrible thing we endured, adding psychological pain to the real pain we already experienced.

There are hundreds of products on the market that claim to remove scars or prevent scarring, but none of them have held up to long-term scrutiny. If they did, scars wouldn’t exist. But now, there is hope for a future without scars, and the hope comes from a breakthrough at Stanford.

Scientists have discovered the cellular cause of scarring, and with this information researchers can begin to create treatments that target those cells. Blocking the activity of that cell limited the development of scars, which offers hope for more complete treatments in the future.

Scarring exists everywhere in the human body. Some important, potentially treatable examples include:

• Skin scars (including surgery scars), the most common and visible type, which can cause long-term damage to self-esteem
• Scarring in the lungs, which can cause long-term difficulties breathing
• Scarring in the fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs, making it difficult or even impossible to conceive a child
• Scar tissue that builds up in joints, such as the knee and shoulder, limiting mobility and causing pain

Many of these types of scars are not caused by anything a person does, but by things that are done to them. Car accidents are responsible for terrible scars, as are mistakes by medical professionals including botched surgeries resulting in the buildup of scar tissue. If you or someone you love suffers from scars due to the actions of another, please contact an attorney to help you hold the responsible party to account.