Bruises Also called: Contusion, Ecchymoses Summary A bruise is a mark on your skin caused by blood trapped under the surface. It happens when an injury crushes small blood vessels but does not break the skin. Those vessels break open and leak blood under the skin. Bruises are often painful and swollen. You can get skin, muscle and bone bruises. Bone bruises are the most serious. It can take months for a bruise to fade, but most last about two weeks. They start off a reddish color, and then turn bluish-purple and greenish-yellow before returning to normal. To reduce bruising, ice the injured area and elevate it above your heart. See your healthcare provider if you seem to bruise for no reason, or if the bruise appears to be infected. Specifics Black Eye American Academy of Ophthalmology Bruising Hands and Arms American Osteopathic College of Dermatology Immune Thrombocytopenia National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Treatments and Therapies Black Eye: First Aid Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Bruises, First Aid Logical Images Array Bleeding into the skin Bruise Bruise healing – slideshow Start Here Bruises American Academy of Family Physicians Bruises Nemours Foundation Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Contusions National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Hematoma National Institutes of Health Health Check Tools Easy Bruising DSHI Systems Seniors Easy Bruising: Common as You Age Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Journal Articles Bruises Teenagers Quadriceps Contusion Nemours Foundation Children What’s a Bruise? Nemours Foundation
