A bruise, or contusion or an ecchymosis occurs because of damage to the muscle fibers and connective tissue following an injury. No damage is done to the skin in case of bruises. The rupture of the capillaries present beneath the skin generally causes a bruise. The red or purplish mark that appears on the skin is because of the trapped blood from these ruptured capillaries beneath the skin.
Causes
Bumping and banging mostly result into a bruise.
Time taken for the healing process
The body heals the bruise all by itself. During this healing process the color of the bruise changes from one color to the other. This indicates various stages of healing. One can determine the stage of healing with the help of the color of the bruise.
- Reddish – immediately after the injury due to the accumulation of the blood beneath the skin
- bluish-purple or even blackish- after 1 or 2 days as the hemoglobin in the blood changes
- greenish or yellowish- After 5 to 10 days
- Yellowish-brown or light brown- after 10 or 14 days, it turns
After about 2 weeks the bruise heals completely.
Treatment for a bruise
The following steps can help in speeding up the healing process:
The accumulation of the blood can be reduced by applying ice wrapped in a bag or cloth on the bruise immediately after the damage. The swelling and inflammation is reduced by this.
The same process must be continued for about 2 days.
Even frozen vegetables can be used instead of ice.
One should raise the part which has the bruise above the heart level to slow down slow the flow of the red blood cells to the bruise. This way less blood will get accumulated.
If the bruise does not heal for a long time then it is better to consult a doctor.
