Contents
General description of the disease
This is liquid or clotted blood inside the human body, accumulated due to rupture of blood vessels.
Reasons for the appearance of hematomas
Basically, hematomas form due to internal bleeding, which opens due to a blow, bruise, pinching, crushing, or any other injury.
Hematomas can develop due to certain diseases (for example, Mallory-Weiss syndrome, hemophilia, thrombocytopenia, liver cirrhosis, lupus).
The development of hematomas can also be triggered by taking medications (such as anticoagulants and aspirin).
In addition, hematomas can occur due to sepsis, starvation and due to a lack of folic acid, vitamins B12, C and K.
Severity and general symptoms of hematoma
In terms of severity, hematoma can be mild, moderate and severe.
- 1 With a mild degree, a hematoma forms within 24 hours after injury. At the site of injury, pain is insignificant and weak, there are no disruptions in the functioning of the limbs, almost always goes away on its own.
- 2 With an average severity of the course, the hematoma occurs 3-5 hours after the injury. A noticeable swelling appears in the affected area, the movement of the limb is partially constrained. Before choosing a treatment method, it is better to seek the advice of a traumatologist.
- 3 In severe cases, the hematoma begins to form in the first 2 hours after injury. In the place of injury, severe pain is felt, the functioning of the limb is limited, during examination, a swelling of a diffuse type is visible. An urgent need to contact a traumatologist to decide whether surgery is necessary.
Common signs of hematoma
With a hematoma located under the skin, in all cases the appearance of a dense, outlined, painful swelling is observed. At the first stages of the formation of a hematoma, the skin, in the area of damage, acquires a reddish tint, which later becomes purple-cyanotic. After 3 days, the skin at the site of the hematoma becomes yellowish, and after 4-5 days it begins to “turn green”. This color change occurs due to the breakdown of hemoglobin. At this time, the hematoma can “go down” down.
In a normal course (without any complications), the hematoma resolves by itself. But it may be different. In severe cases, a cavity begins to form, consisting of baked blood. This limited cavity may not come off for a long time, interfering with normal, habitual movements and can lead to disruptions in the work of a nearby organ.
Also, infection or suppuration of soft tissues may occur. These processes can occur in both old and fresh hematoma.
With a hematoma located in the thickness of muscle tissue, the symptoms are the same as with a subcutaneous hematoma. But there are some differences. When deep, large muscles are damaged, the swelling is felt more difficult, there is no clear local edema, but there is a strong increase in the volume of the limb.
Types of hematomas
Hematomas are divided into several groups.
Depending on the location there may be submucosal, subcutaneous, intermuscular, subfascial hematomas. They can also be located in the brain and in the thickness of the walls of internal organs.
Depending on whether you what is her relation to the vessel: Hematomas can be pulsating and non-pulsating.
Depending on the state of the blood at the site of injury: non-clotted (fresh hematomas), clotted, festering hematomas and infected.
Depending on the clinical manifestations hematomas are encapsulated, diffuse, limited.
A separate classification includes intracranial hematomas and hematomas during pregnancy (retrochial).
Intracranial hematomas: classification, symptoms and causes of development
Depending on the location of the hematomas within the skull, they can be epidural, intracerebral, intraventricular and subdural.
Let’s consider each of them.
Epidural hematomas located between the skull and the dura mater of the brain, are formed due to ruptures of small vessels and veins or due to damage to the middle meningeal artery. In most cases, they are combined with small cracks, depressed fractures of the skull bones and are formed in the temporal or parietal region.
This type of intracranial hematoma develops rapidly, but there is a light interval (from several hours to 24 hours). The victim suffers from severe headaches, drowsiness and confusion. If there is no necessary treatment, then the patient may fall into a coma. In rare cases, the patient remains conscious. From the side of the injury, the victim has a dilated pupil (it is several times larger than the pupil on the healthy side). With a sharp progressive development of hematoma, seizures of epilepsy may begin and paralysis may develop.
