About Bruises - What are they?
WOW - That Hurt!
You know it the minute it happens. You bump your leg into a bedpost or corner of a table, get kicked during a soccer game, or in a rush, hit yourself with a piece of luggage or some other item. You immediately feel a sharp or dull pain that makes your bones seem to shatter or shimmer. But that is just the start - quickly developing is a nasty bruise that is not only unsightly, but painful too. Fortunately, as anyone who's ever sported a shiner or a large leg bruise knows - bruises aren’t permanent. We’ve all had a bruise or two before, but what exactly is a bruise?
What’s a Bruise
A bruise is an area of skin discoloration that occurs when veins and capillaries break and leak their contents into the soft tissue beneath the skin. Bruises, sometimes called contusions or hematomas, are usually painful and their size and severity depends on how strong the injury was. Falls, sports injuries, accidents, or blows received by other people or objects can cause bruises. The main symptoms are pain, swelling, and skin discoloration.
There are three types of bruises:
- Subcutaneous (beneath the skin)
- Intramuscular (within the underlying muscle)
- Periosteal (bone bruise). *Bone bruises are the most severe and painful.
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Subcutaneous
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Intramuscular
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Periosteal
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Anyone can get a bruise but some people bruise more easily than others. If you take a blood thinner, like aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin), you are more likely to get bruises. If you do not have an adequate layer of body fat, bruises will sometimes appear with the slightest knock. Also, blood vessels tend to become fragile as people get older, which is why elderly people tend to bruise more easily.
Click here to learn how bruises heal.