What Are the Different Types of Bruising?

by Carolyn Cooper

When you're trying to determine the severity of bruises, whether you have them or they are on someone that you love, it is necessary to remember that there are specific, different kinds of bruises out there. If you educate yourself a little more about the different types of bruises that there are, you are going to become much more knowledgeable of what treatments are available and how best to use them. Make yourself aware of how much you really know about bruises and the best ways to treat them. If you learn how to determine how mild or severe a bruise is, you are going to have a significantly better thought process of how to best treat it.

First, consider where the damage actually is. A subcutaneous bruise is one that happens just beneath the skin and will generally be relatively mild. On the other hand, an intramuscular bruise occurs within the belt of the muscle underneath and can do some more serious damage, while a periosteal bruise refers to a bone bruise, which can be extremely painful.

When rating bruises, medical professionals may use the following scale to denote the severity:

0- a light bruise having no damage at all 1- a less than moderate bruise with a slight amount of damage done 2- a moderate bruise with some damage 3- a serious bruise with some possibility of permanent or impermanent damage 4- an extremely serious bruise with the possibility of permanent or impermanent harm 5- a critical bruise carrying a risk of death

When you get a light bruise, you could feel a bit of pain, whether it occurs right away or later. You may develop an inflammation because histamines have been released into the blood stream. Even after the capillary walls have been repaired, blood can still weep out and cause the bruise to look darker, and it will generally take about fifteen days for a light bruise to fade, while a darker bruise can take a little longer. Bruises that are categorized as mild will tend to need the least amount of treatment, though depending on the location of the bruise, you could have to rely on some stretching exercises during the healing process so that the muscles beneath the bruise don't become stiff and stubborn.

When you diagnose bruises to be moderate or severe, you'll determine that you are going to have to deal with somewhat more serious complications. Increased bleeding may occur, and it is likely that swelling could reduce or impair the flow of blood to the tissues. The blunt force trauma that takes place in creating bruises of this intensity can cause injury to the internal organs or bones, and if the strike is severe enough, you may have concussion, coma and even death to deal with. In this instance, emergency treatment becomes madatory.

Luckily enough, most of us will only have to deal with light bruises in our everyday lives. Spend the time to make certain that your bruises, regardless of their severity, get treated appropriately.

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