Bruises occur when soft tissues of the body suffer impact breaking tiny blood vessels under the skin and causing blood to escape and gather just below the skin. Some bruises can be very painful, while others are hardly noticeable until you actually see them. There are bruise treatments that can help reduce the severity of those painful ones and make them feel better and heal faster.
Bruises respond well to cold treatment, so place ice in a plastic re-closeable bag, wrap in a hand towel and apply to the area. Frozen peas are a good alternative to ice, because the peas move around and the cold can get mold to the body for ultimate cold coverage of the bruise. Wrap them in a towel too so as not to cause freeze damage to the skin.
The application of a cold substance does wonders for a bruise and makes it not as noticeable or as painful. It reduces the likelihood of swelling for the whole area that was impacted. It also reduces blood from escaping from the damaged capillaries so the bruise will not be as dark or as large as it would be without it.
If the bruise occurs in the lower extremities such as the leg or foot, it is good to get the extremity elevated for at least 12 to 24 hours after the injury. This will stop the blood from escaping the broken blood vessels, and the bruise will not be as bad. You can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen if you have a great deal of pain, but never take aspirin because it will slow down the clotting process, and the bruise may become worse than it otherwise would.
There is a recommended continuing treatment for a bruise after the first 48 hours. Take a wash cloth or hand towel and soak it in warm water. Wring it out and apply it to the bruise for 10 minute intervals about three times during the day. This will cause the blood to be absorbed back into the body instead of pooling under the skin, and it may help cause the discoloration to fade. This works in some cases but not in all.
Go to the pharmacy or look on online for bruise treatments. You will be able to find certain substances that will cause the discoloration to fade faster. Those substances are usually some type of combination of Vitamin K and Vitamin A because they spur on healing within the body. You can also get Arnica that can be found in several forms but the most commonly in gel. You can apply this to the bruise about 4 times a day and it will be help accelerate the fading of the bruise.
Comfrey is an herb that has been used for bruises since physicians could record treatments. It can be grown in your own garden, or you can find the dried version of the leaves in a place that sells medicinal herbs. Comfrey will stop some pain associated with the bruise, and it will also help reduce discoloration. Comfrey leaves are very large, so when you get the dried herb it will look like herbs you get to cook with. Do not use it in food because it is thought to cause cancer when taken internally; yet it is safe to use topically. Use a tablespoon in a saucepan. Pour in one cup of boiling water and cover the pan, leaving it to steep for around 15 minutes. When cooled dab the infusion on the bruise with cotton balls, and let it dry naturally. If you get a leaf from the garden, take a mull and crush it. Make sure it stays in leaf form then add the boiling water, and let it steep, and then apply the infusion and wrap the leaf on the skin with a bandage for two or three hours.
As your bruise goes through the healing process, it will turn several different colors. At first it is purple then it will get a greenish tinge, and when it is about ready to fully heal, it will turn yellow. There really is no absolute cure for existing bruises; you just have to wait until they go through the natural healing process. Some of the things discussed above can help them to heal much faster than normal. If the bruise sticks around longer than two to three weeks, it is probably a good idea to consult a doctor. This long lasting bruise may indicate a nutritional deficiency within the body concerned with clotting. Rather than simply trying to treat existing bruises, it makes more sense to follow the all natural Bruises Be Banned daily supplement program that has helped people all over the world prevent bruising from occurring in the first place.
Jan Doan, the “Doctor of Bruiseology” is recognized as the one writer to have authored a complete reference book on bruising, teaching people why they bruise, and how they may avoid bruising. You can obtain for yourself Part I of the new Desktop Reference Book on bruising causes free and learn the best way to get beyond the nightmares of easy bruising and how to prevent bruising