Growing up with a pediatrician in the house (thanks Dad) minimized the effects of illness and injury about as much as possible. I remember a specific evening where we went to his office so he could sew up my knee and there were numerous occasions when I was dosed with the appropriate samples of medications brought home from the office after a call from mom (who was a nurse). I wasn't exactly injure prone (never broke a bone of any significance), but there was rarely any real concern about my physical well-being or the best ways to take care of my health. This makes my childhood significantly different from kids I grew up around, much less those who grew up 500 years ago (who I like to write about).
We know that childhood today is significantly different than in days of yore (college added Growing Up in Medieval London, by Barbara Hanawalt, to my collection) and that medicine has made certain advances, but relatively few of our Fantasy characters seem to reflect those differences. Again, here GRRM is an exception, though he has helpfully provided the crippled boy with a gentle giant to portage him about. When I think about the numbers of my friends who have suffered broken arms or legs during the course of their lives, I start to think there should be a fair number more limpers about.
Scars have become more common on our heroes, especially if you like Joe Abercrombie's brand of story, but it's still mostly the "bad guys" who get disfigured. I had a regular at my old restaurant who was missing the fingertips (what do you call the finger segments again?) on his right hand, probably from a workplace accident, but it didn't seem polite to ask. Workplace accidents are hardly uncommon, especially in the trades. Medieval style worlds may not have those factory death-traps that Steampunk worlds should, but do you think farms don't have their hazards? Kids through the ages have always had to learn their limits the hard way.
Professional warriors will bear more than scars as evidence of their trade. In recent reading I came across an article about cauliflower ear and its causes. I knew a bit about this, having been friends with some wrestlers, but when I read the ESPN bit about it (see the notes below) yesterday, it struck me that these are a bit more than cosmetic concerns. In the article, the MMA fighter mentions that she had been removing syringes worth of fluid from the ears, regularly, prior to hers exploding in the fight (there are pictures, so be warned). It seems reasonable to assume that this condition would not be uncommon in professional soldiers and townspeople who enjoy their share of rough-housing.
Illnesses also leave their marks upon the afflicted. Lung infections may permanently decrease someone's endurance. Poxes will leave their scars (for those who survive them). Childhood diseases may affect development. Boils wouldn't be uncommon. Lots of fun diseases leave physical reminders you can inflict upon your characters.
As we've mentioned before, sometimes the intended cures will leave worse marks than the illnesses. Mercury as a cure, really? Poultices were potential sources of infection, depending on what you used (some were actually effective). People still put butter on burns. Some of the syphalis cures are fun to read about as well. You think they'd be deterrent enough.
I've droned on long enough. It's a good start on a lengthy topic. I don't mean to sound gleeful about the suffering of others, but writing for me (as difficult as it can be) is always play. Children are not more careful today than they were 500 years ago, we just have better medicine. Their lives were not safer. You can argue that more of them died as a result, but plenty made it through. Injuries are part of life and caring for them was part of the common lore (even if some was fallacious), leaving us with scars and lost limbs instead of fatalities. I personally have a nice little scar on my arm from brushing against a hot skillet. Give you characters a scar or two. Give your characters a history.
Cauliflower Ear - http://io9.com/what-is-a-cauliflower-ear-1659097505
Graphic info regarding CE - http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/11906630/how-ufc-leslie-smith-recovering-exploded-cauliflower-ear
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