| Healthy people may develop bruises from any injury | | | | sometimes may be diagnosed from a few blood tests |
| that doesn't break through the skin. Vigorous exercise | | | | conducted by a doctor. More often, however, no clear |
| may also cause bruises due to bringing about small | | | | cause for easy bruising is found. |
| tears in blood vessels walls. In a condition known as | | | | Conventional Medical Treatment |
| purpura simplex, there is a tendency to bruise easily | | | | Unless the bruise is especially large or is accompanied |
| due to an increased fragility of the blood vessels. | | | | by broken skin or a raised and swollen area, medical |
| Athletes in all contact sports have many opportunities | | | | attention is rarely necessary. Your doctor also may |
| to get a muscle contusion (bruise). Contusions are | | | | instruct you to elevate the injured area and ice the site |
| second only to strains as a leading cause of sports | | | | for 30 to 45 minutes several times daily for 2 or 3 |
| injuries. Most contusions are minor and heal quickly, | | | | days after the injury. Homeopathy Arnica is excellent |
| without taking the athlete needing to be removed from | | | | for bruising. Take a tablet of 6c strength every hour up |
| the game. But, severe contusions can cause deep | | | | to four times a day, or apply as a cream. You can |
| tissue damage and can lead to complications and/or | | | | also apply a cold compress of diluted mother tincture. If |
| keep the athlete out of sports for months. | | | | the bruising does not disappear quickly, take Ledum 6c |
| Symptoms of bruising vary depending on the cause of | | | | three times a day for four days. (It can also be used |
| the bruising. The bruise may be very small and may | | | | for puncture wounds.) |
| blend in with the texture of the skin, or it may be large, | | | | While most bruises will go away naturally within two |
| swollen, and painful. | | | | weeks of the injury there are few things that you can |
| A bruise can sometimes be associated with a | | | | do to speed up treatment. For pain relief you can take |
| temporary raised area in the skin. When a bruise | | | | aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. For the best |
| fades, it becomes green and brown as the body | | | | results follow the instructions for dosage that are listed |
| metabolizes the blood cells and bilirubin pigment in the | | | | on the label. |
| skin. A bruise is best treated with local application of a | | | | To help relieve pain and swelling you can apply a cold |
| cold pack immediately after injury. | | | | compress (a bag of frozen peas straight from the |
| Bruising is a normal body response to trauma. It is only | | | | freezer works great if you first wrap it in a towel) for |
| when bruising occurs often and from very minor (often | | | | 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Be sure to take a break |
| unnoticed) trauma that a problem may exist. Refer to | | | | form the compress for at least 20 minutes between |
| the capillary fragility article for more information. While | | | | treatments and only apply during the first 48 hours |
| easy bruising is usually not a cause for concern, people | | | | after the injury. When the bruise is at least 48 hours |
| who experience this problem should consult a | | | | old you can help the discoloration fade by applying a |
| physician to rule out more serious conditions that may | | | | warm washcloth or compress to the area. |
| cause bruising. Medical causes of easy bruising | | | | |