A bruise usually involves damage to skin and tissue in the body, which results in swelling and skin discoloration. A hematoma is caused by damage to the blood vessels, which causes blood to pool in the affected area.
Bruises and hematomas may occur if you repeatedly or unexpectedly come into contact with a blunt object. Depending on the affected area, they can be harmless or more serious.
They can also happen as a result of more extensive or serious injury or trauma, and they can also affect internal organs.
Read on to find out more about the difference between a hematoma and a bruise, and how to care for them.
A bruise, or contusion, occurs when muscle fibres and tissue underneath your skin are damaged, but the skin isn’t broken through. This can happen if you come into contact with a blunt object, like bumping your arm into a door handle.
Some shallow blood vessels at the surface of the skin may also be damaged, which can result in some minor skin discoloration. The bruise is typically darker at first, but it will lighten and turn yellowish over time as it heals.
A hematoma typically involves a pool of blood in the affected area under the skin. This occurs due to injury or trauma to larger blood vessels in the body. The blood vessels break, and blood pools in the area, usually forming a lump.
Similar to bruises, hematomas can be harmless or more severe depending on their location.
Subcutaneous, or skin-deep hematomas usually heal on their own, while internal hematomas, which occur after trauma or injury to internal organs, may need additional treatment or monitoring.
You can get a bruise and a hematoma at the same time if the walls of the blood vessels were damaged and blood pooled into the affected area.
If you have a bruise, you may experience certain symptoms like:
Symptoms of a hematoma usually include:
- inflammation
- swelling
- tenderness
- redness or other color changes in the skin
- warmth in the affected area
- pain
If the hematoma affects internal organs, you may experience other, more severe symptoms. For example, a hematoma due to injury or trauma to the head, also called a subdural hematoma, can cause you to experience:
- a severe headache
- vision changes
- confusion
- hearing loss
- personality changes
- difficulty walking
- loss of consciousness
- seizures
- loss of movement in your limbs
If you experience trauma to the head or other areas, it’s very important to watch for any unusual symptoms and contact a doctor for advice and monitoring.
Most bruises are harmless and go away without any treatment. Hematomas can also go away on their own if they’re shallow and don’t involve trauma or injury to any internal organs.
For more serious ones, a doctor can perform a physical examination or request more tests to better assess the injured area. These tests can involve:
Based on the results and whether you need additional tests apart from a physical examination, they can devise a treatment plan for you. If you have an injury that can be managed at home, they may advise you to rest and apply ice and compression to the area.
This is called the rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE) protocol, and can help manage pain and inflammation. If the pain is severe, you can also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), if appropriate for you.
After a few days, swelling and inflammation should decrease. Depending on the severity and extent of your injury, you should be able to return to your usual activity levels in a few weeks.
A serious hematoma that affects internal organs could require surgical drainage if it’s putting pressure on other organs or has an increased risk of infection.
Here are some frequently asked questions about bruises and hematomas.
Bruises are usually harmless and occurs as a result of injury to muscle tissue and surface-level blood vessels. A hematoma involves bleeding under the skin, which typically pools in the affected area and can form a lump. Hematomas can be more serious and require medical attention and treatment.
Hematomas can usually be managed at home with rest and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, hematomas due to trauma to the head or other internal injuries need to be investigated by a doctor who can advise on the right treatment for you.
Yes, hematomas can hurt to the touch, as the area is tender and swollen after an injury. However, superficial hematomas should go away on their own in time.
Bruises occur when tissue and muscle underneath the skin are damaged due to trauma or injury. They’re usually harmless and go away on their own in a few days.
You may notice some swelling and initial discoloration, but the swelling should go down over time, and the area should lighten up or turn yellowish as it heals.
Hematomas are a collection of blood that pools under the skin when the blood vessels underneath the skin are injured. The hematoma may be slightly raised, as the blood collected underneath the skin forms a lump. This can be tender and painful to the touch.
If you have a hematoma that occurs as a result of trauma to the head or other internal organs, it’s important to be evaluated by a healthcare professional who can advise on next steps.