Bluesbumps, bruises, bruises or bruiseswhat do all these terms mean?
The most used is the term “blue”. It actually corresponds to a bruise, that is to say a diffuse effusion of blood under the skin coming from the small vessels, which is accompanied by a slight swelling.
hematoma also corresponds to an effusion of blood, but coming from larger vessels. It appears as a colored lesion and produces swelling.
Both bumps and bruises are non-tearing tissue bruising, characterized by swelling – or edema – and sometimes a colored spot.
What are the symptoms ?
Symptoms of bruises, bruises and hematomas are a bluish color and swelling. The blue quickly draws towards violet, then towards yellow and greenish. This evolution of colors is normal, reassures Doctor Pascal Cassan, emergency doctor and national medical adviser to the French Red Cross.
“At the start, the bruises are always blue because the pool of blood coagulates: it loses its oxygen and therefore its red color, he describes. Then, the different colors depend on the progress of the degradation of hemoglobin, the molecule located in the red blood cells that carries oxygen. The different products formed as white blood cells “eat” hemoglobin influence changes in the color of blue”, details the emergency doctor.
Besides color, pain in the impact area are also a symptom of contusion, bruising or hematoma.
The different causes of bruises and bumps
The main cause of bruises and bumps is traumatic: “blow, brutal shock or fall”, Pascal Cassan list.
But there are also non-traumatic causesrelated for example to taking medication. “The elderly on anticoagulants for example will bruise more easily than other people, notes the emergency doctor.
Pathologies of the platelets, these blood cells responsible for its coagulation, can also promote the appearance of bruises for almost benign shocks. It will then be up to the doctor to explore the cause of these frequent bruises or hematomas to diagnose a possible blood disease.
Finally, since the beginning of the vaccination against covid-19, vaccinated people have complained of the appearance of bruises at the injection site of the vaccine. “It is possible and it is linked to an immune reaction that can vary our coagulation”, explains Doctor Cassan. But let the vaccinated be reassured: “these small variations in coagulation are not serious and resolve themselves most of the time”, continues the doctor.
Bruises and bumps: how long do they last?
Bruises and bumps can last Several weeksdepending on the area affected, the impact of the shock causing the trauma and each body’s ability to break down hemoglobin.
A hematoma on the eye, commonly known as a “black eye”, can thus last two to three weeks.
The duration of the hematoma, bruise or contusion is not a warning sign, reassures Dr Cassan.
What treatments to relieve them?
Whether the bruise is located on the face, legs, arms or ankles, a single gesture will limit it: applying ice for 10 to 15 minutes. Ice that must be put in a small plastic bag covered with a cloth so as not to be too aggressive vis-à-vis the skin.
Why is ice effective? Because it “tightens the vessels very quickly”, describes doctor Pascal Cassan. As blue corresponds to an accumulation of blood under the skin, the sooner the ice is applied, the sooner the vessels will be closed. So the faster the bleeding will be stopped, the less the hematoma will be.
If the pain associated with the bruise or the bump is significant, taking painkillers such as paracetamol or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is possible. However, avoid taking aspirin because it thins the blood and prevents clotting.
Natural remedies, true from false
A frequently used remedy for bruises and bumps isarnica. No scientific study has to date been able to demonstrate proof of the effectiveness of arnica against these injuries. But “using an arnica preparation can’t hurt, provided it is used in addition to ice cream and not instead”, says Dr. Cassan.
Other remedies are sometimes used to deflate an edema or make a bruise go away: slices of raw potato, green claya chicken cutlet or even coins to apply to bruises and bruises.
In all these examples, it is actually the cold that acts, analyzes the doctor. Instead, prefer ice, because if the shock is accompanied by a small wound, these remedies can carry germs and be the source of an infection.
What are the risks of complications?
In general, you will have to worry if the area of the bruise or the bump becomes red, hot or painful: “these are signs of an infection“, reveals Doctor Cassan.
Other complications exist, especially if the blow causing the trauma was violent. “If the victim’s attitude is changed, especially if they have trouble concentrating, drowsiness or even loss of consciousness, you have to call the Samu to search for a possible head trauma“, alert the emergency physician.
Then, there is a risk of compression if the trauma concerns soft areas, like the eye and the testicles. Compression of the vascular network of the eye and testicular compression represent a risk of loss of these organs. “The occurrence of a hematoma in these two regions should lead to consultation”, finally advises the emergency doctor.
Sources:
- Interview with Doctor Pascal Cassan, emergency doctor and national medical adviser to the French Red Cross.
- Hematoma and bruise, Vidal.fr, December 29, 2020
- Contusion, Vidal.fr, March 24, 2020
- Domestic accidents: Ecchymosis (“blue”) and skin hematoma, Ameli.fr, January 3, 2021