What are Different Types of Bruise Treatment?

A bruise or contusion forms when blood leaks into tissue underneath the skin following a breakage in a small or tiny blood vessel. In most cases, a bruise results from falling or forcefully bumping into something. Generally, bruise treatment can be administered at home. Most commonly, bruise cures include cold compressions, rest and elevating the bruised body part. In addition heat and pain relievers may also be used to treat a bruise.

Commonly, a cold compress is used as a primary bruise treatment. Cold compressions can help bruises in several ways. For starters, the cold pressure will generally greatly minimize swelling in the area. The compressions may also promote more adequate bruise healing. There is typically no set rule for applying cold compressions to a bruise, except that it should not be done for longer than 15 to 30 minutes in one setting.

Fortunately, a cold compress is one bruise treatment that is easy to come by. If one wishes, he or she can purchase cold packs from a store, however, there are many ways to make cold packs for compressing a bruise at home. For instance, a homemade ice pack can be made by placing several ices cubes inside of a plastic bag. In addition, an individual can simply get a bag of frozen fruits or vegetables from the freezer and apply it to the area. When using a homemade compression, it will be necessary to ensure the cold pack remains frozen.

Rest can also serve as bruise treatment. If a part of the body has been so injured that a bruise results, it will be necessary to rest that area. It will additionally be important to treat the area with great care. Therefore, if an arm is bruised, it will be important not to lift heavy things or do too much with the already sensitive arm. Just as well, a bruise on the leg should also be handled with care and one should avoid overusing the bruised body leg by standing on it for too long.

Furthermore, elevation may be used as bruise treatment. This type of treatment is beneficial for bruises because it prevents the pooling of blood in the bruised portions of tissue. Every type of bruise may benefit from elevation, however, this will be most helpful for larger bruises. In general, the bigger a bruise is, the longer and more frequently the body part should be elevated. Therefore, if a leg or arm is bruised it should be elevated each time a person sits down to rest.

Heat can also be used to treat a bruise. Typically, heat can be applied to a bruise within about two days of the bruise's occurrence. Heat can be useful in restoring normal blood flow to the injured area, which should help the bruise to heal as well as fade away. Some people may also use acetaminophen to treat pain caused by a bruise and an anti-inflammatory to subdue any tissue swelling. In addition, if a bruise fails to heal while using conservative methods, a trip to a doctor is generally necessary to ensure there is no serious tissue damage.