If an epidural hematoma is combined with a fracture of the bone in the temporal or parietal region, bleeding into soft tissues may begin. In this case, the patient develops swelling in the forehead, temple, crown and the temporal fossa is smoothed out.
As for children, their course of the disease is somewhat different. Children lose consciousness much less often during trauma. The edema develops very quickly, which is why the light gap is imperceptible. If after the impact the child has lost consciousness, then again it is lost even before the accumulation of large volumes of blood in the epidural space.
Subdural hematomas pose a great danger to life, death due to such injuries occurs in 65-70% of all victims.
They take 3 forms.
- Acute form: the light interval is very small (lasts at least several hours, maximum – a day).
- Subacute course – the first signs of hematoma appear after 3-4 days.
- The chronic form is a very long light interval (it can be observed for 14 days or even several months).
A subdural hematoma is caused by a rupture of a vein or artery at the site of injury.
The manifestations can be very different. It all depends on the age, location and severity of the injury. In small children, the head grows in size. Young people have severe headaches, which occur on an increase. After some time, the victims feel sick, vomiting and convulsions, epileptic seizures may occur. The pupil, from the side of damage, does not always increase. For patients in old age, a subacute form of the course is characteristic.
Also, with subdural hematomas, meningeal symptoms are observed. Signs of irritation of the membranes of the brain are paresis, paralysis. Respiratory and swallowing function may be impaired, paralysis of the tongue may occur. This means that the brain stem has been compressed.
Intracerebral hematoma occurs rarely, only in very severe traumatic brain injuries. The development of a hematoma occurs very quickly, the light gap is either absent or very short. The patient develops hemiplegia (complete immobility of both limbs on the right or left side) or hemiparesis (partial or mild real estate of the limbs on one side), sometimes there may be a convulsive syndrome or extrapyramidal symptoms may occur (tremor, slow motion, muscle tension and stiffness, drooling, face in the form of a “mask”, difficulty in movements, turns).
Intraventricular hematomas, like intracerebral hematomas, are extremely rare and occur in combination with severe head trauma. Due to the serious condition of the patient, it is very difficult to carry out all laboratory diagnostics, and the prognosis for the victim is always unfavorable: there is a disturbance of consciousness, a sharp increase in blood pressure and body temperature, the respiratory rhythm is disturbed and the number of heart contractions decreases.
Hematomas during pregnancy
Retrochiral hematoma – a blood clot in the uterus, which appears due to vascular damage. It is very dangerous, it can provoke a miscarriage. A large hematoma is essentially a detachment of the ovum. If the affected area is equal to or greater than 40%, then the probability of miscarriage becomes very high. If the hematoma is small, then with proper treatment, it does not in any way affect the nutrition and development of the fetus.
Reasons for the development of hematoma during pregnancy can be very different: hormonal failure, excessive physical activity, stress, chronic inflammatory processes, heredity.
Symptoms of a retrochiral hematoma: bloody or brownish vaginal discharge, pulling type pain in the lower abdomen. If the discharge intensifies and the color becomes brighter, then the hematoma increases in size.
Useful products for hematoma
In order to prevent the development and compaction of hematoma, it is necessary to ensure that nutrients enter the patient’s body (especially for vitamins K, C, B12 and folic acid). A lack of these can lead to bleeding problems, which can cause subsequent bleeding. This will aggravate the situation – a new blood flow will arrive at the hematoma, due to which a new clot will subsequently form.
To replenish all the nutrients in the victim’s diet, it is required to include vegetables, whole grains, fruits and berries, dairy products, legumes, fish (it is better to eat river rather than fatty sea fish), meat (preferably homemade and preferably poultry).
Traditional medicine for hematoma
No one is insured against injuries, pinches, injuries and bruises, so if this happens, first aid should be provided. These methods will help relieve pain, prevent swelling and immobilization of the limbs.
First of all, it is necessary to apply ice to the damaged area or apply a cold compress for 15-20 minutes. You need to repeat the procedure three times a day. Ice will help relieve swelling and pain.
For the first two days after injury, it is strictly forbidden to take hot baths, put hot compresses, visit the sauna and bath, drink alcoholic beverages. All this can catch up with swelling.
