A hematoma is a collection of blood outside of the blood vessels that results in pain, edema, and unsightly bruises. Some hematomas can damage internal organs, result in tissue damage to the skin, and demand medical attention.
Any damaged blood vessel, including arteries, veins, and tiny capillaries, can develop a hematoma. Hematomas can develop after traumas such car accidents, brain injuries, falls, aneurysms, and bone fractures. People with specific medical conditions, such as hemophilia, blood cancers, and liver disease, are more susceptible to develop hemorrhages.
People frequently have hematomas at some point in their lives. Bruises occur as purple bruises of varied sizes under the skin or on the nails. Contusions are a frequent term for skin bruises. Due to its location deep within the body, a bruise might not be visible. It is usual for hemostasis to result in a palpable lump or mass. A hemorrhage may go by a different name depending on where it is located. Here are a few illustrations:
- Hematomas are blood clots that form between brain tissue and the brain’s lining. A subdural hematoma is one of these.
- A hemorrhage between the outer lining of the spinal cord and the spinal vertebrae is known as a spinal epidural hematoma.
- An intracranial epidural hematoma is a hemorrhage between the outer layer of the brain and the skull.
- Subungual hematoma: There is a hematoma under the nail.
- An internal hematoma in the abdominal cavity is known as an intra-abdominal, peritoneal, or retroperitoneal hematoma.
- A hemorrhage involving the ear cartilage and the skin above it is known as an ear or auditory hematoma.
- Having a hematoma in the spleen is known as having a splenic hematoma.
- A hematoma in the liver is known as a hepatic hematoma.
What Distinguishes Hematomas From Blunt Injuries?
Small blood vessels that bleed blood into the tissues under the skin cause bruises to occur. Hematomas, on the other hand, are larger blood vessel leaks that result in blood pooling and can happen further inside the body than broids.
Hematomas are distinct from bruises since a bruise is flat and results in the skin’s afflicted area turning black and blue. A hematoma, on the other hand, results in a painful bulge on the skin that, depending on whether the hematoma is visible, may be red, black, blue, or purple.
In terms of intensity and persistence, hemorrhages are distinct from bruises. Hematomas might linger for up to a month, but most bruises go gone in a couple of days to a few weeks. Bruising is more common than hemorrhoids in terms of pain intensity and duration.
Hematoma causes include
When a blood artery is damaged or ruptures, blood can leak into the surrounding tissue, where it collects and becomes a hematoma. The most frequent reason for a hematoma is trauma or injury. A minor injury to tiny blood vessels, such as skin capillaries, can result in bruising. Head injuries can cause hematomas to grow inside the skull, compressing the brain, and larger veins can lead to increased bleeding (hemorrhage) and larger hematomas.
Hematomas may also form if your blood is unable to clot appropriately as a result of a coagulation disorder, anticoagulant medication, or a long-term illness.
Hematoma common causes
There are numerous factors that might cause a hematoma, including:
- Heparin and warfarin are both anticoagulant medications.
- A blood draw method (venipuncture) or the installation of an intravenous catheter may be required for chronic illnesses.
- Some examples of coagulation abnormalities (hereditary bleeding disorders) are hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease.
- A shortage of platelets (platelets are necessary for the blood to clot normally).
- Damage or an unpleasant experience
Some blood thinners can make it more likely for hematomas to form. Aspirin, Presenting (dipyridamole), and aspirin-containing products (like Alka Seltzer) users are more likely to develop hematomas and experience less severe blood vessel damage than non-users of these medications.
Due to the way these medications impact blood clotting, even little blood vessel injury becomes more difficult to repair, leading to hematoma formation.
Additional medications and substances that could result in severe bleeding include:
- vitamin E
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Aleve), aspirin, and naproxen sodium.
- Vitamins with garlic, and
- Ginkgo leaf.
Hematoma symptoms include:
The following are signs of more superficial hematomas:
- Discoloration
- Inflammation and enlargement
- There is tenderness there.
- Redness
- The hematoma’s surrounding skin is heated.
- Pain
Internal hematomas could be challenging to find. Anyone who has had a serious injury or been involved in an accident ought to visit the doctor frequently to have hematomas examined.
