Table of Contents
What does it mean when your bruise turns blue?
increasing pain. an area is affected by a bruise that returns. there is no identifiable cause of the bruising. the bruise does not heal within 2 weeks.
Why does skin turn blue after injury?
A bruise, or contusion, is skin discoloration from a skin or tissue injury. This injury damages blood vessels underneath the skin, causing them to leak. When blood pools under the skin, it causes black, blue, purple, brown, or yellow discoloration. There’s no external bleeding unless the skin breaks open.
What happens to the skin when it’s bruised?
A bruise, also called a contusion (pronounced: kun-TOO-zhen), happens when a part of the body is injured and blood from the damaged capillaries (small blood vessels leaks out. With no place to go, the blood gets trapped under the skin, forming a red or purplish mark that’s tender when you touch it — a bruise.
How do you treat blue black bruises?
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- Rest the bruised area, if possible.
- Ice the bruise with an ice pack wrapped in a towel. Leave it in place for 10 to 20 minutes. Repeat several times a day for a day or two as needed.
- Compress the bruised area if it is swelling, using an elastic bandage. Don’t make it too tight.
- Elevate the injured area.
Do black and blue bruises go away?
Once you’re bruised, you’ll have that telltale black-and-blue mark on your skin for up to 2 weeks. The bruise should change colors as it heals. You may also have some pain and swelling.
Why does a bruise change color?
Within hours a bruise will turn into a dark blue or purple color. As the bruise begins to heal it changes colors. The color change is due to the biochemical breakdown of hemoglobin that is found in the blood. As the different components of the blood are broken down, different colors will appear in the bruise.
Should you rub bruises?
Don’t massage or rub the injury because you can break more blood vessels in the process. Instead, give yourself time for the pain and swelling to subside and apply ice immediately and as needed.
Why do bruises get hard?
A bruise happens when capillaries get damaged due to trauma and the blood seeps into the top layer of your skin, causing discoloration. A hematoma happens when blood pools and clots underneath the skin and forms a swollen lump. Many injuries can develop a hematoma and give the area a firm, lumpy appearance.
Why is my bruise yellow and blue?
Between 5-10 days after the initial trauma your bruise will begin to turn a yellow or green shade. These colors are the result of the compounds biliverdin and bilirubin, which are produced when the body needs to break down hemoglobin (blood).
Is it better to put ice or heat on a bruise?
On the day you get a bruise, apply an ice pack to reduce swelling as well as constrict broken blood vessels. Those vessels then may leak less blood. Avoid heat. In the first two or three days after bruising yourself, a very hot bath or shower could cause more bleeding and swelling.