Easy Bruising (Ecchymosis); Symptoms, Causes, Diseases and Treatments

Home remedies

The following remedies may help relieve your symptoms:

1. If you have hurt yourself, apply ice quickly to prevent swelling and stop bleeding. You can apply ice to the affected area to help relieve pain and inflammation. Ice can also prevent tissue damage. Put crushed ice in a plastic bag. It is advisable to cover the ice pack or the bag with a small towel before applying it to the skin. Apply ice for 20 minutes every hour. Forty-eight hours after the trauma, you can put compresses of warm water on the wound to dilate the blood vessels and improve blood circulation. Do this several times a day and 20 minutes each time.
2. To prevent blood from spilling into surrounding tissue, elevate the affected limb as often as possible and for as long as possible. It will also help to drain the blood and prevent bruising. Elevating the affected area helps reduce inflammation and improve circulation. Place the area on cushions to keep it elevated above the level of your heart.
3. Analgesic medications such as ibuprofen can help relieve pain and inflammation and can also be obtained without a prescription. Ask your doctor which medicine is appropriate. Ask how many and how often you should take them and follow the instructions.
4. Avoid bandaging the ecchymosis, bruise or hematoma: This will only serve to increase the local pressure; the blood will then fuse further under the skin.
5. Camouflage the bruise: A little foundation will work wonders to conceal a bruise.
6. Take Vitamin C supplements: If you are prone to ecchymosis, a supplement of vitamin C tablets will promote the manufacture of collagen (a protein that strengthens skin tissue). Doses of 500 mg, three times a day, are indicated.