Heal Your Bruises Easily WIth These Remedies

Bruises are an inevitable part of life, but they can also be painful and unsightly. Here’s what you can do to reduce the pain and encourage faster fading. You’ve had a bump, blow, or knock to your body that was hard enough to damage small blood vessels under your skin. Blood leaks out of these blood vessels, called capillaries, and seeps into the surrounding tissue. For a while you see the traditional black-and-blue colors, which are the trademark of most bruises. As the pooled blood gradually breaks down, the colors take on a full palette of hues, from purple to green and yellow.

* Apply ice as soon as possible. If you cool the blood vessels around the bruised area, less blood will leak out into the surrounding tissue. Many flexible ice packs are available, specifically designed for injuries, and most rough-and-tumble athletes have the foresight to keep a couple of them in the freezer. If you’re not so equipped, soak a cloth in ice-cold water and lay it over the bruise for 10 minutes. Or use a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel. Take it off after 10 minutes, and wait 20 minutes or so before you reapply the ice pack so you don’t overchill the skin underneath.

* If you’ve bruised your arm or leg, immediately wrap an elastic bandage around the bruised part. By squeezing the tissues underneath, the bandage helps prevent blood vessels from leaking. The bruise won’t be quite as severe.

* Reduce blood flow to the bruise to minimize discoloration. If you bruise your leg, for instance, and you can take a time-out, settle into a couch or lounge chair with your leg up on a pillow, above heart level. If it’s your arm that’s bruised, try to keep it propped up above heart level whenever you’re sitting.

* After cooling the bruise for 24 hours, start applying heat to bring more circulation to the area and help clear away the pooled blood. Use an electric heating pad for 20 minutes several times a day. Be sure to follow the instructions on the heating pad: To avoid burns, it should go on top of, not under, the bruised limb.

* Alternatively, you can apply a warm compress either under or over the bruised area. A hot-water bottle will work.

* A warm compress of comfrey can also offer comfort. Comfrey contains compounds that reduce swelling and promote the rapid growth of new cells. Make a warm herbal solution by pouring 2 cups of boiling water over 30 grams of dried comfrey leaves or 60 grams of fresh leaves. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain. This is for an external use only, so it’s not for drinking. Soak a gauze pad or a washcloth in the solution and apply it to the bruise for an hour. (Off-limits…if the skin is broken or you have an open wound.)

* Vinegar mixed with warm water will help the healing process. Vinegar increases blood flow near the skin’s surface, so it may help dissipate the blood that has pooled in the bruise area. Witch hazel will also do the trick.

* Arnica is an herb that has long been recommended for bruises. It contains a compound that reduces inflammation and swelling. Apply arnica ointment or gel to the bruise daily.

* Take a handful of fresh parsley leaves, crush them, and spread them over the bruise. Wrap the area with an elastic bandage. Some experts claim that parsley decreases inflammation, reduces pain, and can make the bruise fade more quickly.

* Gently rub wort oil into the bruise. Though St. John’s wort is often taken as a capsule or tea for mild depression, the oil has long been known as a wound healer. It’s rich in tannins, astringents that help shrink tissue and control capillary bleeding. For the best effect, start this treatment soon after the bruise occurs, and repeat it three times a day.

* Look for vitamin K cream in the drugstore. Your body needs vitamin K to help with blood clotting. Rub it into the bruise twice a day to prevent further bleeding.

* If you feel like you bruise too easily, you may be deficient in vitamin C. It strengthens capillary walls so they’re less likely to leak blood and make a bruise. Get additional vitamin C by eating more peppers and citrus fruit, and take a multivitamin.

* Increase your intake of flavonoids by eating more carrots, apricots, and citrus fruits. These help vitamin C work better in the body. Grape-seed extract is also a rich supplier of flavonoids. Take 20 to 50 milligrams daily.

* People who are susceptible to bruising may be deficient in vitamin K, which you can get from broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and leafy green vegetables, as well as from supplements.