A bruise is a very common skin injury caused by small blood vessels rupturing and seeping blood just under the skin's surface. When blood pools close to the skin's surface, it creates a black or blue mark on the skin, and this discoloration is known as a bruise. In most situations, bruises heal quickly on their own with first aid for bruises, but emergency first aid may be required in severe situations. To learn more about how to treat bruises without going to a doctor, continue reading.

What Creates a Bruise?

A contusion, often known as a bruise, is a mark on the skin that results from blood clotting under the surface. They appear as dark, discolored patches on the skin that develop after you get bumped or pinched. You may also get a bruise after falling. When a wound doesn’t tear the skin yet smashes the tiny blood vessels, it results in bruises. The area of the body where the pinch or bump occurred gets a purple or red mark on it. A bruise may occasionally take on a dark blue or dark purple hue, and can also turn pale brown, green, or yellow in color.

A bruise may be caused by a number of things, including the elasticity of the skin's supporting tissues, any underlying medical disorders, drug usage, and taking up to two weeks to heal. Though bruises may happen to everybody, some people are more susceptible than others. If you often get bruises, it is best that you learn the basic first aid for bruises to treat these injuries at home. 

Bruise: Stages of Healing

Fresh blood that is rich in oxygen accumulates beneath the skin, which is why bruises will first appear red after the skin damage. It's possible for the bruise to change color while it heals because blood loses oxygen and changes color after a day or two, and at that time, the bruise might seem black, purple, or blue. 

The bruise will become green or yellow after 5 to 10 days. The reason for this is that the body creates biliverdin and bilirubin as a result of breaking down hemoglobin. The bruise will become yellowish brown in 10 to 14 days. After that, they will take on a light brown hue and will start to fade. It will take around two weeks to complete the healing process. If you don’t like the appearance of the bruise, you can wrap it up lightly with gauge cotton, that won’t harm the healing process.  

First Aid for Bruises

First aid for bruises and cuts is very effective in dealing with mild bruises, so take a look:

1. Ice Therapy

After you get hurt, apply ice to the bruise as soon as possible because your bruise may heal more quickly if you do that. The blood in that location flows more slowly due to the ice pack's frigid temperature, and that could lessen the volume of blood that seeps from ruptured vessels. Avoid directly applying ice on the bruise; instead, wrap the ice in a paper towel or washcloth to protect your skin. After ten minutes or more, remove the ice; if you keep it on too long, it could damage your skin. 

Applying ice to your bruise many times a day is acceptable as long as you take a rest thereafter. Go for a bag of frozen peas if your freezer is empty of ice. To reduce the pain, apply the entire bag of peas to your bruise for ten minutes at a time, exactly like you would with ice.

2. Pain Medication  

If the bruise is big and extremely painful, you can take over-the-counter pain medications to ease your discomfort. Although there is a minor risk of bleeding, especially in older individuals or those already on a blood thinner, NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen can be utilized for this purpose. Pain relievers do a wonderful job as a first aid for bruises and cuts and make you feel better! 

3. Heat Therapy

Heat promotes blood flow, which can aid in the healing of bruises, but you should not use heat therapy immediately after getting the injury. After the bruise has healed for 48 hours, you can apply a warm compress or heating pad to it many times a day. Another option for reducing discomfort and loosening up your muscles is to take a hot bath! 

4. Elevation

Raising the injured section above the level of your heart after an injury is beneficial. This technique takes advantage of gravity to assist minimize the size of your bruise! Blood can collect more readily at the injured location when it is below the level of your heart, which might enlarge the bruise. However, more blood will return to your heart when the injured place is raised above the heart. 

5. Rest

When you are injured, you need to rest otherwise the bruise may worsen. The blood flow to your bruise is slowed down, as a result of rest. While you're sleeping, you might want to rub the hurting place, but that's not a good idea. That can exacerbate the injury, and more blood vessels beneath the skin might rupture, enlarging the damaged area. Wrap the bruised place in gauge cotton and avoid touching it to keep yourself from accidental rubbing! 

6. Compression

Applying pressure on the wounded area is known as compression, and it may lessen any edema brought on by the injury. It's better to wrap the region firmly but not too tightly using an elastic bandage or gauge cotton.

When to Seek a Doctor? 

It might be difficult to determine if a bump, knock, or bruise is more serious than it appears, but extreme pain or swelling might indicate a shattered bone or other serious injuries. A physician should be consulted if there is severe pain, the bruises and swelling go up swiftly, or the injured area is immobile. You should learn how to clean a wound to check the severity and condition of the bruise before you decide to visit a doctor. 

Visit emergency care if your entire body is covered with bruises, and there is also bleeding. If you appear to bruise more readily compared to other individuals, that is also a reason to visit a doctor.  

Final Remarks 

Bruises are not serious injuries usually. Most bruises go away on their own with time and don't need to be treated further. Nonetheless, administering first aid following an injury may be helpful in minimizing pain and swelling in the damaged area. However, if you see a very rapid increase in pain and swelling in the injured area, you should go to the emergency room. 

Contact Medanta for top-level emergency medical care.