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By Laurie Sammeth, HealthAtoZ Writer
No one gets through life unbruised. From childhood through old age, everyone is subject to the black and blue marks that symbolize life's hard knocks. Most of the time, a bruise (known medically as a contusion) is the harmless and temporary result of a bang, bump or blow to the body.
What is a bruise?
A bruise occurs when blood vessels are broken or damaged and blood leaks out of them into the tissue under the skin. This pooled blood, as well as the body's reaction to injury, causes the skin discoloration of a bruise. The discoloration may start out looking black, blue, red or purple. As the blood cells break down over time, the color of the bruise may change to green, yellow or brown before the bruise disappears.
What causes a bruise?
Most bruises result from a blow to the body. This can occur in many ways: playing sports, falling down, banging into a hard object and so on. You may have a tendency to bruise more easily if you:
- Are older (as you age, blood vessels become more fragile and there is less fat under the skin)
- Are female (women bruise more easily than men)
- Take certain medications, including:
- Blood-thinners, such as aspirin or warfarin
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen
- Corticosteroids
- Certain dietary supplements
- Have a nutritional deficiency, such as of vitamins C, K, B12 or folic acid
Less commonly, bruising can be a result of:
- Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, that prevent your blood from clotting properly. You may also have frequent nosebleeds and bleeding gums.
- Liver disease, such as cirrhosis of the liver.
- A bloodstream infection (sepsis).
- Auto-immune diseases (in which the body attacks the blood vessels).
- Blood-related diseases, such as leukemia and lymphoma.
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What to watch out for:
See a doctor right away if you have bruising:
- On your abdomen, chest or back. This can be a sign of internal bleeding.
- Around your eye ("black eye") and change in vision, inability to move your eye, blood in the eye or pain that doesn't go away.
- That appears as a rash of tiny red dots, especially on the legs. This can be a sign of a more serious condition, such as heart-valve infection or blood-clotting disorder.
- Along with severe pain, swelling or numbness. This may mean that the bruise is causing dangerous swelling that can be pressing on nerves and blood vessels (called compartment syndrome).
- Behind an ear. This can be a sign of a skull fracture.
- All over your body or are bleeding from your nose or gums, or if you see blood in your eyes, stool or urine.
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What can you do to treat symptoms of a bruise?
Most of the time, you don't have to do anything to take care of a bruise caused by an injury. It will go away by itself in time. But if you have swelling or pain, you may want to help reduce these symptoms by using the tried-and-true "R.I.C.E." method:
- Rest the bruised part of your body. Don't massage the bruised area.
- Ice the bruised area with an ice pack or ice cubes wrapped in a towel. Do this for 15 to 20 minutes, four times a day. If you have diabetes, poor circulation or blood vessel disorders (such as vasculitis or Raynaud's disease), talk with your doctor before using an ice pack.
- Compress (wrap up or brace) the bruised area.
- Elevate the bruised part of your body to a level above your heart.
In two to three weeks, the bruise should fade away and your skin will return to normal.
 A note about NSAIDs
NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are commonly taken to reduce pain and swelling, although they are not for everyone. Ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin are all NSAIDs. Talk to your doctor about whether taking NSAIDs is safe for you, especially if you:
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