You may have knocked your shin on a coffee table or bumped into your desk. You get a bruise when the skin is struck with force yet the skin is unbroken and blood rushes to the damaged tissues below the surface. As a first step, elevate the area that is bruised. Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling. After the first 24 hours, heat can be applied after swelling and inflammation have subsided. These tips can help you feel better too.
WHEN TO SEE YOUR M.D.
A serious bruise may indicate underlying injuries. Head bruises could be a sign of skull fracture and may require medical attention. If pain from a bruise is worse after 24 hours, get checked out to make sure there is not a broken bone. If bruises occur without any evidence of trauma (such as bumping into things), they may be an indication to get checked for anemia, leukemia, or a deficiency in vitamin C with bioflavonoids or vitamin K.
GOOD TO KNOW!
If you bruise easily, take a supplement of vitamin C with bioflavonoids and rutin to help strengthen collagen production and the capillaries. Look for a combination remedy that contains about 1,000 mg vitamin C and 250 mg bioflavonoids daily.
NATURAL REMEDIES TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION
Bromelain, an anti-inflammatory enzyme derived from pineapple, can reduce swelling and inflammation. Take 500 mg two or three times daily.
You can apply an herbal salve, like comfrey, to a bruise or essential oil of lavender (no more than 5 drops) can be applied as it is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.
Chinese patent formulas that help bruising include Zheng Gu Shui, Dit Dat Jou, and Tiger Balm. Gently apply them to the bruised area three or four times daily.
NATURAL REMEDIES TO IMPROVE CLOTTING ABILITY
Consume plenty of vitamin K–rich foods, such as green leafy vegetables, which improve your blood-clotting ability. Nettle tea is also high in vitamin K. Drinking 1 quart (950 ml) daily can help if you bruise easily.
HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BRUISES
Usually 3 or 4 pellets of the following homeopathic remedies are slowly dissolved under the tongue 3 or 4 times daily for bruise relief:
• Homeopathic Arnica soothes deep bruises. You can take this by mouth and topically, in the form of a salve, oil, or gel, but only on unbroken skin.
• Homeopathic Ruta graveolens helps pain caused by a blow and for one who feels as if the bone is bruised. Ruta is most often used when it is the elbow, kneecap, or shin that has been bruised.
• Use homeopathic Hypericum for bruises to sensitive areas such as fingertips, lips, nose, or eyes.
• Homeopathic Bellis is taken for bruising with swelling that is worse from pressure and better from motion and rest.
• Homeopathic Ledum is the remedy for bruising with extreme tenderness that is made better by cold and rest and worse from warmth and motion.
• Homeopathic Rhus tox is good for swelling and inflammation around the soft tissue and when the joint feels better after having moved a bit.
Easing Black Eye Inflammation
You can think of a black eye as a bruise around your eye. It happens when blood and other fluids collect in the space around the eye, resulting in swelling and dark discoloration. Here’s how to feel better fast.
HOMEOPATHIC HELP FOR BLACK EYE
Use homeopathic Ledum for black eyes when cold applications help. Homeopathic Hypericum can help excessive pain. Homeopathic Arnica can help if there is injury to the soft tissue above or below the eye. If there is injury to the eyeball, use homeopathic Symphytum.
This Bruise Treatment article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
Showing posts with label Bruises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bruises. Show all posts
How to treat bruises with herbs
Given their physically active lifestyles, Native Americans suffered their share of bruises. Not surprisingly, they became quite proficient at treating them, usually with herbal preparations that continue to be used today.
Bruises are caused by injuries to small veins, called capillaries, located beneath the surface of the skin. When the capillaries rupture, blood leaks into the surrounding tissue. This results in the purplish discoloration of bruises. The same process also causes pain and swelling because the body responds to the injury by releasing “scavenger” cells that are designed to remove debris from around the injury. These cells, along with a flood of fluids and other naturally-occurring chemicals, are what make bruises swell and ache.
Along with applying heat, Native Americans treated bruises with herbs that have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and capillary-repairing powers. Here are some you may want to try.
Stop swelling with plantain. This herb contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds and is most often used as a poultice. Mash fresh plantain leaves, mix in a small amount of water, and apply the paste directly to the bruised area. A somewhat neater way to use plantain is to wrap the mashed leaves in a layer of cheesecloth and apply that to the skin.
Use mullein lotion. Like plantain, mullein is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It’s most effective when applied to bruises as an oil-based lotion. To make the lotion, put a handful of mullein flowers in a jar, cover with olive oil, and allow to soak for 1 week to 10 days. Then strain out the flowers and apply the oil to the bruises. The oil will keep in the refrigerator as long as you store it in a covered, light-proof container.
