Where did you get that bruise? Ever wondered how it is caused? Information for kids

And there you go and walk right into the table!! It really hurts and now you have this terrible blue bruise on the side of your leg.  Maybe you fell from your bike or went for an operation and is covered in unsightly blue marks.

You know the bruise will go away in time. this is not the first time you got one, but have you ever wondered what a bruise really is?

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A bruise can also be called a "contusion" and when you bump or hurt or sprain something, the muscle and the tissue underneath the skin is crushed but the skin is not broken.  

If you cut yourself or break the skin, the blood from the small blood vessels will come out, but now since the skin is not broken, the blood will stay underneath the skin with nowhere to go and then form the visible bruise.

Imagine if bruises were permanent.  Most of us would look like spotted blue people, because all of us get it at one or other time, especially when we were smaller and played outside and fell or rode our bikes or climbed the jungle gym.  But as we all know, it does heal and goes away.

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If you had a bruise before you would know that as the bruise heals it will start changing color, which can be quite entertaining, especially if one bruise have like 4 different colors.

The reason why this color change happens is because your body is hard at work in breaking down the blood under the skin and reabsorbing it, hence the different colors are actually the different stages of healing taking place.

It can change from blue to purple to yellow or brown.  This may look very strange but it is all a sign of healing.

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Anybody is prone to get a bruise but some people will just get a light bump and have a huge bruise where others are the opposite.  They must really get hurt badly before they show any sign of a bruise.

This all depends on the toughness of the skin and sometimes when people have an illness or are using medication they will bruise more easily.

Bruising easily, or even spontaneously without trauma, could signify a medical problem that needs attention. Bruising easily could mean that bone marrow isn’t producing enough platelets, components of blood that literally plug leaks in the walls of injured blood vessels. This disorder, thrombocytopenia, may be symptomatic of alcohol abuse or of one of several diseases such as anemia or leukemia. A complete blood count can rule out these possibilities.  

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The younger you are, the stronger your blood vessels are, which means the older you get the weaker they will get and you will bruise easier.

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There is no magic fix for bruises but some things can help make the healing time shorter.  

If you get the bruise you can put something cold on it, which will cause the blood under the skin to flow slower and not cause such a huge bruise.  

Anything cold will do - even a piece of frozen meat, just wrap it in a cloth and hold it over the bruise for a few minutes.  The reason why some people use a bag of frozen vegetables is because it can fold in different shapes and therefore cover the whole affected area, no matter where the bruise is.

It is also a good idea to lift the bruised area higher than your heart, so if you bumped your leg, you can lie down and lift up your leg.  This will also help to stop the blood flow underneath the skin.

You can also try some home remedies for bruises.

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If you get a minor bruise you do not have to go to the doctor but if the bruise are not healed or looking better after 2 weeks it is better if you go then.  Also it you have a bruise close to your eye and you cannot move your eye as normal or if you suspect you have a broken bone.

It is not always possible to avoid getting bruises and sometimes we even get them without realizing it, but if you play contact sport or wrestle or do karate or something like riding a bike or any type of activity that can cause falls and bruises, it is always a good idea to wear protective gear.

Sources and extra information

https://hellodoktor.com/health-centre/dermatology-health-center/an-overview-of-bruises/

https://www.medicinenet.com/bruises/article.htm