A bruise is an area of skin discoloration. A bruise occurs when small blood vessels break and leak their contents into the soft tissue beneath the skin.
Considerations:
There are three types of bruises:
Subcutaneous -- beneath the skin,
Intramuscular -- within the belly of the underlying muscle
Periosteal -- bone bruise
Bruises can last from days to months, with the bone bruise being the most severe and painful.
Causes:
Bruises are often caused by falls, sports injuries, car accidents, or blows received by other people or objects.
If you take a blood thinner, like aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin), you are likely to bruise more easily.
Review Date: 5/17/2005
Reviewed By: Nikheel S. Kolatkar, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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