Why is my bruise spreading down my leg?

After a period of time, that swelling dissipates with the body's help. When this occurs, instead of being confined to one area, it will spread out, so to speak. The spreading out of this bruise follows gravity.

Why is my bruise spreading?

As the body heals, bruises change color, shape, and size. These changes occur as the blood's hemoglobin loses oxygen, and is broken down by your body. Bruising can take weeks to fade away, and the amount of time is different for each person. Bruised areas can swell and get worse in the first few days.

Why do bruises travel down leg?

Bruises hurt, but most are not serious and will go away on their own within 2 to 4 weeks. Sometimes, gravity causes them to spread down the body. A leg bruise usually will take longer to heal than a bruise on the face or arms. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety.

What to do if a bruise is spreading?

If a bruise is rapidly spreading, you need try to stop the bleeding under the skin. Wrap the area (not too tightly) with an elastic bandage, such as an Ace wrap, and keep it on until you see a doctor. You can also put direct pressure on the area for 15 minutes at a time.

When should you worry about a bruise on my leg?

Call the doctor if the bruise is accompanied by swelling and extreme pain, especially if you take a blood-thinning medication for a medical condition. Call the doctor if bruising occurs easily or for no apparent reason. Call the doctor if the bruise is painful and under a toenail or fingernail.

Hematoma: leg bruising and swelling

What do Leukaemia bruises look like?

Small, pinhead-sized red spots on the skin (called “petechiae”) may be a sign of leukaemia. These small red spots are actually very small bruises that cluster so that they look like a rash.

Will a blood clot cause bruising?

Blood will naturally clot at the site of the capillary damage causing a bruise. However, bruises themselves do not cause blood clots. In the case of a large trauma, bruises, hematomas, and blood clots may form independently of each other.

Why is my bruise getting worse?

Sometimes a bruise gets worse instead of better. It may become larger and more swollen. This can occur when your body walls off a small pool of blood under the skin (hematoma). In very rare cases, your doctor may need to drain extra blood from the area.

What does a hematoma look like?

A hematoma can look like a bruise, but bruises occur due to damage to small blood vessels rather than large ones. While many hematomas are relatively harmless, some can indicate a more serious medical problem.

How do you know if a leg injury is serious?

Do bruises move down the leg?

For example, if a person bruises their upper leg, it is not unusual to see the black and blue mark go all the way down their leg toward their ankle. Many people believe that when this happens, they are getting worse. In actuality, it is the body's mechanism of handling a bruise.

What does it mean if a bruise keeps getting bigger?

A bruise that keeps getting bigger after the day of the injury may need medical attention. A bruise on a limb that makes your leg or arm feel very tight or swollen requires medical attention. If a bruise lasts for longer than 2 weeks or it reappears for an unknown reason, see your doctor.

Does a hematoma spread?

For example, if bleeding happens to be inside the abdominal cavity, it can expand into a very large size before it causes any symptoms. This can happen because the hematoma can spread in a relatively free space without pressing on any organs to cause pain or other symptoms.

What bruises should you worry about?

Seek medical attention if you have: increased bruising while taking aspirin (Bayer) or other blood thinners. swelling and pain in the area of bruising. bruising that occurs after a hard blow or fall.

How do you treat a hematoma on the lower leg?

Why is my bruise getting more purple?

As you heal, an iron-rich substance in your blood -- called hemoglobin -- breaks down into other compounds. This process makes your bruise change colors: It's usually red right after the injury. Within a day or two, it turns purplish or black and blue.

How do you tell if a bruise is a hematoma?

How do you treat a bruised leg?

Does pushing on a bruise make it worse?

One tactic to avoid, warns Dr. Nader: Pushing on a bruise to try and break up the blood beneath the skin. This is not proven effective and could result in additional soreness and bruising. (Yikes.)

What does your leg look like with a blood clot?

Clue: Skin Color. If a clot plugs up veins in your arms or legs, they may look bluish or reddish. Your skin also might stay discolored from the damage to blood vessels afterward. A PE in your lung could make your skin pale, bluish, and clammy.

How do I know if I have a blood clot in my leg?

Signs that you may have a blood clot

leg pain or discomfort that may feel like a pulled muscle, tightness, cramping or soreness. swelling in the affected leg. redness or discoloration of the sore spot. the affected area feeling warm to the touch.

How do you detect a blood clot in your leg?

What are early signs of leukemia?

Where do leukemia spots appear?

Leukemia cutis appears as red or purplish red, and it occasionally looks dark red or brown. It affects the outer skin layer, the inner skin layer, and the layer of tissue beneath the skin. The rash can involve flushed skin, plaques, and scaly lesions. It most commonly appears on the trunk, arms, and legs.

What disease would cause bruises to appear without injury?

Von Willebrand disease

When blood isn't clotting like it should, bleeding can be heavier or longer than normal. Whenever this blood gets trapped under the surface of the skin, it will form a bruise. Someone with von Willebrand disease might notice large or lumpy bruises from minor, even unnoticeable, injuries.