Duration of a bruise

Absorption phases of a bruise

In the case of a bruise, you can usually distinguish four different phases from one another.

A bruise is caused by bleeding under the skin, causing red blood pigment (hemoglobin) located under the skin. Immediately after the injury (usually a blunt trauma), the affected area turns red due to the accumulation of the blood pigment, as it emerges from injured small blood vessels.
After about one to four days, the bruise turns purple, blue to black. The color arises on the one hand because the blood coagulates, on the other hand it turns darker because it is no longer supplied with oxygen and the hemoglobin is already broken down into the bile pigments.
After four to seven days, the bruise takes on a dark green color as the hemoglobin continues to break down.
From the seventh day, a yellowish-brown color sets in. During this phase, the bile pigment bilirubin is ultimately produced. The bruise then fades more and more because the former blood components have been broken down and removed.

Usually the bruise will go away after about 14 days.

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Duration of a bruise in the knee

A bruise inside the knee should be treated, as otherwise structures of the knee joint can be damaged. How long the bruise lasts in the knee usually depends on the therapy initiated. Otherwise it can be said that a bruise inside a joint lasts longer than a normal bruise under the skin, because the blood is less accessible for degrading processes.

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Duration of a bruise after surgery

A bruise after surgery is not uncommon, as an operation always affects blood vessels, so that blood escapes, which can then manifest itself in the form of a bruise under the skin. In order to reduce the extent of the bruising, drains are placed in the operating area during the operation, which are intended to drain the wound fluid and the leaked blood so that it does not collect and break down under the skin. A normal bruise usually fades over a week or two. A bruise from surgery usually lasts twice as long, around three to four weeks.

A bruise from surgery should be monitored as it could lead to infection or other complication.

Duration of a bruise on the eye

Since a bruise on the eye is usually perceived as disfiguring and not infrequently leads to rumors, those affected are usually particularly interested in when the bruise can be expected to disappear. Unfortunately, this cannot be said clearly, as the duration of a bruise is individual for everyone. In any case, a week ago is not expected to fade. On average, a bruise on the eye disappears after about two to two and a half weeks. Unfortunately, in some people such a stain lasts for four to six weeks. For example, to fade it more quickly, the bruise can be cooled and arnica ointment applied.

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Duration of a bruise in the uterus

Bruising in the uterus usually occurs in early pregnancy, i.e. in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Such a bruise may affect the pregnancy. Similar to an internal bruise, the duration of a bruise in the uterus, which in principle is also an internal bruise, also depends on the size of the bruise. Small bruises usually go away within two weeks, while larger bruises can last for weeks. In most cases, fortunately, the bruise is resorbed and bled out by the body without complications, so that the pregnant patient begins to bleed as the bruise heals. In some cases, the bruise persists until the end of the pregnancy.

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Duration of an internal bruise

An internal bruise can put pressure on nearby tissue, blood vessels and organs. The larger the internal bruise, the longer it will take for the body to clear the bruise. Sometimes the breakdown process of the body is too slow or the location of the bruise turns out to be unfavorable, so that the surrounding tissue is damaged. In these cases, the bruise is punctured (if the contents are still liquid) or surgically removed - this can prevent complications. An internal bruise is about twice as long as a bruise just under the skin.