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Bruising When are bruises dangerous?
Hematomas may indicate serious illness
Everyone knows blue spots. Whether during sports, at home or garden work - a strong push against elbows, shins or knees and a short time later, a thick red-blue spot on the affected area of the body. Most bruising (hematoma) is harmless. However, in some cases, a serious injury or illness may be behind the skin discoloration.
contents
- Hematomas may indicate serious illness
- Hematomas are usually harmless
- First aid in case of bruising: cool carefully and store high
- Blue spot: Causes and severity
- Bruises as a result of serious injury and illness
- Disorders of blood clotting
- For pain and circulatory problems necessarily to the doctor
- Not always bruising on internal bleeding
- Medications can promote hematomas
- Women are more affected than men
- Treatment of bruising
- Home remedies for bruises
- Natural help through homeopathy
Hematomas are usually harmless
Children are constantly bruised. Almost from every playground visit they bring a small red and blue souvenir on their skin. Older people have bruising more often because the skin is poorly padded due to age and the vessels burst faster. However, in addition to skin discoloration, swelling and mild pain in the affected area more or more severe symptoms, a doctor should be consulted.
When are bruises dangerous? Picture: thongsee - fotolia First aid in case of bruising: cool carefully and store high
Those affected should act as quickly as possible, explains Professor Reiner Hartenstein of the professional association of German internists to the news agency "dpa".
"First aid for bumps after bumping is done according to the PECH rule: break - ice - compression - high-altitude storage." Anyone who cools the affected area quickly, can usually prevent blood leakage into the tissue and thus a swelling or at least curb.
Important: Make sure that ice is never placed directly on the skin, but a thin cloth is always placed between them. Otherwise, it can cause colds and skin damage.
Blue spot: Causes and severity
Mostly, a bump, fall, stroke, cut, stab, bruise, or bone fracture is the cause of a hematoma. The skin turns red, because one or more blood vessels in the tissue are injured. The blood can then either run into the subcutaneous tissue or accumulate in a body cavity such as the joint.
Often a fall is the cause of bruises. (Image: M.Dörr & M.Frommherz / fotolia.com) When the blood clots, the color of the hematoma changes to dark blue. In the further course, the spot can become even darker and yellow-green. He usually disappears after two weeks.
"A hematoma can be different in depth and can also be associated with an external injury such as a skin tear," says Professor Thomas Hilberg of the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention to the news agency. Depending on the depth of the injury, bruises sometimes appear only a short time after the impact.
"It generally takes two to three weeks for the blood cells to break down. The color changes show the stages of this degradation process, "explains Professor Reiner Hartenstein. Depending on the depth of the injury, a hematoma is less noticeable on the skin surface.
The pain can vary in intensity. "They are triggered by volume changes: The injured tissue and its immediate environment swells and presses on the adjacent tendon, a muscle or a periosteum and on their pain receptors," said the expert.
Bruises as a result of serious injury and illness
After severe falls or bumps, hematomas may appear as a result of bone fractures (fractures) or torn ligaments (ruptures). In both cases, sufferers usually experience severe pain and restricted mobility. Typically, the affected body part swells strongly.
Important: If a fracture or rupture is suspected, medical advice should always be sought and medical treatment should be provided. Otherwise, the risk of complications and injuries increases.
Disorders of blood clotting
If bruises occur again and again for no apparent reason, you should also seek medical attention as to whether a serious condition is the cause of the hematoma.
"These are rare diseases of the vascular system, but more often disorders of the coagulation system," said Hilberg. In this case, platelets or the plasmatic coagulation, which is responsible for the cohesion of platelets, may be affected.
In the case of bleeding disorder (haemophilia) occurs a disturbed blood clotting, which means that the blood does not or only very slowly clotted. So-called "bleeders" bleed from a wound much longer than healthy people. In addition, spontaneous bleeding can occur without apparent cause.