On the 5-6th day after injury, warm compresses can be put in place of the hematoma to restore flexibility. This is only allowed if the inflammation has passed! If not, then such compresses and any massage movements are strictly prohibited.
Also, to relieve swelling, you can put a bandage on the injured area or rewind it with an elastic bandage. They cannot be used for more than 48 hours. In addition, if there is numbness, tingling, increased pain and swelling, the bandage should be loosened.
The damaged area must be kept higher than the heart line (this will help to make the outflow of blood, thereby preventing the appearance of more swelling).
Smokers, at least for the duration of treatment, need to give up this addiction. Smoking reduces blood flow and delays the repair of ruptured cells and blood vessels, which in turn slows down the healing of the hematoma.
In addition to these recommendations, you can and should use the methods of traditional medicine.
In traditional medicine, almost all recipes are applied externally. Basically, hematomas are treated with compresses, lotions and applications.
- Arnica, witch hazel, fresh cabbage leaves, gruel from chopped onions or potatoes, bean puree can be applied to the hematoma.
- For small hematomas, you need to make a compress of vodka (gauze cloth is soaked with vodka, attached to the hematoma, wrapped in polyethylene and left overnight). Also, you can make a compress from vodka and vinegar (take half a glass of vodka and the same amount of vinegar, add 0,5 liters of chilled boiled water, soak a simple cloth with the resulting solution and attach it to the injured area).
- Every day you need to make applications of gruel made from black radish juice and mustard powder. With this mixture, you need to spread the hematoma and keep it until you have enough patience. This gruel warms up the hematoma well, helping to provide movement to the patient and remove immobility.
- With hematomas, a compress of salt effectively helps. To prepare it, you need to stir 2 tablespoons in 100 milliliters of warm water, soak a cloth made of a simple material with this saline solution, attach it to the hematoma and rewind it with an elastic bandage from above.
- In case of dislocations and old hematomas, clay applications help well. And it doesn’t matter what color it will be and where you get it. The applique is done in layers. First of all, the damaged area is covered with a piece of cellophane, then clay is applied to it. The top of the clay is wrapped in a cotton cloth. You need to keep this compress for at least 2 hours. Clay can be reused, just rinse it out before using it again.
- To relieve pain and speedy resorption of the hematoma, it must be lubricated with an ointment made from wormwood, honey and castor oil (wormwood must be rubbed beforehand). The resulting ointment should be spread over the hematoma and washed off 15 minutes after application. The ointment should be applied 2 times a day until the hematoma has passed.
- There is a folk remedy that uses its own urine. To do this, you will need to collect the average urine (meaning first pee a little, then start collecting urine). Soak a simple tissue in the collected urine and apply to the sore spot, put a plastic bag on top and rewind it with a warm scarf. This compress should be left overnight. During the day, you can use the other methods described above.
With hematomas, you can take inside decoctions of burdock, calendula, oak bark, plantain, St. John’s wort, chamomile. These herbs will help reduce inflammation and kill infection.
Important! Throughout the entire time after injury, it is necessary to monitor the formed hematoma (for its size, color, for swelling). It is imperative that you consult a traumatologist if: 4 weeks have passed and the hematoma has not yet resolved, if the inflammation does not go away and signs of infection appear, if any new symptoms have been added or the previous signs are intensifying.
Dangerous and harmful products with hematoma
- fish fat;
- margarine and pastry cream;
- ginger, garlic;
- foods containing vitamin E (almonds, pistachios, cashews, rose hips, sea buckthorn, seafood, spinach, prunes and dried apricots, sorrel, barley);
- fast food, instant food, semi-finished products, food additives (dyes, enhancers of taste and smell);
- alcohol and sugary drinks, energy drinks.
All of these foods affect the composition of the blood and can increase the formation of bruises. You should also refuse to take food supplements and dietary supplements that contain vitamin E, fish oil, garlic, ginger, nuts, herbs and the above-described medicinal fruits.
Attention!
The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!