A Hematoma, bruise or simply bruise is a leakage of blood from an injured blood vessel. This blood then accumulates in the body tissue or in an existing body cavity. Colloquial becomes a bruise also called bruise and violet on the eye.
What is a bruise?
The bruise describes the leakage of blood from the human circulatory system. However, the leaked blood gets into the body tissue or into an existing cavity in the body. In medical terminology, a bruise is called Hematoma designated. It is often visible as a blue-green spot (bruise) on the skin - if it occurs in the area of the joints, they can only be moved to a limited extent or not at all.
The area can be very tender or painful, but there are also painless bruises. Usually, bruises are not dangerous. If such hematomas develop in the brain, i.e. cerebral hemorrhage or other internal hematomas, urgent medical help is necessary.
In people with hemophilia, hematomas can develop from simple injuries. Osteoarthritis can also result from bruising within joints such as ankle, knee and hip.
causes
Bruising is usually caused by external force such as knocks, blows and falls. But hematomas can also occur after an operation. Often times, bruises swell up and can be very painful.
The bruise is usually preceded by an injury. Blows or bumps trigger the characteristic bruises on the skin. Even if they fall, they often arise in the places that the person encountered in the fall. Such a bruise is usually harmless and does not require any further treatment. Bruises, such as those that can occur during exercise, can cause a bruise to spread to a joint.
In this case, the joint becomes immobile and hurts until the clotted blood has been completely broken down by the body. Bruises are normal even after surgery. They mainly arise around the interface and are only a sign that the body has noticed the procedure as an injury.
A bruise that has arisen for no apparent cause should be placed under close observation. If it becomes apparent in the next few days or weeks that such bruises occur more frequently, the suspicion is that a serious illness is the cause. Spontaneous bruising is one of the signs of different types of cancer. If you are being treated with medication, you should read the package insert, because thinner blood can lead to hematomas and is a known side effect of many drugs. In any case, it is worth talking to the treating doctor.
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➔ Drugs for wound treatment and injuriesDiseases with this symptom
- hemophilia
- Torn hamstring
- Willebrand-Juergens Syndrome
- leukemia
- sprain
- Bleeding disorder
- Cruciate ligament tear
- Ligament strain
- Torn ligament
Diagnosis & course
The hematoma diagnosis follows from the symptoms or from an accident. If the symptoms are initially ambiguous (for example, if blood has accumulated in body cavities), the location and size of a hematoma can be determined using ultrasound.
Particularly large or rapidly expanding bruises indicate potentially damaged large blood vessels. Haematomas that develop for no apparent reason may be due to bleeding disorders. A doctor should be consulted in the case of larger bruises in order to rule out bone fractures, joint injuries or infections as the cause.
While a freshly formed hematoma is painful, the pain and swelling will decrease as it progresses. Sometimes bruises press on veins so that muscles and nerve tissue are only insufficiently supplied with blood.
Complications
Bruising is mostly just a cosmetic problem - unless the blood clots in a joint. As soon as it has completely coagulated, the joint can only be moved to a limited extent or not at all, causing pain. Before it can be safely moved again, the clotted blood must be broken down. Since such bruises are usually a joint injury anyway, the joint is immobilized.
Bleeding can be reduced by sticking to the PECH rule in the event of injuries and immediately cooling and elevating the joint. In this way, unnecessarily large bruises can also be avoided in any other part of the body. Another complication with bruising is that it is mistaken for the only injury - while other, deeper injuries are overlooked. Bone fractures, bone fractures and injuries to the internal organs can lead to externally visible bruises.
Larger or very painful bruises in particular must therefore be thoroughly examined; simple palpation is not enough - the patient should also contact the doctor if he has noticed an unusually large, painful bruise himself and has not yet been able to be examined. A very large bruise can cause inflammation as it heals, in which case the doctor would have to surgically remove the clotted blood and clean the wound.
When should you go to the doctor?
A bruise or hematoma is bleeding that does not go out. The hematoma usually occurs when we bump ourselves without falling. The bruise changes color over time and gets smaller and smaller. Even though it can cause severe pain, the bruise is rarely a reason to see a doctor.
However, severe bruises after a traffic accident or threatening falls should always be treated medically. These include, for example, bicycle, scooter accidents and car accidents involving children and adults. There is a risk of internal injuries that can only be ruled out by means of X-ray examinations. If older people fall in the house, a visit to the doctor is also important. With age, the risk of fractures and other injuries increases.
