As children, we grow up getting bruises on our knees and elbows, but these are minor injuries that can recover quickly with a mother’s care. Mother’s often know a few tips to help reduce swelling and pain, and make the tears go away, but often when adults encounter more severe bruises they aren’t quite sure how to best treat them.
About Bruises
A bruise is a common injury that is typically a collection of blood under the skin due to impact or trauma to an area of the body. There are several types of bruises that you should know about:
- Extramuscular Bruises – A collection of blood just below the skin, extramuscular bruises are the most common type of bruise and are formed by impact or trauma to an area of the body.
- Intramuscular Bruises – When blood collects inside the muscle due to high impact trauma, it may interfere with muscle functionality and impede your ability to move.
- Intermuscular Bruises – When blood collects between layers of muscle without spreading into the muscle itself.
- Deep Bruises – When a significant amount of blood collects from under the skin and within and around the muscle. These cause severe pain.
Treatment
Treating a bruise is a waiting game. Sometimes it can take anywhere from 10-14 days for a bruise to fully heal. Often, the color of a bruise will disappear before the pain completely goes away. As a rule of thumb, if there is still pain, avoid activating that area of the body as much as possible to prevent prolonging the recovery process. In addition, here are some steps to take to help a bruise recover faster:
Reduce Bruising and Swelling
- Ice the area on and off for the first two days following the injury.
- Rest the injured area, avoiding physical activity where possible.
- Elevate the affected area to mitigate swelling.
- Compress the area using a compression sleeve, or tight clothing. This increases blood flow.
Medication
Traditional medication used to reduce swelling and pain symptoms includes Tylenol and Ibuprofen. These can significantly speed up the recovery process when used early on.
Prevention
If you feel like you bruise easily, there’s a chance that you are deficient in vitamin C. Vitamin C reinforces capillary walls so that they are less likely to leak blood. Consider increasing your vitamin C intake by eating peppers, citrus fruits, or by drinking orange juice. You may also take a vitamin C supplement.
When should I see a doctor?
Sometimes bruises can be a sign of serious health conditions such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, and hemophilia. You should consult your doctor if a bruise doesn’t go away after a week, you feel severe pain and fever, or a bruise at a joint continues to swell. If you have more questions about bruises, call us at 801-724-9840.