There is no person who, sooner or later, would not encounter a bruise. Already from the very cradle, every baby becomes very familiar with this concept. Such damage does not cause significant damage to the body, but can cause a lot of suffering. If you do not apply cold to bruises in time, the unpleasant sensations can last quite a long time.
The danger of injury lies in the fact that when tissue is damaged, small vessels and capillaries rupture, blood from which penetrates into all surrounding areas. Such an impact causes an increase in painful symptoms and significantly aggravates the manifestations of damage, sometimes making the symptoms comparable to those of a fracture or dislocation.
Indications for cold compresses
Most often this treatment procedure is indicated for:
- severe pain;
- large bruise;
- significant swelling after a bruise;
- a strong increase in local temperature;
- difficulties in functioning of the affected limb;
- severe bruising;
- bleeding;
- spread of pain deep into the tissues;
- muscle spasms;
- major abrasion;
- pulsations at the site of the lesion;
- general deterioration of the patient’s well-being, etc.
A cold compress becomes especially important if there is a bruise on the head or face. This will prevent complications from concussion or hemorrhage. Therefore, immediate medical attention is necessary, and applying ice becomes an emergency measure.
However, before applying cold to a bruise, you need to carefully examine the resulting hematoma. If it is localized in a small area, and the patient feels well, then you can simply limit yourself to an ice heating pad.
If a person experiences double vision, confusion, photophobia, nausea, memory loss, seizures, lightheadedness, hand tremors, or vomiting, these symptoms indicate that a concussion or internal organ damage may have occurred. Then you should immediately call an ambulance.
Causes of swelling of facial tissues after surgery
In response to injury, lymph flow to the injured area typically increases. This leads to the accumulation of fluid in the area of the operation, which externally looks like an increase in the volume of a certain area of the body. The gums, cheek, and chin may swell to varying degrees after installation of the implant. And here the most important thing is not the fact of tissue swelling, but how many days the swelling lasts after tooth implantation.
Normally, swelling increases gradually and reaches its peak by the third day after installation of the implant. A person may feel tension in this area, pain, and psychological discomfort. The listed phenomena disappear by the end of the first week or earlier, but with the help of special means the swelling can be removed faster.
Ways to use ice
The ice pack must be placed in such a way as to bring the greatest benefit to the patient.
If the bruise is localized on an arm or leg, then you should turn on very cold water and keep the injured area under a strong stream.
Sometimes a small bath is poured into which the affected limb is placed.
Often clean gauze is used, folded in several layers and soaked in very low temperature water.
There is a sufficient amount of ice in the freezer at any time of the year. Therefore, they chop off the required amount and make a lotion. It is placed in a plastic bag and wrapped in a towel made of natural fabric.
If there are ready-made cubes in the freezer, then fill a heating pad with them and keep them near the sore spot. It is necessary to ensure that no liquid leaks out of it, which is not sterile and can cause an infection, and in addition, provoke a cold in the victim.
Even in case of severe bleeding, cold should not be applied directly to the skin to avoid frostbite.
If a lotion is needed urgently, then it is better to take a factory-made bag of potatoes, vegetables or sausages from the freezer and adapt it for such measures.
Under no circumstances should a piece of raw meat be applied to the face or limbs from which blood is oozing, since it becomes a source of infection when quickly defrosted.
All pharmacy chains sell special cooling compresses. Many people do not understand why such devices are needed until they are convinced that they are an urgent need. These medications for external use are designed to withstand the risk of injury in a deserted place.
Their packaging is opened very easily and special refrigeration agents begin their action, which can create freezing for about a quarter of an hour. They cannot be reused.
If you apply the compress on time and do everything correctly, the hemorrhage in the subcutaneous tissue will stop, regeneration processes will gradually begin to take effect, the swelling that reduces range of motion will disappear, and muscle spasms caused by painful shock will stop.
All products must be applied according to instructions. It is also very important to know how long you need to keep them. As a result of correct actions, the site of the bruise becomes reddish in color and slightly numb. If it becomes too pale, this means that blood circulation is impaired. In the presence of vascular pathologies, this sign can be dangerous.
