Abruise, also called acontusion or anecchymosis, is a visiblebluish orpurplish mark orpatch appearing beneath the surface of theskin, resulting from blood thatleaked out of the deeper layers of the tissues.[1] Bruises are usually caused by insult ortrauma (getting hit). Some people may bruise more easily, including with certain medical conditions or high or lowblood pressure. In older people, bruises may also occur without a special reason.[2]
Bruises often causepain but are normally not dangerous. Sometimes bruises can be serious and lead to other more life-threatening forms ofhematoma, or they can be associated with serious injuries such asfractures andinternal bleeding. Minor bruises may be easily recognized, in people with light skin color, by their characteristicblue orpurple appearance (idiomatically described as "black and blue") in the days following theinjury.
Bruises change color over time. That is because the body is fixing the bruise by breaking down andreabsorbing the blood, which makes the bruise to go through many colors before it later disappears. The age of a bruise can be guessed by looking at its color.[1]
Usually, a bruise takes about two weeks to fade away.[1] Some people bruise easily, but others do not. This is because they may have more tough skintissue, certain diseases or conditions, or they take certain kinds of medication.
Also, blood vessels tend to become fragile as people get older, which is why elderly people receive a bruise much more easily.
Applying cold when the bruise is discovered helps make it smaller, because it stops the blood that is flowing to the area. It also keeps the swelling down. It is best to apply ice to the bruise for half an hour to an hour at a time for a day or two after the bruise first appears. However, it is not advisable to place ice right on the skin. Putting some icecubes in a plastic bag and wrapping a towel around the bag is a better idea to stop the bruise from getting worse.[1]
Another way to help heal the bruise is to put the bruised area above the level of the heart. This helps to slow the flow of the blood because more of the blood in the bruise will flow back toward the rest of the body instead of leaking out into the tissues. If this is not done, more blood will flow into the bruise and make it grow.[1]
If the bruise causespain,painkillers, such asNSAIDs may be used against the pain. Certain creams exist to help with bruises. These creams usually combine a substance that helps skin growth with one that acts against the pain. Gentlymassaging the area of the bruise may also help recovery, and stop the pain, according to thegate theory of pain.[3] If the massage is painful, it will not help the healing process. As for most injuries, these techniques should not be applied until at least three days after the initial damage to ensure all internal bleeding has stopped. Increasing blood flow will allow more healing factors into the area and encourage drainage, but if the injury is still bleeding this will also allow more blood to seep out of the wound and cause the bruise to become worse. In most cases, hematomas spontaneously revert. In cases of large hematomas or those localized in certain organs (e.g., thebrain), aphysician may perform a puncture of the hematoma to allow the blood to exit.
Bruises that do not result from the application of force (blunt trauma) may be asymptom for other conditions. People with such bruises often have a problem with their blood.Platelet orcoagulation disorders often lead to the increased bruising. Unexplained bruising may be a warning sign ofchild abuse,domestic abuse, or serious medical problems such asleukemia ormeningoccocal infection. Unexplained bruising can also indicateinternal bleeding or certain types ofcancer.
During anautopsy, bruises accompanyingabrasions indicate the abrasions occurred while the person was alive, as opposed to damage that occurred after death
