How long bruise last

Do not try to drain the bruise with a needle. Do not continue running, playing, or otherwise using the painful, bruised part of your body. Do not ignore the pain or swelling. Call your health care provider right away if you feel extreme pressure in a bruised part of your body, especially if the area is large or very painful. This may be due to compartment syndrome, and can be life-threatening. You should receive emergency care.

Because bruises are usually the direct result of an injury, the following are important safety recommendations:. Contusion: bruise. Minor Emergencies. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Cameron P, O'Reilly G. Trauma overview. Textbook of Adult Emergency Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; Hayward CPM. Clinical approach to the patient with bleeding or bruising.

Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. Moyes C, Blessing K. In: Simon S. Cross SS, ed. Underwood's Pathology. Reviewed by: Linda J. Editorial team. Bruise Contusion; Hematoma. Some conditions that can cause this are:. Always see your doctor after a chest injury. Complications can include infection and difficulty breathing. Other symptoms of leukemia include:. Inflammatory breast cancer can look like bruising on the breast.

Your breast may also feel tender and warm. Inflammatory breast cancer may not involve lumps like other types of breast cancer. If you have signs and symptoms of leukemia or inflammatory breast cancer, see your doctor right away.

An X-ray can confirm or rule this out. Be prepared to provide your personal and family health history as well as a list of medications and dietary supplements.

Blood tests can check platelet levels and measure blood-clotting time. Depending on your symptoms, you may also need an X-ray or other imaging tests to check for fractured bones. Initial tests plus a physical exam will inform the next steps. Aspirin can cause more bleeding, so choose acetaminophen Tylenol for pain.

You can also try a few home remedies :. Damage to blood vessels can cause bruising and blood clots, but the two conditions have many differences. Learn more about them.

Bruises are common and usually disappear with time. Here are 10 easy treatments to lessen the pain and reduce the visibility. Learn about how to get…. Sporadic bruising usually isn't cause for worry. Oftentimes, you can reduce your risk for future bruising by making sure you're getting the right…. Bumps, falls, and knocks happen to the best of us, and many times they lead to unsightly bruises. Bruising is a normal response to any injury.

Even the smallest impact can leave behind a horrible looking bruise. While bruises usually go away on their own, there are several steps you can take to lessen the pain and reduce visibility. When you sustain an injury, those tiny blood vessels burst and bleed. As your injury heals, the blood is eventually reabsorbed by the body. Over its life-cycle, your bruise may change different colors as it heals. Bruises can also be very tender to the touch.

Most bruises disappear entirely after a couple of weeks. Still, some will take longer to heal based on the severity of the damage. The only way to get rid of bruises is to speed up the healing process to lessen the pain and reduce visibility.

Apply ice immediately after the injury. Apply heat to bruises that have already formed to clear up the trapped blood. Compression, elevation, and a bruise-healing diet can also help speed up the healing process.

Bruises can be challenging to treat because the damage is beneath your skin. The most effective way to heal a bruise is to take care of your body and give it time. However, there are things you can do at home to speed up the healing process , minimize the appearance of bruises, and even diminish the severity of your injury at the onset.

An ice pack, bag of ice, or anything frozen placed on an injury when it occurs helps reduce the amount of blood that leaks from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissues. Putting ice on a fresh bruise can prevent severe discoloration.

You can also apply ice to already formed bruises in minute on, minute off increments to help speed up the healing process. This is particularly true when it comes to bruises. If you bang your knee in the middle of a workout, get off your feet and rest.

This will slow down blood flow to your bruise, making it less prevalent than it would be if you continue your workout. Instead, give yourself time for the pain and swelling to subside and apply ice immediately and as needed. Once the bruise has already formed, you can apply heat to help clear up the trapped blood under your skin.