Patients with hemophilia often have bruises for no apparent cause and are prone to nosebleeds. (Image: Gina Sanders / fotolia.com) For smaller cuts, tears and abrasions this is usually not a problem because the crusting by the healthy platelets continues to work. However, the crust can burst due to the delayed blood clotting over and over again. People with hemophilia also have an increased risk of internal bleeding.
The most common congenital disorder with increased tendency to bleed, the Willebrand-Jürgens syndrome, is also associated with a disruption of blood clotting. This is due to a missing protein. Many patients easily get hematomas and bleeding. According to Hilberg, every 100th to 1000th German is affected by the disease.
Furthermore, there are numerous diseases, for example, the liver or the hematopoietic system in which hematomas can occur.
For pain and circulatory problems necessarily to the doctor
"Especially if I notice many bruises for me, for which I have no explanation, I should perhaps clarify the doctor," recommends Petra Rudnick, general practitioner at the Techniker Krankenkasse, in an interview with the news agency.
This is especially true for hematomas that are associated with symptoms such as severe swelling and pain, circulatory weakness or impaired body functions. Patients should be consulted here in any case medical advice.
Not always bruising on internal bleeding
Special care should be taken if symptoms of the abdomen, chest or head occur. The hematomas are not always visible here, as it can lead to hemorrhages inside the body, which can be life-threatening. "In internal injuries, the symptoms often vary greatly, depending on which part of the body is affected," says the GP.
If it comes to abdominal bleeding, for example, abdominal pain and circulatory problems may occur, which in some cases can be fatal. Headache and neurological disorders such as paralysis or clouding of consciousness, which could also lead to the death of the person affected, would occur in cerebral hemorrhage.
Medications can promote hematomas
Certain drugs in medicines can promote the appearance of bruises. These include, for example, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or coumarin derivatives, which act on blood clotting. For example, ASA, a common ingredient in many painkillers, can affect platelet function for several days. Cortisone can cause hematomas by breaking down the skin's structure.
Women are more affected than men
How strongly a bruise emerges depends on the intensity and the depth of the injury, as well as on the person affected. "That's because the tissue structure as well as the flow and coagulation properties of the blood are individually different," explains Hartenstein. "It is said that women are more prone to hematomas than men because of their special fat and connective tissue," explains Hilberg.
Treatment of bruising
For the treatment of a hematoma come after first aid various options into consideration. "In addition, analgesic ointments can relieve the pain in the further course and anti-inflammatory ointments inhibit the inflammation.
Home remedies for bruises
In natural medicine, arnica (Arnica montana) is used as an alternative or in addition to conventional analgesic agents. The medicinal plant has analgesic and anti-inflammatory and can bring in the form of ointments or tinctures quickly alleviate the symptoms. Furthermore, in naturopathic medicine from medicinal plants such as witch hazel and calendula ointments are used.
Arnica is a proven medicinal plant for the natural treatment of bruises. (Image: Werner Fellner / fotolia.com) Tea tree oil is an ancient remedy of the Australian aborigines and can be a good help for infectious diseases and injuries. The oil supports the healing of inflammation and promotes cell renewal. After cooling, apply a few drops of pure Tea Tree Oil to the affected area and gently rub in to treat a bruise.
In hematomas, so-called "acetic acid clay" has proven itself many times over. It is an aluminum acetate tartrate solution mixed with sodium aluminate, acetic and tartaric acid.
The agent has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and cooling. Therefore, it is used among other things in insect bites, strains, bruises and as a home remedy for sunburn. The drug is used in various forms and is e.g. Available as a ready-made solution, ointment or compress in the pharmacy.
Instructions Acetic Alumina Wrap
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Natural help through homeopathy
Various homeopathic remedies can aid the natural healing process. Arnica (D6) comes into question. This aids in the removal and tissue fluid and leaked blood, thereby helping to limit the swelling and severity of the bruise.
Hypericum (St. John's wort) is considered to be an important first aid remedy for injuries of nerve-tissue. It has a pain-relieving and healing effect and can therefore be a good help, for example, for nerve inflammation or toothache as a result of injury. (ag, no, last updated on 20.10.2016)