Ecchymosis is a medical term for a bruise larger than an inch in diameter, caused by ruptured blood vessels due to blunt force trauma. The bruise changes color as it heals due to the breakdown of hemoglobin. Treatment includes rest, ice, elevation, and pain relievers, and medical attention is necessary if the bruise does not improve or is extremely painful.
Ecchymosis is the medical term for a bruise more than an inch in diameter. Smaller bruises may be classified as purpura if they are at least three millimeters in diameter or petechiae if they are smaller. Ecchymosis can appear on the skin or mucous membranes.
A bruise is a type of hematoma or a collection of blood outside the blood vessels. It is relatively minor internal bleeding, usually due to blunt force trauma that causes small blood vessels under the skin’s surface to rupture. Bruising and other bruising are visible when they appear as a dark spot on the skin. The bruise has a more diffuse border than smaller bruises.
In those with light skin color, bruises typically appear purple or blue a few days after the injury, then turn green, yellow, and brown as they heal. This gradual change in color is the result of enzymes present in the hematoma as it heals. After capillaries or venules rupture due to local trauma, blood rushes to the surrounding area.
Macrophages, white blood cells responsible for cleaning up debris, ingest the red blood cells that spill from the area of the bruise. Through this process, the hemoglobin in red blood cells is degraded into biliverdin, then bilirubin, then hemosiderin. These various by-products of the breakdown of hemoglobin are responsible for the discolouration of the bruise. The bruise will not heal until the breaking process is complete. Often, however, the underlying tissue damage caused by the trauma has healed long before the breakdown of hemoglobin is complete and the bruise is gone.
Bruising can be treated at home with rest, ice, elevation, and over-the-counter pain relievers. Later in the healing process, light stretching, heat, or light massage exercises may help, as long as they don’t exacerbate the pain. If the bruise does not improve after a few days or is extremely painful, or if you bruise frequently, it is important to see a doctor.
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