Our body is permeated with a network of blood vessels through which blood flows every second, carrying vital elements. The integrity of these vessels can be broken by external or internal influences. Blood from damaged vessels accumulates in one space and forms a bruise. Small hematomas resolve on their own, but large and painful bruises require medical intervention. What you need to know about hematomas, how they form and in what cases should you see a doctor?
General characteristics
A bruise or hematoma is a limited accumulation of blood that occurs with closed / open injuries. Damage to soft tissue is accompanied by the destruction of blood vessels. In the injured part of the body, a cavity is formed into which liquid or clotted blood flows from damaged vessels.
Hematomas can form in any part of the body – under the skin, mucous membranes, in muscle tissue, the walls of internal organs. Often they resolve on their own, delivering temporary minor discomfort to the victim. But in some cases, doctors are faced with the need to remove a large hematoma that interferes with the work of neighboring organs or tissues.
A bruise can form after an injury of any severity. It all depends not on the strength or number of strokes, but on the fragility of the vascular wall.
Hematomas are classified according to localization, the state of the outflowing blood (fresh, festering, infected, clotted) and the relationship to the lumen of the blood vessel (pulsating or non-pulsating). The formation of a bruise and its subsequent resorption is accompanied by pain, swelling, impaired functionality of injured tissues and fever.
The main distinguishing feature of a hematoma is a shade. The color of damaged skin can vary from purplish red to deep yellow-green. What does this indicate? Initially, the injured area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe skin acquires a purple color. The color is due to red hemoglobin, which literally spills into the subcutaneous fat. After a few hours, the skin turns blue – hemoglobin is destroyed and turns into a blue compound. A few days later, the bruise turns green, due to further transformations of hemoglobin, after which it acquires the final yellow color.
The yellow color is due to the pigment bilirubin. It is excreted from the body along with the remnants of the blood, after which the bruise disappears.
Possible causes of education
The formation of a hematoma always indicates vascular damage. Various injuries, bruises, compression and any other mechanical effect on the body lead to this. A bruise can form due to trauma, blood diseases, inflammatory or infectious pathologies, diseases of the vascular network. Patients of the older age group are at risk. The elderly body is slowly recovering, it ceases to perform its natural protective functions efficiently and more often suffers from diseases.
The causeless appearance of a bruise may indicate serious blood pathologies. To start treatment in a timely manner or prevent complications of the disease, consult a doctor.
preventive measures
Can bruising be avoided? It is impossible to predict the time and place of the injury. People daily face the risk of mechanical damage at home, at work, shopping centers, parks and any surrounding locations. The only possible option is to strengthen the body’s defenses from the inside. Particular attention should be paid to the vessels. If they are too fragile, see a doctor and get corrective therapy.
Preventive measures are especially necessary for older patients and people suffering from cardiovascular pathologies.
How to strengthen the walls of blood vessels? The first step is to change your lifestyle. The functionality of the vascular network depends on our daily routine. Bad habits, poor nutrition, lack of vitamins, sleep and activity thins blood vessels and leads to diseases.
You also need to protect yourself from stress, learn how to recover properly, take contrast showers more often and attend massages (or do it yourself). Do not ignore the basic rules of a healthy lifestyle – they really work.
If the fragility of blood vessels is associated with certain diseases, genetic predisposition or other pathological factors, consult a doctor. He will select the optimal therapeutic course, which, in combination with a healthy lifestyle, will give the desired result.
Features of therapy
In most cases, the injuries are superficial, and the accumulation of blood in the soft tissues is insignificant. In this case, there is no need to consult a doctor, it is enough to wait for the bruise to resolve within a few days. The bruise disappears due to the gradual destruction (lysis) of plasma / blood cells, which form a hematoma.
How quickly does a hematoma resolve? It depends on many factors, but the main role is played by the amount of blood and age. In the body of a child, all recovery processes are much faster than in patients of the older age category. The rate of resorption of the bruise also depends on the condition of the vessels. Pathological fragility of the vascular wall leads to repeated hemorrhage in the same area of the body. Blood cells simply do not have time to collapse and do not give the tissue the opportunity to recover.
If the hematoma does not resolve, but begins to rot, consult a doctor. This indicates the addition of an infection that can adversely affect the general condition of the body.
There are only two options for the treatment of hematoma – conservative and surgical. Conservative therapy involves the provision of first aid and the neutralization of blood accumulation. How to provide first aid? Cold should be applied to the damaged tissue – a container of ice water, a package of frozen vegetables, or a cold spoon. To stimulate the destruction of blood cells, special pharmacy ointments or physiotherapy are used.
Particular attention should be paid to the problem of childhood trauma. Toddlers are overly mobile, which can put themselves in danger.
For example, a head injury is one of the most common childhood diagnoses, supported by hematomas and the so-called “bumps”. What to do if a child is injured? Apply a cold object to the damaged area for 30 minutes. After 10-20 minutes, repeat the manipulations. The dosed use of cold is due to imperfect thermoregulation of children (they can react hard to low temperatures).
Surgical intervention is carried out only with large bruises that compress the surrounding tissue and prevent its normal operation. Also, surgery may be required for symptoms of suppuration. The hematoma is opened and drained – the liquid contents of the wound are removed using medical drainage instruments. As soon as all the contents are removed, the resulting cavity is washed and a sterile dressing is applied.
Hematomas formed in the internal cavities of the body (for example, intracranial) require emergency surgical intervention. The patient is placed in a hospital, the injured part of the body is cut, excess blood is removed and drainage is carried out.
Blood is an ideal breeding ground for pathogens. To avoid infection, the patient is prescribed a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Every person at least once faced with a hematoma. In most cases, a bruise is an absolutely harmless phenomenon that disappears on its own after a few days. Skin hematomas do not indicate internal pathologies, vascular problems or poor immunity, this is just a natural reaction of the body to injury.
Fear should cause only extensive painful, often recurrent and internal hematomas. They are not self-medicating and can be fatal.