Bruise Research Paper

A contusion, more commonly known as a bruise, is a mark on the skin because of ruptured blood vessels in the dermal layer of the skin. Bruises appear in the bluish/black discoloration of the skin. Hematoma is a collection of blood found outside the blood vessels, and can be found throughout the body and may appear as a lump in the skin, while a bruise appears as a flatter mark. Also, bruise is a hematoma that is larger than 10 mm. Bruises may take 2-4 weeks to heal completely. Bruises can be caused many different ways. A bruise is most commonly caused by physical trauma to the skin, which ruptures the blood vessels in the dermis. However, bruises are also common in people who exercise a lot, such as athletes and weightlifters, the elderly, whose skin has become thin and blood vessels have become fragile. People who take medicine to thin the blood are also prone to developing bruises because when the blood is thinner, more blood is able to travel out of the vessel when it breaks. Signs of bruises are an obvious mark on the …show more content…
The bruise first appears red and swells up due to the blood seeping out of the vessel, but later turns a bluish color due to deoxygenation of the area. In fact, in the attached article, the University of Notre Dame studies shows that the oxygenation of the blood peaks its low during a severe contusion. Diagnosis of bruises are obvious when there is discoloration of the skin and slight or moderate pain when pressure is applied. However, if a bruise seems more painful than a common bruise, the doctor may perform tests and X-rays in order to determine the possibility of a broken bone. Prevention of bruises is limited to avoiding high amounts of physical contact, which isn’t ideal for many athletes involved in contact sports. In terms of prognosis, bruises usually fade 2-4 weeks after they