Is heat or cold suitable for treatment? | How do you treat a bruise?

Is heat or cold suitable for treatment?

If the bruise has just developed, it should be treated with cold as soon as possible. Cold compresses, cool packs or ice are suitable for this. It is important here that the cold does not come directly on the skin, but that a towel is placed between them, for example, as otherwise frostbite could occur.

The cold causes the blood vessels in the affected area to become narrow and less blood enters the tissue. When cooling you should pause occasionally, for example every 20 minutes. In the following days, warm compresses may be useful to promote blood circulation in the area and reduce bruising.

A bruise on the knee, caused by trauma or surgery, can be very painful for the patient. The protection and cooling of the knee is very important from the beginning. Initially, no further stress or movement should be applied.

Normally, the body produces enzymes that break down the bruise. In addition, this can of course be supported by ointments. Furthermore, the healing can be accelerated with different taping variations.

An additional possibility is the puncture of the knee joint. In this procedure, an attempt is made to remove the bruise from the knee by rinsing and suction.If there is no improvement despite all these measures, an arthroscopy of the knee joint can be performed. Here, a camera can be used to precisely assess whether the problem is caused by the bruise or perhaps by an accompanying injury.

This procedure can also be used to treat damage directly. Bruises on the thigh are often caused by sports injuries or, in older people, by falls. The bruises often look large and unpleasant.

Here the use of heparin and Voltaren ointments is recommended. In addition, it is important that the affected leg is elevated and cooled in the first few days so that the bruise does not worsen. If the effusion leads to loss of sensitivity or increases in size, moves further towards the knee and causes pain that does not subside, the patient should consult his or her family doctor to rule out more serious concomitant injuries.

A bruise in the eye usually disappears by itself. However, since it is not apparent from the outside how large the bruise is or whether relevant structures are damaged and whether the optic nerve is affected, it is important to consult an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist can perform a more precise assessment using ultrasound.

In the case of bruises requiring treatment, tiny incisions are made to allow the blood to drain away. This is done with minimally invasive methods and leaves no permanent damage or visible scars. A bruise on or in the auricle should be treated by a doctor.

If the effusion lasts too long, not all parts of the auricle can be supplied with blood sufficiently and tissue dies. A sterile needle is used to prick the effusion of blood so that the blood can flow out and the blood supply to the remaining tissue is restored. In case of small effusions and after an incision, a pressure bandage should be applied. In the case of larger bruises on the ear, a larger window may have to be cut so that the effusion can drain away. An examination of the hearing performance should ideally be carried out to rule out damage to the inner ear that could have occurred in the course of the accident or impact.