As a precaution, those affected should also see a doctor if they have sports injuries. Cerebral haemorrhages are life-threatening and often require an operation. Should circulatory disorders, restricted mobility or even fever occur after a fall, the doctor must always be consulted. Care should be taken if bruises form for no apparent reason. Sometimes a bleeding disorder is the reason.
More common than hemophilia is the genetically caused Willebrand-Jürgens syndrome, in which blood clotting is delayed by a lack of protein. Some liver diseases also show up with increased bruising. Certain drugs promote the appearance of bruises, such as pain relievers with acetylsalicylic acid and cortisone.
Doctors & therapists in your area
Treatment & Therapy
A bruise caused by injury must be cooled immediately after the injury occurs. The cold causes the blood vessels to constrict and the bruise cannot spread as much. The same applies to injuries to the joints during sports. The faster you cool, the less damage will be. If pain occurs after the bruise, various pain relief ointments can be used to relieve it.
Usually a bruise will heal within two to three weeks. If a bruise is treated with cooling, the pain and its spread are contained. This effect is due to the contraction of the blood vessels in the cold, as less blood can escape.
During the healing process, a bruise changes color more often as the blood is broken down by the body.
Home remedies ↵ for bruising The following color phases should be mentioned:
- Red: small vessels burst, blood enters the tissue
- Dark red to blue: blood coagulates
- Brown to black: breakdown of hemoglobin into bile pigment
- Dark green: Breakdown of hemoglobin into bile pigment
- Yellow to brown: breakdown of hemoglobin into bile pigment
A bruise becomes dangerous if it occurs in the area of the brain or if the person concerned suffers from the hemophilia. In this case, the patient must be immediately admitted to hospital for treatment - otherwise he could bleed to death or suffer serious sequelae.
Outlook & forecast
Bruises usually heal without medical attention. After just three days, the bruise should lose its color and thus regress. In some cases, however, complications could arise that require urgent medical attention.
If severe pain occurs along with a bruise, you should urgently get a professional examination. In such a case, internal bleeding could have occurred. Serious consequential damage can only be avoided with explicit treatment.
Particularly large hematomas should also be assessed by a doctor. It could be that a larger blood vessel is injured. If no treatment is given in such a case, it can lead to shock and high blood loss. Infections can also result from a bruise, which should definitely be treated by a doctor. Otherwise it can lead to severe inflammation, which can only be inhibited by taking antibiotics.
The general rule is: if you discover a bruise, you don't need to worry. A bruise usually heals on its own within a few days. In rare cases, complications can arise that definitely require medical attention.
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➔ Drugs for wound treatment and injuriesprevention
You can prevent a bruise by following simple safety rules in your professional and private life. This is especially true when exercising or in other situations where injuries and bruises can easily occur. If you do get injured, you can at least try to cool to prevent a large bruise.
If you act quickly enough, you may even be able to prevent a visible bruise from developing. Particular care should be taken with hemophiliacs or patients taking blood-thinning medication. If possible, you should avoid situations that could lead to bruising.
Home remedies & herbs for bruising
- A bath with arnica helps with injuries, bruises, bruises and bruises, stimulates the circulation and gives a fresh look. For a full bath you need three tablespoons of arnica essence.
You can do that yourself
Bruising can be avoided by eliminating bothersome accident sites. It is also important to avoid extensive sunbathing, as these thin out the skin. If bruises nevertheless develop, a cooling ice pad is effective and quickly provides relief.
There are also a variety of home remedies and remedies that counteract bruising and accelerate healing. An arnica-hyssop-sage tincture is particularly suitable. 20 grams of arnica must be mixed with a little hyssop and sage with 250 milliliters of high-percentage alcohol. The mixture should be stored for about twelve days. Then take the arnica leaves out of the solution and store them in a bottle. Arnica is extremely effective as a dressing for bruises and at the same time alleviates the pain of existing swellings.
Another blend of herbs is also worth mentioning. It consists of arnica, legwort, St. John's wort and mullein as well as marigold. Ten grams of each herb are required for this. The whole thing must be boiled in hot water for ten minutes. The mass should then cool down.Only then can it be applied to the bruise as a kind of compress. However, users should note that this mass must never be distributed over open wounds.
