Thursday, September 28, 2006
What is a Bruise?
We have all had bruises at one time or another. A bruise can be caused by any trauma (blunt impact) to the skin. Two other medical terms for bruises are contusions and ecchymosis. A bruise is a discoloration of the skin caused by bleeding under the skin. When a body part is struck, the veins and capillaries (the smallest blood vessels) can rupture (break). A bruise is the result of when this rupture occurs but the skin does not break. When you get a bruise, the red blood cells leak out of the broken blood vessels and seep into surrounding tissues.
A good example of a bruise involves fruit. When an orange is damaged, the internal structures that hold the juice can break without tearing the peal. This causes the orange to have a soft spot (a bruise). This is exactly what happens to the human skin when we get a bruise. When you get a bruise, the skin and surrounding tissues quickly become tender (soft), red, and swollen. The broken blood vessels begin to repair themselves; but during this process blood continues to seep into the surrounding tissue.
A bruise changes color in a predictable pattern over time. The color allows you to estimate when the injury happened. Within 24 hours of the occurrence of the bruise, it begins to get darker. After about two days, the blood under the skin begins to be absorbed by the surrounding tissues, causing the bruise to become a dark blue or purple. This is where the phrase, "black and blue," comes from. After about a week it turns a greenish color. Over the course of two weeks, the bruise will become light brown or yellow, and eventually will turn back to its normal skin color.
There is not much treatment involved for bruises. If it swells a lot, it can be reduced by holding an ice pack on it or by raising the bruised area above the heart. Bruises are sometimes painful in affected area, but are not usually dangerous. Sometimes, someone with a very serious bruise can develop hematoma. Hematoma is collection of blood in the body tissues that results from hemorrhaging (internal bleeding). The blood gets hard and travels very slowly around the area until it dissipates. This causes a lot more pain than a normal bruise. On rare occasions, a hematoma might have to be surgically removed, as that they can block normal blood flow. If you get a bruise, don’t worry because it will go away on its own.
A good example of a bruise involves fruit. When an orange is damaged, the internal structures that hold the juice can break without tearing the peal. This causes the orange to have a soft spot (a bruise). This is exactly what happens to the human skin when we get a bruise. When you get a bruise, the skin and surrounding tissues quickly become tender (soft), red, and swollen. The broken blood vessels begin to repair themselves; but during this process blood continues to seep into the surrounding tissue.
A bruise changes color in a predictable pattern over time. The color allows you to estimate when the injury happened. Within 24 hours of the occurrence of the bruise, it begins to get darker. After about two days, the blood under the skin begins to be absorbed by the surrounding tissues, causing the bruise to become a dark blue or purple. This is where the phrase, "black and blue," comes from. After about a week it turns a greenish color. Over the course of two weeks, the bruise will become light brown or yellow, and eventually will turn back to its normal skin color.
There is not much treatment involved for bruises. If it swells a lot, it can be reduced by holding an ice pack on it or by raising the bruised area above the heart. Bruises are sometimes painful in affected area, but are not usually dangerous. Sometimes, someone with a very serious bruise can develop hematoma. Hematoma is collection of blood in the body tissues that results from hemorrhaging (internal bleeding). The blood gets hard and travels very slowly around the area until it dissipates. This causes a lot more pain than a normal bruise. On rare occasions, a hematoma might have to be surgically removed, as that they can block normal blood flow. If you get a bruise, don’t worry because it will go away on its own.
