Apply an ice pack immediately after you get a bruise. The sooner you get some ice, the less blood can leak out of your blood vessels and expand the bruise. While frozen veggies are perfectly safe, don’t ice your bruise with raw frozen meat. Raw meat contains bacteria, making it unsafe to hold against a wound.
For example, if the bruise is on your leg, avoid doing intense leg exercises or going on runs for a day or two. Don’t massage the bruised area while resting it, as you might unintentionally break more blood vessels under your skin and make the bruise larger.
Find a surface to rest your limb on while elevated so you can relax your muscles at the same time. For example, if you have a bruise on your foot, lay down on your back and prop up the bruised foot with pillows or a couch cushion. Sometimes elevating the bruise comes naturally. To treat a bruise on your face, for example, just stay in an upright position when possible and keep your head raised with extra pillows when you go to bed.
Keep the bandage on until the bruise’s swelling goes down. Don’t wrap the bandage too tight! Make it firm but not tight enough to cut off your blood flow.
Soak your bruised skin in a hot bath if you prefer. Bath water will work the same as a heating pad or hot water bottle! Heat also loosens tense muscles, which is why it’s a strong pain reliever.
Be sure you buy pure aloe gel with no additives and look at the bottle’s label if you need to double-check.
Vitamin K also occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, strawberries, and blueberries.
Alternatively, use comfrey leaves to make a compress. First, steep the leaves in boiling water for 10 minutes and strain away the liquid. Then, wrap the leaves in a towel and hold them against the bruise.
Bromelain cream is also available, which you can apply like an ointment over the bruise to help it heal just as effectively as a supplement would.
You can also take it as a daily vitamin C supplement or apply a topical vitamin C cream to your bruise if you prefer, as both are equally effective.
Produce with quercetin includes apples, citrus, leafy green veggies, dark berries, and red onions. The best lean proteins are fish, poultry (specifically the white meat in chicken and turkey), tofu, and low fat milk. Legumes (including chickpeas, green peas, black beans, lentils, and soybeans), spinach, pumpkin seeds, and shellfish like crab and lobster are all great sources of zinc.
Acetaminophen is the better choice over NSAID pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen because NSAIDs thin your blood and increase blood flow to the bruised area, making it heal more slowly. Avoid other supplements that thin your blood as well, including omega 3-fatty acids, vitamin E, turmeric, and vitamin B6.
Extreme pressure in the bruised area, which could indicate a case of compartment syndrome. Severe pain for more than 3 days after getting the bruise, which might mean you have a broken bone. Painful swelling, pus, or fever, which are all signs of an infection. Bruising and bleeding easily or for no apparent reason, which are both signs of a bleeding disorder. If you have a history of frequent bruising, make sure to let your doctor know as well.
