Bruise - Symptoms, First Aid, Treatment, Consequences

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Injury

A bruise is a closed injury to soft tissue. Probably not a single person who has not experienced this type of injury. In most cases, bruises do not require treatment and heal on their own. As a rule, with a bruise, there is no violation of the integrity of the tissues, except for the rupture of small vessels (capillaries). But sometimes a bruise can cause significant damage, such as a head injury. In addition, a bruise may accompany other wounds, such as a fracture. In this case, they speak of bruised wounds.

Bruise symptoms

The symptoms of a bruise are known to everyone - it is a sharp pain in the immediate site of injury, swelling and redness. In the case of a slight bruise, the pain subsides after a few minutes, and a hematoma appears at the site of redness, which is popularly called a bruise. Hematoma occurs due to hemorrhage resulting from rupture of small capillaries. The size of the hematoma does not always depend on the strength of the injury. The permeability of the capillaries is important, as well as the place where the injury occurred. In people with increased capillary permeability, minor bruising or even careless touching can cause significant hematoma, while severe bruising may not manifest as external hematoma, while internal bleeding will be quite significant.

Pain after a severe injury is a more persistent symptom. The nature of the pain changes over time, from sharp at first, when exposed to a traumatic factor, to aching afterwards. Pain that persists after a bruise for a long time is an unfavorable symptom and a reason to seek medical help, as it may indicate damage to internal structures (fracture, bruise with hemorrhage of an internal organ, ligament rupture, concussion, etc.). Most often, distant pain after injury is associated with the formation of a hematoma that squeezes the nerve endings, especially when touched or moved by the damaged part of the body.

A symptom of a bruised joint is significant swelling. A symptom of a bruised head is a severe headache. It is necessary to know that if a loss of consciousness occurs during a head injury, even if it is short-term, or the victim cannot remember the moment of the injury, this is a sign of a concussion. In this case, medical intervention is necessary, at least a diagnosis for the presence of an intracranial hematoma.

If there is an injury to the chest, abdomen, or abdomen, the symptoms of the bruise can be quite severe. Signs of damage to internal organs, such as the appearance of blood in the urine, weakening of breathing, increasing pain, clouding of consciousness, in a word, all the increasing rather than decreasing symptoms of bruising, should be a reason for immediate seeking medical help.

Consequences of a bruise

In the overwhelming majority of cases, mild and even severe bruises pass without consequences, or the consequences of a bruise disappear without a trace within two to three weeks. However, there are situations when the consequences of a bruise can be quite serious. First of all, this applies to the already mentioned head bruises. The fact is that the cranium is a closed space, and that hematoma, which in any other place of the body would dissolve over time, without causing significant anxiety, in the skull leads to compression of the vital structures of the brain. In this case, the consequence of the injury may be neurological disorders of varying severity and localization, severe headache, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and even death.

One of the consequences of a bruise, although quite rare, may be the calcification of the hematoma. In this case, a seal remains in the soft tissues, which, when moving, can cause quite significant pain. In some cases, the development of a malignant tumor of these organs can become a long-term consequence of a bruise of the soft tissues of the mammary gland in women or the testicle in men.

A serious consequence of a bruise is a violation of the integrity of a large vessel. In this case, significant hemorrhage and even internal bleeding is possible, the formation of a blood clot is possible, followed by a severe complication - thromboembolism, when a blood clot with the movement of blood enters a vessel of a smaller diameter and blocks it. Thromboembolism can lead to heart attack, stroke, internal organ necrosis, and death.

Also, a significant danger is the consequences of bruises of internal organs, for example, a bruise of the heart, a bruise of the kidneys, liver, spleen. In this case, various damages are possible, violations of their functions, posing a danger to life.

Considering all of the above, bruises, especially serious ones, should not be underestimated.

Help with bruises

Everyone knows how to provide help for bruises, but not everyone knows how to provide help for bruises correctly. First aid for bruising is to examine the damaged area, if it is a limb, then check its functions (flexion-extension, other movements). If there are only symptoms of bruising and not more serious injury, cold should be applied to the injured area. This causes a spasm of the vessels of the microvasculature and helps to stop internal hemorrhage.

It is better not to use painkillers so as not to miss the deterioration of the condition, in case of complications that have joined. However, if you are confident that the bruise has not damaged the internal organs, you can give an anesthetic, with the exception of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). You do not need to use aspirin to treat bruises, as it increases bleeding.

If there is a severe bruise of the head with loss of consciousness, a severe bruise of the lower back, abdomen or chest, in addition to applying a cold compress, the victim must be laid down and an ambulance must be called, or taken to the emergency room on their own, trying to immobilize the bruised place and remain at rest.

It must be remembered that cold is only effective during the first thirty minutes. Then you need help with a bruise, which consists in giving rest to the bruised place. Two days after the injury, gentle heat is required on the damaged area. Applying a warm compress during this period provides blood flow to the site of injury, which accelerates the resorption of the hematoma without the risk of re-bleeding.

Treating bruises

Treatment of bruises is required when a bruise of significant strength has occurred. Injuries to the head, abdomen, lower back and chest require hospitalization in the surgical department, where, after an appropriate diagnosis, a decision is made on further treatment of the injury. In severe cases, the bruise is surgically treated. Access to the damaged area is carried out either endoscopically or openly, ruptures of large vessels, ruptures of parenchymal organs are sutured, and the outflowing blood is removed. Then the wound is drained. In parallel, anti-inflammatory and pain relievers are prescribed.

Treatment of a contusion in the regeneration stage consists in the use of physiotherapy in order to accelerate the resorption of the hematoma and the speedy recovery of damaged tissues.

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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!