Often after a person hurts his leg, he notices a lump or, as people say, a lump in the damaged area. A compaction is formed due to the fact that the injured tissues are swollen, filled with blood, and in the case of an abscess, pus. The lump can be of different sizes and often causes discomfort and pain.
And of course, the natural question is how to get rid of this compaction. We will consider this problem in the article: we will find out why a lump forms on the leg after a bruise, its symptoms, and we will get acquainted with the methods of treating the tumor.
Severity of lumps under the skin
First, you need to clearly understand the mechanism of development of such phenomena. There are three degrees of severity for the consequences of bruises:
- the seal forms during the day and is almost not painful (only when touched);
- the bruised area swells a little, constant pain appears, which disrupts general well-being;
- an extensive diffuse hematoma, compaction in the tissues after a bruise is sharply painful, especially when touched, the body temperature may rise.
In what cases is it necessary to go to the hospital?
At any of the above stages, you should consult a doctor. But if the first two can be treated on an outpatient basis, then the third is an absolute indication for a hospital.
There are also a number of alarming symptoms that require a more detailed examination in a hospital setting:
- if the compaction does not go away for a long time, it is necessary to examine it in detail, even in the absence of pain. It is advisable to do this as quickly as possible, but the optimal period is up to 6 months.
- sharp pain that increases with palpation;
- bright pronounced redness of the skin over the seal;
- increased body temperature;
- decreased or loss of sensation in the bruised area.
Which doctor should I contact for examination?
You should know that mastopathy and mastitis can cause the development of cancer. Regular examinations by a specialist will help avoid dangerous pathologies. If you have pain or lumps in the mammary glands, you should contact a mammologist. After an accurate diagnosis, he will prescribe appropriate treatment.
For preventive purposes, it is recommended to visit a mammologist annually. In case of complicated heredity, due to individual characteristics, in the presence of concomitant pathologies, additional visits to the doctor are required.
Surgical methods for treating seals after a bruise
Surgical treatment of such seals involves opening the seal and draining the resulting cavity under local anesthesia. The choice of access is at the discretion of the surgeon. This can be a simple puncture or incisions in one or several places. For example, if a lump on the knee does not go away after a bruise, then it can be eliminated in one way or another (the final decision is made after performing all the necessary diagnostic procedures).
After opening, the surgeon clears the resulting cavity from the contents and, if necessary, installs a temporary drainage through which, within a few days, what could not be removed will come out of the wound.
What does pain indicate?
For most women, burning and mutual dull pain in the chest is a consequence of premenstrual syndrome. A burning sensation and pain in the chest is observed at the beginning of pregnancy.
Lumpiness and tenderness in the breasts occurs when milk accumulates in the mammary glands of a nursing mother. When cracks form in the nipples, there is a risk of infection and the development of mastitis.
Localized pain and burning in the chest can be the cause of the development of benign formations. This pain intensifies in a certain position of the body.
Burning and pain in one side of the chest may indicate the development of cancer. Tumor formations of the breast are most often located in the upper outer quadrant.
Medicines to treat lumps under the skin
A frequently asked question is “How to treat a lump after a bruise without surgery?” If this option is possible and the help of a surgeon is really not needed, then some medications may be effective. However, it is still best to discuss their use with your doctor.
Applications with a solution of dimexide diluted with water in a ratio of 1:4 - 1:2 give a good effect. Dimexide relieves pain and inflammation, and also reduces swelling. There is another useful property of this solution - it helps other substances (NSAIDs, hormones, antibiotics) penetrate deeper into the body’s tissues, thereby enhancing their effect.
You can apply ointment to the affected area to resolve bumps after a bruise. Today there are a huge number of them with different names, prices and, most importantly, completely different medicinal effects. Therefore, before using the ointment, you should consult your doctor.
In case of hematoma, the use of heparin-based ointment will be more effective. If we are talking about severe inflammation, then non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointments will help (they also eliminate pain well) or ointment with a hormonal component
In any case, an ointment that resolves lumps after a bruise should be prescribed based on the mechanism of formation of the lump itself. And it’s better to sort this issue out with your doctor.
There is another good way to treat lumps on the extremities, which is especially effective for post-traumatic hematomas. You should try to keep the injured limb elevated to improve the outflow of venous blood and relieve swelling. For example, if a lump has formed after bruising your leg, you can place one or two pillows under the injured leg at night.
To improve the effect, doctors sometimes recommend bandaging the limb with an elastic bandage. This method also improves microcirculation and helps relieve swelling.
Clinic
How does a severe knee bruise manifest itself, what symptoms come to the fore here, and how long can the pain syndrome last after the injury?
The severity of clinical symptoms directly depends on several factors: the strength of the traumatic factor, the area of the injured surface, the angle at which the blow was struck and the presence of the accompanying complications listed above.
Symptoms of a bruise are caused by the lightning development of the inflammatory process, which inherently includes 5 components:
- Rubor – redness or hyperemia in the joint area. Sometimes a pronounced hematoma with a bluish tint, due to the outpouring of blood from the vascular bed into the joint cavity.
- Tumor - swelling in the area of bruise due to the presence of blood or serous fluid in the joint capsules or its cavity.
- Calor is a local increase in joint temperature due to a sudden rush of blood into the area of the damaged area.