Ease the discomfort with juniper. This aromatic plant was a favorite among Native Americans for soothing bruises. The easiest way to use juniper is to warm the branches slightly and attach them, using gauze or first aid tape, to the bruised area.
Reduce discoloration with parsley. When applied as a poultice, parsley will clear up most black-and-blue marks within a day or two, says herbal authority James A. Duke, Ph.D. To make a poultice, mash some fresh leaves and apply them directly to the skin—or wrap the poultice in cheesecloth, which is a little less messy.
Heal them with arnica. This popular bruise remedy can be applied externally as a poultice or compress, or taken internally as a tea, says herbalist David Hoffmann. To make a poultice, crush the leaves and hold them against the bruise. For a compress, make a strong tea, let it cool to slightly above room temperature, soak a cloth in the liquid, and apply it to the bruise.
Strengthen capillaries with yarrow. Taken regularly, this herb makes the capillaries more resistant to injuries, Hoffmann says. You can apply yarrow externally by making a compress from freshly brewed yarrow tea—or you can simply drink the tea.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Foods that are high in vitamin C, like oranges, kale, and winter squash, can protect against bruises because this nutrient helps strengthen capillary walls.
Add some warmth. Native Americans believed that applying gentle heat to the skin was among the best remedies for helping bruises heal. Although heat shouldn’t be used until a day or two after a bruise occurs (ice is better in the early stages), it can then be very effective because it improves circulation and helps flush fluids and debris from the area, says dermatologist Jerome Litt, M.D., of the Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. He recommends applying a warm compress to the area several times a day for about 20 minutes each time. In most cases, this will help the discoloration fade more quickly.
This how to treat bruises article is taken from :
Healing Secrets of the Native Americans - Porter Shimer
Bruises are caused by injuries to small veins, called capillaries, located beneath the surface of the skin. When the capillaries rupture, blood leaks into the surrounding tissue. This results in the purplish discoloration of bruises. The same process also causes pain and swelling because the body responds to the injury by releasing “scavenger” cells that are designed to remove debris from around the injury. These cells, along with a flood of fluids and other naturally-occurring chemicals, are what make bruises swell and ache.
Along with applying heat, Native Americans treated bruises with herbs that have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and capillary-repairing powers. Here are some you may want to try.
Stop swelling with plantain. This herb contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds and is most often used as a poultice. Mash fresh plantain leaves, mix in a small amount of water, and apply the paste directly to the bruised area. A somewhat neater way to use plantain is to wrap the mashed leaves in a layer of cheesecloth and apply that to the skin.
Use mullein lotion. Like plantain, mullein is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It’s most effective when applied to bruises as an oil-based lotion. To make the lotion, put a handful of mullein flowers in a jar, cover with olive oil, and allow to soak for 1 week to 10 days. Then strain out the flowers and apply the oil to the bruises. The oil will keep in the refrigerator as long as you store it in a covered, light-proof container.
Ease the discomfort with juniper. This aromatic plant was a favorite among Native Americans for soothing bruises. The easiest way to use juniper is to warm the branches slightly and attach them, using gauze or first aid tape, to the bruised area.
Reduce discoloration with parsley. When applied as a poultice, parsley will clear up most black-and-blue marks within a day or two, says herbal authority James A. Duke, Ph.D. To make a poultice, mash some fresh leaves and apply them directly to the skin—or wrap the poultice in cheesecloth, which is a little less messy.
Heal them with arnica. This popular bruise remedy can be applied externally as a poultice or compress, or taken internally as a tea, says herbalist David Hoffmann. To make a poultice, crush the leaves and hold them against the bruise. For a compress, make a strong tea, let it cool to slightly above room temperature, soak a cloth in the liquid, and apply it to the bruise.
Strengthen capillaries with yarrow. Taken regularly, this herb makes the capillaries more resistant to injuries, Hoffmann says. You can apply yarrow externally by making a compress from freshly brewed yarrow tea—or you can simply drink the tea.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Foods that are high in vitamin C, like oranges, kale, and winter squash, can protect against bruises because this nutrient helps strengthen capillary walls.
Add some warmth. Native Americans believed that applying gentle heat to the skin was among the best remedies for helping bruises heal. Although heat shouldn’t be used until a day or two after a bruise occurs (ice is better in the early stages), it can then be very effective because it improves circulation and helps flush fluids and debris from the area, says dermatologist Jerome Litt, M.D., of the Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. He recommends applying a warm compress to the area several times a day for about 20 minutes each time. In most cases, this will help the discoloration fade more quickly.
This how to treat bruises article is taken from :
Healing Secrets of the Native Americans - Porter Shimer
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