Bruising

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Bruising

 

Bruising after traumatic injury is a normal body response. It is only

when bruising occurs often and from very minor (often unnoticed)

trauma that a problem may exist. While easy bruising is usually not a

cause for concern, people who experience this problem should consult

a physician to rule out more serious conditions that may cause

bruising. Medical causes of easy bruising sometimes may be diagnosed

from a few blood tests conducted by a doctor. More often, however, no

clear cause for easy bruising is found. Bruises look like areas of

blue to purple-colored skin that may turn yellow to dark brown over

the course of a few days.

 

The conventional treatment is to manage any underlying medical

condition, such as liver or kidney disease, blood disorders (e.g.,

hemophilia, platelet dysfunction, thrombocytopenia, leukemia, and

multiple myeloma), connective tissue disorders (e.g., scurvy,

Marfan's syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), or the use of blood-

thinning medication (e.g., aspirin and Coumadin®).

 

Dietary changes may be helpful. Even minor dietary deficiencies of

vitamin C can lead to increased bruising. People who experience easy

bruising may benefit from eating more fruits and vegetables—common

dietary sources of vitamin C and flavonoids. This lack of vitamin C

or K can make us more prone to easy bruising.

 

Doctors often suggest that people who experience easy bruising

supplement with 100 mg to 3 grams of vitamin C per day for several

months. Controlled research is limited, but vitamin C supplements

have been shown to reduce bruising in people with low vitamin C

intake.1

 

Flavonoids are often recommended along with vitamin C. Flavonoids are

vitamin-like substances that can help strengthen capillaries and

therefore may also help with bruising.2 Flavonoids may also increase

the effectiveness of vitamin C; citrus flavonoids, in particular,

improve the absorption of vitamin C.

 

Older preliminary research suggested that vitamin C, 400–800 mg per

day, in combination with 400–800 mg per day of the flavonoid,

hesperidin, reduced bruising in menopausal women.3 A small,

preliminary trial in Germany gave three people with progressive

pigmented purpura (a chronic bruising disorder) 1,000 mg per day of

vitamin C and 100 mg per day of the flavonoid rutoside. After four

weeks, noticeable bruising was no longer apparent and did not recur

in the three month period after treatment was stopped.4 Controlled

research is needed to better establish whether vitamin C and

flavonoids are effective for easy bruising.

 

 

Homeopathy is a medical system that uses infinitesimal doses of

natural substances to stimulate a person's immune system and body's

natural defenses. Homeopathic remedies are named for the plant or

animal ingredients they are made from. Homeopathy not only offers

relief from temporary disorders but, can provide long term healing of

a person due to its individual and " wholistic " approach.

 

Consider Ledum 30c four times a day for bruised areas that feel cold

to the touch, or for bruises that seem to last quite a long time.

Ledum also speeds the healing of a black eye.

 

Arnica is considered by some practitioners to be among the best

vulnerary (wound-healing) herbs available.7 As a homeopathic remedy,

arnica is often recommended as both an internal and topical means to

treat minor injuries. Some healthcare practitioners recommend mixing

1 tablespoon of arnica tincture in 500 ml water, then soaking thin

cloth or gauze in the liquid and applying it to the injured area for

at least 15 minutes four to five times per day.

 

 

References:

 

1. Schorah CJ, Tormey WP, Brooks GH, et al. The effect of vitamin C

supplements on body weight, serum proteins, and general health of an

elderly population. Am J Clin Nutr 1981;34:871–6.

 

2. Shamrai EF. Vitamin P. Its chemical nature and mechanism of

physiologic action. Uspekhi Sovremennoi Biologii 1968;65:186–201.

 

3. Horoschak A. Nocturnal leg cramps, easy bruisability and epistaxis

in menopausal patients: treated with hesperidin and ascorbic acid.

Delaware State Med J 1959;Jan:19–22.

 

4. Reinhold U, Seiter S, Ugurel S, Tilgen W. Treatment of progressive

pigmented purpura with oral bioflavonoids and ascorbic acid: an open

pilot study in 3 patients. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;41:207–8.

 

5. Moore M. Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. Santa Fe: Museum

of New Mexico Press, 1979, 152.

 

6. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C (eds). PDR for Herbal

Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Co, 1998, 966–7.

 

7. Weiss R. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum and

Beaconsfield, UK: Beaconsfield Publishers Ltd, 1988, 342.

 

8. Weiss R. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum and

Beaconsfield, UK: Beaconsfield Publishers Ltd, 1988, 342.

 

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, LMT, MT-BC, CA

Peacefulmind.com

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