Health Tip: Care for Your Bruise

By Diana Kohnle
Wednesday, December 15, 2010

(HealthDay News) -- A bruise forms when a ruptured blood vessel causes blood to pool below the skin.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine suggests how to help heal a bruise:

• Apply an ice pack to the area for no more than 15 minutes per hour.
• Elevate the area that's bruised so it's higher than the heart.
• Don't exercise the area of the body that's bruised, so affected muscles have a chance to rest.
• Take Tylenol (acetaminophen) to help alleviate pain.
• Never try to drain the pooled blood by using a needle.