First Aid for Bruises

Bruising is generally caused by a hard object collision. First aid remedies that can be done include bruising cold compresses and resting bruised body parts, and taking pain medication if needed. Bruising occurs when small blood vessels under the skin are damaged or broken, so the blood seeps into the surrounding tissue and clots. This causes the skin to appear bluish, red, purple, or black, accompanied by swelling and pain. In addition to collisions due to injuries or accidents, bruising can be caused by exercise that is too heavy, or even for no apparent reason. Bruising that occurs for no apparent reason and accompanied by bleeding gums or nosebleeds can indicate a bleeding disorder.

First Treatment of Bruises

Bruises caused by minor injuries can usually disappear in 2-4 weeks. To speed healing, there are a number of first aid remedies that can be done at home, namely:

1. Rest

Rest the parts of the body that have bruises. Reduce or stop activities that involve injured limbs until the injury heals. This is useful so that the swelling and pain in the bruising does not get worse.

2. Ice pack

Cold compresses can be given to bruises that have just occurred, as first aid. The trick, wrap some ice cubes in a cloth or towel to compress the bruises. Apply cold compresses for 15-20 minutes. Wait for about 20 minutes, if the swelling and pain has not subsided, repeat the cold compress. The purpose of this cold compress is to narrow the injured blood vessels so that the bruises do not expand, and to reduce swelling and pain.

3. Magnification

Splash the bruised body parts with an elastic bandage, but don't be too tight. The goal is to prevent bruising from getting worse and reduce pain.

4. Elevate the bruised body parts

As much as possible position the body that suffered bruises (such as hands or feet) to be higher than the chest. You can do this by using a pillow to prop up the injured body part. This is useful to reduce blood flow to the wound area so that it helps relieve swelling and prevent bruising from widening.

5. Pain relievers

To reduce pain, you can take pain relievers, such as paracetamol. The use of drugs to reduce pain should be done if other methods do not work, or if bruises are accompanied by large swelling.

6. Warm compresses

Warm compresses on bruises should be done two days after a cold compress. The trick, use a warm towel to compress the body parts that have bruises, for about 10 minutes. This is done so that blood flow increases, so that blood clots can be absorbed faster and the bruising color slowly fades. The first treatment of bruises will be very effective if done immediately after the bruise appears, except for warm compresses, which must be given after 2 days. Generally, bruises due to impact can heal by themselves, but first aid bruises can accelerate the healing process. Immediately consult a doctor if a bruise is accompanied by severe pain and severe swelling, or if the bruise does not improve after more than 2-3 weeks.