A bruise or contusion or ecchymosis is a kind of injury, usually caused by blunt impact, in which the capillaries are damaged, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding tissue. Normally minor but painful, bruises can be serious, leading to hematoma, or can be associated with serious injuries, including fractures and internal bleeding. Minor bruises are easily recognized by their characteristic blue or purple color in the days following the injury. Injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical. ... Capillaries are the smallest of a bodys blood vessels, measuring 5-10 μm. ... Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ... A biological tissue is a group of biological cells that perform a similar function. ... A hematoma, or haematoma, is a collection of blood, generally the result of hemorrhage. ... A fractured bone in a living person is treated by immobilization with a plaster or fiberglass cast, and in some cases surgical nails, screws, plates and wires to supplement a cast. ... Internal bleeding is when bleeding occurs inside the body. ...

The word "bruise" is also used for fruit - a fruit is bruised when an impact breaks the internal water-containing structures, leading to a soft spot. More generally, "bruise" is used metaphorically to mean any minor injury: one's ego might be bruised if one's painting was not included in a gallery showing, for example. The implication is that the injury is minor but painful, but will recover on its own. Fruit stall in Barcelona, Spain. ... In language, a metaphor is a rhetorical trope where a comparison is made between two seemingly unrelated subjects. ... eGO is a company that builds electric motor scooters which are becoming popular for urban transportation and vacation use. ... The Mona Lisa is perhaps the best-known artistic painting in the Western world. ... An art gallery or art museum is a space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art, and usually primarily paintings and sculpture. ...

The presence of bruises may be seen in patients with platelet or coagulation disorders. Unexplained bruising may be a warning sign of child abuse or serious medical problems, such as leukemia and meningoccocal infection. Anybody with unexplained bruising needs urgent examination by a doctor. A 250 ml bag of newly collected platelets. ... The coagulation of blood is a complex process during which blood forms solid clots. ... Child abuse is the physical or psychological mistreatment of a child by his or her parents (including adoptive parents), guardians, or other adults. ... Leukemia (leukaemia in Commonwealth English) is a group of blood diseases characterized by malignancies (cancer) of the blood-forming tissues. ... Neisseria is a genus of bacteria, included among the proteobacteria, a large group of gram-negative forms. ...

Light bruises

When soft tissue is struck, the effect can vary greatly. The state of the tissue (tensed muscle versus relaxed muscle, for example) can make a large difference to the effects, as can the effect of being crushed against underlying bone. People also vary in the sturdiness of their capillaries - some people bruise more easily than others. Grays illustration of a human femur, a typically recognized bone. ...

Bruises change color over time - this one is nine days old.

When struck, the victim normally feels some pain, although it may not be sharp and may even go unnoticed. The flesh quickly becomes red, tender, and swollen (although this, like other effects, varies with the intensity of the bruising). Repeated impacts will aggravate the bruising. Over the course of the next day, blood will seep into the surrounding tissue while the capillaries are being repaired. The bruise will gradually darken. Over the course of a week or two, the bruise will darken to a livid red, then fade to purple, black, or blue, eventually fading to yellow and disappearing as healing progresses. Normal, light bruises heal completely in a week or two; more severe or deeper bruises may take longer. The striking colors of a bruise are due to hemoglobin and its breakdown products, bilirubin and biliverdin. 3-dimensional structure of hemoglobin Hemoglobin or haemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red cells of the blood in mammals and other animals. ... Bilirubin is a yellow breakdown product of haem (heme in American English). ... Biliverdin is a green pigment formed as a byproduct of hemoglobin breakdown. ...

The treatment for light bruises is minimal. If swelling is severe, the application of ice or the elevation of the affected area may help to reduce swelling. Avoiding re-injury is of course essential to quick recovery, so rest is probably called for; usually the pain of having a bruise bumped is a sufficient reminder, but it is not appropriate to massage the bruised area. Icicles A natural ice block in Iceland Ice is the solid form of water. ...

Severe bruises

If bruising is severe, complications may arise. Excess fluid may accumulate, forming a hard lump called a hematoma. Swelling may also be severe, and pain may be a serious problem. If internal bleeding inside the tissue is very severe, compartment syndrome may occur, leading to disrupted blood flow due to swelling; this can require surgery. More seriously, the impacts that cause severe bruising can also cause other damage: impacts to the torso may damage internal organs, and impacts to the head can be very dangerous. Bones may be broken by similar impacts, and joints can be sprained or otherwise damaged as well. The symptoms of these injuries may appear to be those of simple bruising; if there is any possibility of one of these more severe injuries (difficulty moving an injured limb, severe abdominal bruising or a feeling of liquid under the skin) see a doctor immediately. A hematoma, or haematoma, is a collection of blood, generally the result of hemorrhage. ... According to the International Society for the Study of Pain, there are two different terms: pain and nociception. ... Surgery Surgery (from the Greek cheirourgia - lit. ... An organ is the following: In anatomy, an organ is a group of tissues which perform some function. ... For other uses of the word head, see head (disambiguation). ... A fracture is the separation of a body into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress. ... A sprain (from the French espraindre - to wring) is an injury which occurs to ligaments caused by a sudden overstretching. ...

Treatments for severe bruising can include ice, elevation, rest, painkillers (particularly NSAIDs), and compression bandages. Massaging severe bruises will worsen the injury. Later in recovery, some light stretching exercises may be appropriate, but it is probably best to consult a doctor or physiotherapist about longer-term recovery. If a severely bruised muscle is used too early in the recovery process, bone tissue may be formed inside the muscle, leading to lasting stiffness and pain. Severe bruises can be expected to take longer to heal. For other uses of painkiller, see painkiller (disambiguation) An analgesic (colloquially known as painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain. ... Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, usually abbreviated to NSAIDs, are drugs with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects - they reduce pain, fever and inflammation. ... Physical therapy can help restore lost functionality in many people. ... Grays illustration of a human femur, a typically recognized bone. ...

External links

• Firstaidweb on bruises (http://www.firstaidweb.com/bruise.html)
• What is a bruise? (http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/bruise.html) for kids
• Bruises in sports (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=316&topcategory=Sports)
• Fake bruises as fashion (http://www.stim.com/Stim-x/0696June/Trender/homehorror.html)