First aid for bruises
05.12.2018
Bruises are the most common type of injury that can be sustained while playing sports, doing housework, or even just walking down the street. You failed to keep your balance on a slippery path or unsuccessfully placed a culinary hatchet on the table, tripped while jogging or did not calculate the height of the bed while washing the floors, the result is a bruise. In medicine, a bruise is characterized as injury to the soft tissues of the body (skin, fat, blood vessels) without serious damage to the skin during a fall or blow with a blunt object. The main symptoms of a bruise are pain in the damaged area, hemorrhages as a result of rupture of blood vessels, the formation of hematoma and edema. By severity, bruises are divided into mild, moderate and severe. Moreover, such a symptom of injury as a bruise cannot be a characteristic of the severity of the injury. For example, in older people and people with fragile blood vessels, a hematoma can be simply terrifying even with a slight bruise. On the other hand, injury is most often accompanied by a small bump, and only after a while do symptoms appear indicating a concussion (nausea, dizziness, nosebleeds). For any injury, regardless of the severity of the symptoms, you should consult a doctor to determine the nature of the injury bones, internal organs located near the site of injury, and other hidden consequences. So, for example, if a symptom of a bruise on the face or body, along with others, is the appearance of air under the skin, this may be evidence of damage to the sinuses or lungs. It is impossible to cope with such consequences on your own. Sometimes bruises do not appear at all in the place where the blow occurred. For example, hematomas around the eyes can be a symptom of trauma to the base of the skull - a serious and dangerous case. Whatever it is, whether you decide to deal with the bruise on your own or are waiting for the doctor to arrive, you need to take urgent measures. First aid for a bruise should be provided as early as possible. The fact is that a bruise is accompanied by rupture of blood vessels, while small vessels bleed for several minutes, and larger ones can fill nearby tissues with blood throughout the day. This increases the swelling, the hematoma becomes quite large, causing neighboring tissues and organs to experience pressure, and their integrity and functioning may be impaired. In addition, large hematomas take a long time to resolve, which sometimes leads to the need to remove their contents by puncture or even opening the hematoma cavity. It is clear that first aid techniques for bruises should be aimed at stopping the bleeding as quickly as possible. For example, in older people and people with fragile blood vessels, a hematoma can be simply terrifying even with a slight bruise. On the other hand, contusion is most often accompanied by a small bump, and only after a while do symptoms appear that indicate a concussion (nausea, dizziness, nosebleeds).
For any injury, regardless of the severity of the symptoms, you need to consult a doctor to determine the nature of the damage to bones, internal organs located near the site of injury, and other hidden consequences.
First aid for bruised limbs
The patient is placed with the injured limb raised higher. Then apply a tight bandage to the bruise and apply ice.
First aid for bruises of the face and body The patient also needs to be laid down and ensure complete rest. Apply an ice pack or cold compress to the injury site. In this case, it is impossible to make a tight bandage, but you have a chance to stop the spread of the hematoma with the help of cool lead lotions.
Treatment of bruises On the first day, we continue treatment with cold: ice, special cooling packs sold in pharmacies, cold lotions, which are changed as they warm up. After 24 hours, refrigeration is no longer required. Now we use another tactic - warming up. Warm baths, compresses and lotions will help relieve swelling faster and speed up the resorption of the bruise. In this case, the doctor will prescribe special ointments, dry compresses or lotions with the addition of alcohol. In case of moderate and severe bruises, a course of physiotherapy using UHF devices, a magnet, and electrophoresis with medicinal solutions will be recommended. If bones or internal organs were damaged as a result of the bruise, the doctor will prescribe treatment appropriate for these cases.
prepared by traumatologist Palubets A.S.
conclusions
Bruises heal quite quickly. Therefore, if a person is faced with this trouble, there is no need to worry. If you approach their treatment correctly, you can speed up this process. The main thing is to remember all safety measures when using a product such as ice.
Every person will be able to help themselves in case of injury. After all, it’s not difficult to do this. In the future, if necessary, you can consult a doctor. For example, it is worth doing this if the bruise mark does not go away for a long time.
Now it became clear how long to keep the cold for a bruise. It is important to follow all tips and recommendations. Only in this case will the effect be noticeable.
