Bruises black and blue dotting your chest. In this article, we’ll be discussing bruises on your chest, what it means, their symptoms, what to do, how to get them treated, and how you identify when it is serious.
Your heart muscle gets bruised when you have a myocardial contusion. It results from a blow to the chest. Your heart wall could be torn, and your heart valve could be harmed.
What is a Bruise?
Bruises develop after an injury when blood accumulates under the skin. Bruises initially appear black, blue, brown, or purple. They fade, changing color (often without treatment). Elderly folks bruise more easily. Hematomas are throbbing bruises that can injure internal organs and are painful. Medical treatment may be needed for hematomas.
Skin darkening brought on by a skin or tissue injury is known as a bruise or contusion. Blood vessels beneath the skin are harmed by this injury, which makes them leaky.
Discoloration that is caused by blood pooling under the skin might be black, blue, purple, brown, or yellow. If the skin doesn’t split open, there won’t be any external bleeding.
Different Kinds of Bruises
Depending on the source, bruising has a variety of symptoms. Skin discoloration is frequently the initial symptom. While bruises are typically black and blue, other colours such as red, green, purple, brown, and yellowish can also appear as the bruise heals.
Additionally, you can feel discomfort and tenderness where the bruising is. As the bruise heals, these signs and symptoms usually become better.
According to where they occur on your body, there are three different sorts of bruises:
Just below the skin, bruises called subcutaneous appear.
The underlying muscles experience bruising, known as intramuscular.
Bones can get periosteal bruising.
What could be the reason behind unknown bruises?
Typically, a bruise happens when someone or something crashes into each other.
Athletes and weight lifters who engage in strenuous activity may experience bruises. The tiny blood vessel rips under the skin that caused these bruises.
In particular, if frequent nosebleeds or gum bleeding also coexist with the bruises, unexpected bruises that arise regularly or for no apparent reason may be an indication of a bleeding condition.
Additionally, persons who use blood thinners are more likely to see bruises.
Many times, bruises on the shin or thigh that seem mysterious are actually the result of bumping against a bedpost or another object and forgetting about the incident.
The older population has thinner skin, which makes bruises more frequent. The organs that hold up the blood vessels have turned fragile.
Precautions for unknown bruises on different body parts
Age causes your skin to get thinner, dryer, and more prone to tearing, which is senile purpura. Your skin is also more prone to bruising. The name of this illness is senile purpura.
A hit to the head might result in a black eye (or two black eyes). Under the eye, blood and fluids collect. Around the eye, this condition results in swelling and the formation of a bruise or discolored ring. A black eye may occasionally be a sign of a more severe eye injury, such as a facial fracture or eye bleeding (hyphema).
Trauma, such as a serious fall or auto accident, can damage skin and tissue and result in significant bruising. A hematoma is an external accumulation of blood that results in discomfort and swelling.
Purpura: The small amount of bleeding that occurs beneath the skin is the defining feature of this type of bruise.
Petechiae: Tiny, crimson skin spots that do not turn white in response to light pressure.
When to Get Medical Attention
If the bruise is accompanied by swelling and excruciating pain, seek medical attention immediately, especially if you are using a blood-thinning prescription for a medical condition.
If you bruise easily or for no apparent cause, consult a doctor right away.
If the bruise hurts and is under a fingernail or toenail, call the doctor.
If a bruise does not get better after two weeks or does not go away completely after three or four weeks, call the doctor.
If you believe you also have a broken bone in addition to the bruising, visit an emergency room.
Symptoms of a Bruise
A fresh bruise may initially seem red. It will change to dark purple or blue after a few hours. When it cures a few days later, it will turn yellow or green.
A bruise often feels uncomfortable and even painful at first, but as the color fades, the discomfort usually goes away.
Because the skin is not punctured, there is no chance of infection in a bruise.
How to Treat Bruises at Home
During the first 24 hours following the accident, the limb should be kept as elevated as possible if the bruise covers a significant portion of the leg or foot.
To hasten healing and lessen swelling, use a cold compress, like an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables, on the injured region for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not immediately apply ice to the skin. The ice pack is wrapped in a towel.
According to the directions on the container, acetaminophen may be taken for pain. Ibuprofen and aspirin should not be taken as they slow the blood from clotting and may further lengthen the bleeding.
Applying heat in the form of a warm washcloth for about 10 minutes twice or three times per day, beginning after around 48 hours, may help blood flow to the bruised area and speed up the skin’s ability to reabsorb the blood. The color of the bruise will ultimately fade.