Brain hematomas are very fatal. Even if you’ve already seen a doctor for an injury, watch out for any new symptoms, such as:
- A terrible, intensifying headache
- Uneven students
- having trouble moving an arm or a leg
- loss of hearing
- having trouble swallowing
- sleepiness
- drowsiness
- a lapse of consciousness
Hematoma risks include:
Several factors raise the risk of developing a hematoma. There are numerous potential causes of hemorrhages, including:
Aneurysms come in two varieties: intracranial and intracerebral (brain).
- Therapy to prevent blood clots with anticoagulants, antiplatelets, or aspirin
- diseases of bleeding, such as hemophilia
- blood vessel damage or disorders
- heavy drinking
- injuries brought on by explosions or explosives or by direct force
- Liver illness may make bleeding worse.
- Skin and blood vessels become increasingly susceptible as people age.
- not enough platelets
- Surgery
- An example of a vitamin deficiency is vitamin K deficiency (vitamin K is required for blood coagulation).
Identifying a hematoma
A thorough medical history and a physical examination are both parts of a hematoma evaluation. In general, there are no specialized blood tests for diagnosing hematomas.
Nevertheless, depending on the circumstance, tests like a complete blood count (CBC), coagulation panel, chemistry and metabolic panel, and liver tests may be helpful in analyzing a person with a hematoma and determining whether any underlying diseases are to blame for the hematoma formation.
Hematomas inside the body are frequently diagnosed using imaging techniques.
- It is possible to identify a subdural hematoma with a head computed tomography (CT) scan.
- A CT scan of the abdomen is an appropriate test if an abdominal hematoma (intra-abdominal, hepatic, splenic, retroperitoneal, or peritoneal) is suspected.
- When it comes to finding epidural hematomas, an MRI scan is more reliable than a CT scan.
When Should I Get a Hematoma Checkup?
You should seek medical assistance if a hematoma’s symptoms are severe or if the hematoma’s size keeps expanding. Subdural and epidural hematomas in the brain, for instance, frequently necessitate rapid medical and surgical attention, especially if they are accompanied by neurologic problems.
The majority of clinicians who treat hematoma patients are emergency room doctors, urgent care doctors, surgeons, neurosurgeons, and internal medicine practitioners.
Home treatments for hematoma:
Consisting of rest, cold, compression, and elevation (RICE), cutaneous hematomas are most frequently caused by contusions. There will be an answer at some point. Depending on where the injury occurred, immobilizing the injured body part for a few days may expedite recovery, but there must be a balance between healing and preserving the affected body part’s range of motion.
Consisting of rest, cold, compression, and elevation (RICE), cutaneous hematomas are most frequently caused by contusions. There will be an answer at some point. Depending on where the injury occurred, immobilizing the injured body part for a few days may expedite recovery, but there must be a balance between healing and preserving the affected body part’s range of motion.
Patients with liver disease should carefully watch their acetaminophen intake, whereas patients using blood thinners should avoid ibuprofen due to the risk of stomach bleeding.
Hematoma treatment:
In some cases, treating a hematoma may not be necessary. The body typically absorbs the hematoma’s blood over time.
In order to reduce any discomfort or swelling brought on by a hematoma under the skin, nail, or other soft tissue, rest the injured area and apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel.
While the blood vessel heals, wrapping or splinting the area around the hematoma may help prevent it from reopening. A doctor will provide you with specific instructions on how to accomplish this if it is necessary.
Doctors may recommend over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers if the injury is painful. Normally, they would advise against taking aspirin or other painkillers like it since they thin the blood and can make the hematoma worse.
In some circumstances, a hematoma may require surgical drainage. Surgery can be required if blood is putting pressure on the spinal cord, brain, or other organs. In some cases, doctors may choose to remove a hematoma that is at risk of infection.
Despite the fact that the hematoma is inside the skull, surgical treatment may not always be necessary. In rare instances where the wounded blood vessel continues to leak blood, the hematoma may continue to grow. The result is a mixture of old and new blood, which experts must remove.