Bruising

 Bruising

With sufficient trauma, anyone will suffer a bruise—this is both natural and often unavoidable. It is only when bruising occurs often and from very minor (often unnoticed) trauma that a problem may exist. Refer to the capillary fragility section for more information. One cause of easy bruising—leukemia—can usually be ruled out by any doctor with a simple blood test. More often, no clear cause for easy bruising is found.

Dietary changes that may be helpful

Many Americans eat insufficient amounts of foods containing vitamin C; the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, scurvy, causes easy bruising. While very few people actually have scurvy, even minor deficiencies of vitamin C can increase bruising. People who experience easy bruising may want to try eating more fruits and vegetables—common dietary sources of vitamin C. The diet can be assessed by nutritionally oriented doctors by using a diet diary, sometimes accompanied by computerized diet analysis. If such an analysis reveals a lack of dietary vitamin C and bioflavonoids (related compounds), the diet requires more fruits and vegetables to correct the problem.

Nutritional supplements that may be helpful

Doctors of natural medicine will often suggest that people who experience easy bruising supplement with 1–3 grams of vitamin C per day for several months. This is usually accompanied by at least several hundred milligrams of bioflavonoids—vitamin-like substances that are needed to strengthen capillaries and therefore might also help with bruising.1 If the vitamin C/bioflavonoid combination is helpful, it strongly suggests that the person’s diet was inadequate.

Herbs that may be helpful

Aescin, a compound found in horse chestnut, has been used effectively as a gel applied at least twice daily to treat bruises.2 Although aescin gel is not readily available, oral preparations of horse chestnut seed extract have recently appeared in health food stores and some pharmacies. An appropriate amount of horse chestnut seed extract standardized for aescin content (16–21%) taken orally is likely to provide 50–75 mg of aescin twice per day.

A Homeopathic Remedy to Relieve Bruising & Swelling Arnica Montana 30X is a homeopathic remedy for the temporary relief of minor muscle or joint ache and pain; strains, sprains, bruises, backache or over-exertion. Characteristics: pain stiffness or swelling may be associated with acute injuries or trauma. Also designed to reduce the discomfort, bruising and swelling associated with soft tissue injury that often accompanies surgical and non-surgical procedures.

In traditional herbal medicine, a compress or ointment of sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) is applied to bruises.3 4 Enough should be applied to cover the bruise, and several applications per day may be necessary to improve healing.

Are there any side effects or interactions?

 References:

Refer to the individual supplement for information about any side effects or interactions.

1. Shamrai EF. Vitamin P. Its chemical nature and mechanism of physiologic action. Uspekhi Sovremennoi Biologii 1968;65:186–201.
2. Calabrese C, Preston P. Report of the results of a double-blind, randomized, single-dose trial of a topical 2% escin gel versus placebo in the acute treatment of experimentally-induced hematoma in volunteers. Planta Med 1993;59:394–97.
3. Moore M. Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1979, 152.
4. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C (eds). PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Co, 1998, 966–67.
5. Mills SY. Out of the Earth: The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. New York: Viking Arkana, 1991, 544–47.
6. Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum and Beaconsfield, UK: Beaconsfield Publishers Ltd, 1988, 334–35.