- Dolor – presence of severe pain syndrome.
- Functio laesa is a violation of the normal function of the joint and the inability to make full movements.
A severe bruise of the knee joint is always distinguished by the presence of a pronounced hematoma. This is a symptom of the accumulation of copious amounts of blood, which is visible to the naked eye. As a rule, hemarthrosis is accompanied by throbbing pain, which intensifies with any movement in the knee area.
It should be noted that a history of episodes of hemorrhage into the cavity of the knee joint is a risk factor for the development of degenerative pathology such as osteoarthritis. This disease appears after 40 years of age and is characterized by a sluggish and slowly progressive process, as a result of which persistent dysfunction and even the development of disability are possible. Often in these cases they resort to joint replacement.
In addition, severe bruising of the knee joint is often accompanied by rupture of the intraknee ligaments and even separation of the patella.
Severance of the kneecap and rupture of the ligaments are an absolute indication for surgical treatment.
Positive effects of physiotherapy
Certain physical procedures can help treat a bruise or an already formed lump at each stage. In combination with the use of the right medications, the desired result can be achieved in a shorter time.
For example, if a lump on the leg does not go away for a long time after a bruise, then even the simplest electrophoresis is a more effective alternative to the above-described applications with dimexide.
A physiotherapy procedure such as UHF (the therapeutic effect of an electromagnetic field) will be ineffective in treating such bumps. It is used for acute inflammatory diseases, and in post-traumatic compaction inflammation processes do not occur. But at an early stage, when the tissues around the bruise are inflamed and swollen, the electromagnetic field will allow the damaged tissues to return to normal much faster.
Sinusoidal modulated currents (SMT or Amplipulse) show a good effect in post-traumatic compactions. They also stimulate trophism in tissues due to a mild neuromyostimulating effect.
The primary use of this physiotherapy is the restoration of atrophied muscles after injuries. So in this case, SMT can have a double effect. It is ideal to apply this method to the thigh, lower leg, shoulder or forearm. For example, if a painful lump remains after a calf bruise, then SMT can speed up its resolution.
Millums (millet)
This type of bump occurs with equal frequency on the upper and lower eyelids. Millet grains can range in size from a poppy seed to a grain of rice and usually form in groups. Millums are the most harmless of all formations and cause only aesthetic discomfort. At its core, these are whiteheads localized in the eyelid area.
Millet removal should only be done by a cosmetologist. Since they do not carry the risk of complications, they are not considered an ophthalmological disease, but fall within the competence of a dermatologist-cosmetologist.
Prevention of millums includes caring for the eyelids, timely removal of dead epidermal cells, ensuring the cleanliness of the ducts of the sebaceous glands and pores of the skin around the eyes, as well as a balanced diet that excludes excessive consumption of fatty foods.
Preventive methods for compaction to occur
To prevent a lump from forming after a fracture or bruise, it is necessary to apply cold to the damaged area as soon as possible after receiving the injury. Any item from the freezer will do. Hold for 15-20 minutes, and if medical assistance is not required, then after another hour.
At the same stage, the elevated position of the limb will also be relevant. The outflow of venous blood will reduce the degree of edema formation to a minimum. Without swelling, the likelihood of a lump appearing in the future is reduced.
You should not bandage the affected area immediately after receiving an injury. In the case of a recent injury, this method can disrupt tissue trophism and lead to unpleasant consequences.
If it is not possible to carry out the above steps, you should at least leave the injured limb alone. Physical activity in this situation will only worsen the clinical picture and increase the chance of a lump appearing during the recovery period.
First aid
When a lump appears on your leg, if you have suffered a bruise or other traumatic injury, you need to be able to competently provide first aid, which will reduce swelling, pain and speed up the process of resorption of the lump. To achieve these goals, doctors recommend doing the following:
- Apply a cold compress – it is recommended to apply a towel soaked in cold water or a heating pad with ice to the area where the lump forms.
- Immobilization - the injured limb should be carefully fixed using a bandage.
It is important to provide the victim with absolute rest and to eliminate any stress on the injured leg. If there is excessive pain or the appearance of a tumor, it is better not to delay going to the emergency room.
Papilloma
The causative agent of benign formations called “papillomas” is human papillomavirus. Most often, infection with this virus occurs during birth from mother to child, but the disease can also be acquired during life through contact with infected people. The virus can appear on almost any area of the skin and mucous membranes in the form of round growths. Papilloma is usually painless. However, it can hardly be called “aesthetically attractive”, so it causes significant discomfort.
You can distinguish papilloma from other types of formations by the following characteristics:
- the cone is more like a ball on a stalk or has a mushroom-like shape;
- the wart-like growth has a rough surface that resembles the surface of cauliflower to the touch.
It is worth noting that a growth with a smooth surface is not a papilloma, and it must be examined by an oncologist.
Treatment of papillomas should be comprehensive. Surgical removal is performed by a dermatologist. He also examines the type of virus and prescribes drug treatment. The fact is that the manifestation of a disease at one point does not mean that the entire body is not infected. The virus is suppressed by the immune system, but travels through the bloodstream. Some types of human papillomavirus are very dangerous with a high probability of degeneration of skin formations. Only an experienced dermatologist can prescribe adequate treatment based on diagnostic results. Measures to improve overall immune status are essential in the treatment of papillomas.