How to avoid injuries in icy conditions
To spend the winter without fractures, dislocations and bruises, you need to follow three simple rules.
Rule 1: choose safe shoes
When walking on slippery surfaces, you need to wear shoes with low, stable soles. The pattern on the tread should be protruding, with large and small elements. A soft rubber or thermoelastic plastic sole is preferred.
During icy conditions, it is better to avoid shoes with an unstable platform, high heels and completely flat soles.
Rule 2: Walk slowly and keep your balance
Those who run on the ice or walk wide and fast fall more often than those who take their time. When sliding heavily, lean forward slightly and bend your knees - this is the most suitable position for maintaining stability.
When you walk down a slippery street, heavy bags or packages should not be carried in one hand. There should be approximately the same load on each side, otherwise the center of gravity will shift and it will be very difficult to maintain balance on the ice.
Rule 3: fall correctly
If falling on ice is unavoidable, regroup. The knees and arms should be pressed to the body, and the head should be pressed to the chest.
It's safest to fall on your side. If the blow falls on the pelvic area, the coccyx may be damaged, and in older people, the femoral neck may be fractured. Falling on your back is an unnecessary risk for the spine. You cannot put your hands forward, otherwise injuries to the wrist joint and forearm bones are likely.
Why do you need cold?
Locally applied cold, narrowing the blood vessels not only under the application site, but also in a certain radius around, leads to the following effects:
- reduction in pain;
- stopping bleeding from small-diameter vessels, which is used mainly for the prevention of post-traumatic or post-operative hematomas;
- decrease in body temperature;
- reducing the severity of inflammation;
- reducing the oxygen demand of brain cells.
This is used in almost all areas of medicine, but the main specialists who use the influence of cold are resuscitators, neonatologists, surgeons, cosmetologists, neurologists, and cardiac surgeons. The latter, however, do not use local coolers: while cooling all the body’s blood, they can work for several minutes on a non-contractile heart without complications for the body.
Thus, an ice pack is a serious procedure and has strict indications and contraindications.
How to use ice?
Today ice can be found in almost every home. People usually keep it in the freezer. The most important thing when using it is to apply it to the damaged area as quickly as possible.
Ice should be applied to the affected area as a compress. It is not recommended to use it on a naked body, as you may get frostbite. Ice helps relieve swelling and provides quick relief from pain and bruising.
Before using ice, the wound will need to be treated with an antiseptic, if any. You also need to apply a bandage to this area. You should also lubricate the bruised area with cream. Ice should be placed in a heating pad or special bags.
It may happen that a person does not have ice in his freezer. Instead, you can use a briquette of frozen vegetables.
If ice does not help cope with severe pain, you can take a pain reliever. It is advisable to do this in consultation with a doctor.
To understand how long you need to keep the cold for a bruise, you need to consider each case separately.
Sprains
Each moving part of the body has its own limits of physiological capabilities. With a sudden strong movement that goes beyond these limits, the ligaments, tendons and muscles are sharply stretched. Micro-tears occur in the tissues, and in certain positions they cause pain, signaling ligament damage. Because of this, normal movement of the limbs is limited.
How to recognize
- The outlines of the joints and bones do not change.
- Pain occurs in certain positions: swinging the arm, trying to bend the leg, bending or turning to one side.
- With extensive micro-tears, swelling develops.
First aid for sprains
- Protect the injury site as much as possible.
- Do not try to move the limb despite the pain.
- You may want to use a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as aceclofenac cream, approved by your doctor.
A mild sprain will go away in 3-4 days if you don't put any strain on it.
Precautionary measures
In order to bring only benefits to the body from the effects of ice, you should carefully read all the contraindications to its use. And there are many of them.
For example, if the lymph nodes at the site of the bruise are enlarged, then it is better to refuse such treatment. The thing is that lymph nodes may indicate the presence of infection in the body. If you apply cold, you can only worsen the patient's condition.
There will be no benefit from applying ice to diabetic patients. Therefore, this method should be abandoned.
It is also better to consult a doctor for people suffering from heart disease. This is especially true for bruises on the left side, for example, in the shoulder.