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Helping bruises

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    Helping bruises

    I bruise really easily, and I get rather ugly looking bruises with only minor bumps. That means, of course, that when I really -do- have a mishap, it's a HUGE bone bruise. I fell down the stairs 2 weeks ago and still have a goose egg on my arm (don't ask...) and yesterday I went go-karting with work and ran into the wall and rammed my knee in the wheel, leaving a black and purple mark on my leg.

    They're not usually too sore, even when they're bad (only if they're touched), but how can I fade them? They seem to last -forever- as well. And I'm kind of sick of getting asked what I did to myself. Sometimes I don't even remember (like I said, it doesn't involve much).

    (PS I don't have ay medical conditions that cause this, and yes I've checked).

    #2
    Re: Helping bruises

    Arnica...or leeches
    Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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      #3
      Re: Helping bruises

      lol I don't know where I'd find leeches here :P

      I'll see if I see any of the former growing around!

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        #4
        Re: Helping bruises

        Application of a cold compress immediately following the injury will sometimes help. Comfrey & parsley are also good for use as compresses, and butchers broom & horse chestnut (found in many herbal creams for varicose veins & hemorrhoids) help prevent blood from pooling. Vitamin C can help improve capillary strength & resiliency to injury.

        Pineapple (bromelain) or papaya (papain) enzymes taken internally can help break up the clotting in a bruise. Bromelain & papain supplements can be expensive, but some meat tenderizers actually contain papain & may be a less expensive option. If you get the supplements, you take those internally, but meat tenderizer is used externally as a paste (since it also usually contains salt you probably don't want to eat a couple of teaspoons of it).
        The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

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          #5
          Re: Helping bruises

          I bruise easily, too. Comfrey, like perz said, works well for me. I have a genetic quirk that means I don't metabolize
          B's properly, too, though. When I get enough of those it helps a lot for some reason...I'm not familiar enough with the bruising process to know why, though.
          Great Grandmother's Kitchen

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            #6
            Re: Helping bruises

            I take B vitamins and Iron, because I'm anemic, which I'm sure somehow has something to do with it!

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              #7
              Re: Helping bruises

              Remember not to use arnica (widely available in the UK as an ointment and an oil) on broken skin. If you get red blotches, consider the possibility of wheat intolerance or coeliac.
              www.thewolfenhowlepress.com


              Phantom Turnips never die.... they just get stewed occasionally....

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                #8
                Re: Helping bruises

                Originally posted by DeseretRose View Post
                I bruise easily, too. Comfrey, like perz said, works well for me. I have a genetic quirk that means I don't metabolize
                B's properly, too, though. When I get enough of those it helps a lot for some reason...I'm not familiar enough with the bruising process to know why, though.
                Bruising is basically where you crush or maim a blood vessel, blood leaks out & pools. The deep red/purple comes from the blood oxidizing where it pools. Then your body sends some kind of phage ('phage' means 'eat') cells (hemophage, maybe? can't remember the term off the top of my head) to break down the pooled blood because your body doesn't like blood where it doesn't belong, and you end up w/extra lymph fluid in the damaged area to help cushion it during the healing process, which is what causes the swelling, which in turn can spread the bruise outward from the damaged area. The browns, greens & yellows as the bruise gets older are just the process of the blood cells being broken down & dispersed.

                Big gnarly lumpy bruises can be dangerous because they form clots in the damaged blood vessels, which can travel through the vessels as they break down & enter your heart, lungs or brain. Generally, if you get a severe bruise, going to a doctor or clinic is a good idea - there's some kind of patch they've got that can help safely break up heavy clots before they get loose & cause serious problems. I had a horse nail me in the ribs with its head one time - didn't break the rib but it definitely bruised me & I walked around with what looked like the world's biggest band-aid for about a week - and I could actually see the bruise breaking up.
                The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

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                  #9
                  Re: Helping bruises

                  ah, that makes sense! Thanks perz. Bruised ribs were what started the clot I got after I had my daughter, so that makes perfect sense.
                  Great Grandmother's Kitchen

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                    #10
                    Re: Helping bruises

                    Originally posted by Tylluan Penry View Post
                    Remember not to use arnica (widely available in the UK as an ointment and an oil) on broken skin. If you get red blotches, consider the possibility of wheat intolerance or coeliac.
                    Oohhh I'm allergic to wheat! I don't eat it...I don't avoid gluten because it doesn't seem to bother me at all, so I continue to have spelt and rye, but wheat is a no-no...it makes my throat itch!

                    I'm allergic to a lot of things....which is why I'm glad I'm not gluten intolerant because almost all the gluten-free products here are using soy flour, which I'm allergic to (and horribly so).

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                      #11
                      Re: Helping bruises

                      I have seen WitchHazel work....easy to get in stores....use it topically.
                      Allow me to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket. ~ Captain Jack Sparrow

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                        #12
                        Re: Helping bruises

                        Ohhh I might try that. I have a ton of WitchHazel products already (they're great for blemishes and really popular in the UK, though not as much here..I stocked up last tim I was there though!)

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                          #13
                          Re: Helping bruises

                          I'll second the WitchHazel idea! Works great for lots of things.
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                          Can you hear me, Major Tom? I think I love you.

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