If a bump formed on the head from a blow, then this indicates that the bruise was quite serious. Indeed, swelling of tissues is a sign of damage to blood vessels. It often happens that the pain from a bruise has long passed, and the bump does not subside. Such swelling hurts when pressed and causes a person physical and moral discomfort. How to get rid of a bump on your head yourself? And in what cases should I go to the doctor immediately? We will consider these issues in the article.
Why does the bump appear
A bump on the head from a blow appears due to damage to small vessels. At its core, it is a type of hematoma. On impact, the capillaries break and blood flows out of them. When other parts of the body are bruised, a bruise appears on the skin, but there is usually no swelling. This is due to the fact that subcutaneous tissue absorbs blood on the body and on the limbs. Therefore, edema does not form.
There is no fiber on the head. Blood pours out under the skin. In this case, the liquid is not absorbed, but only accumulates. For this reason, a bruise of the head leads to the appearance of a bump. Which does not exclude the simultaneous formation of a bruise, if the blow was strong enough.
Causes
A hematoma on the head does not occur with every bruise. In order for a lump to appear, a rather rough mechanical effect on the skin is necessary. Edema usually results from the following injuries:
- Cones on the child’s head from a blow are most often formed due to falls. Young children often fall out of their strollers. Such injuries also occur when a child learns to walk.
- Adults are more likely to get bumps when hitting hard surfaces. This happens with awkward movements or when an object falls on a person from above.
Symptoms
How to distinguish hematoma from other types of edema and tumors? The bumps on the head from the blow have the following features:
- A hematoma is always formed exclusively in the place that has been subjected to mechanical stress. For example, if a person is hurt by the crown, a lump cannot occur in the frontal region.
- The size of education may vary. It depends on how bad the bruise was.
- The color of the bumps may be different. Sometimes it does not differ from the rest of the skin color, but it can also be bluish due to hemorrhage. But in the area of the head there are no bruises of such a bright color as on other parts of the body.
- The skin around the bump looks swollen.
- When you click on the bump, pain is felt.
On average, edema can last from 2 to 7 days. With enhanced treatment and correctly provided first aid, the bump passes quickly enough.
Features of injury in babies
A lump on the head after a blow in a child is a very common occurrence. After all, children love a mobile and active lifestyle. In babies, the scalp is soft, so a hematoma can form even with a minor blow.
However, head injuries in children are often accompanied by concussion and other unpleasant consequences. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the well-being of the baby. Many children cry a lot when bruised, but more often than not it comes from pain. It is necessary to let the baby calm down, and then take a closer look at his condition. At the slightest doubt, you should contact a pediatric traumatologist.
The size of the hematoma does not always indicate the danger of injury. For example, with forehead bruises, huge bumps always form. However, the frontal bone is the strongest, and protects the brain well, so unpleasant consequences with bruises in this area are rare.
Cold
Suppose a child or adult has a bump on his head from a stroke. What to do first? A few minutes after the bruise, blood still continues to flow from the bursting vessels, and the lump grows. If the blow was very strong, then the swelling increases right in front of the eyes.
First of all, you need to stop subcutaneous hemorrhage. To do this, apply cold to the damaged area. Its effect will help to narrow blood vessels and reduce hematoma, as well as reduce pain. The following tools are suitable for this purpose:
- Ice. If the injury occurred at home, you can take ice from the refrigerator, put it in a bag and wrap it in a towel. Apply an ice pack to the injury site. This procedure must be repeated several times during the day. Instead of ice, you can use products from the freezer or a bottle of cold water.
- Compress with cold water. It is necessary to moisten the fabric with cold water and attach to the bump. Once the compress has warmed up, it must be replaced. This procedure is repeated several times.
- If there is nothing cold at hand, then ordinary vegetable oil can help. It must be applied to cotton wool or bandage and applied to the site of the injury for half an hour. With the help of such a folk remedy, the appearance of a lump can be completely avoided if the blow was not too strong.
Cold should be used during the first day after an injury.
Heat exposure
Cold is a first aid for bumps on the head from a blow. How to treat hematoma further? Many people are limited only to cold compresses on the first day. However, this is not enough. On the second day, the sore spot must be warmed up. Under the influence of heat, the swelling subsides, and the bump begins to dissolve.
You can attach a warm boiled egg to the bruise. Also suitable is salt, heated in a pan and wrapped in a rag. Do not use too hot compresses so as not to burn the already injured skin.
In the following days, the cone is treated with pharmacy ointments or folk remedies.
Ointments
How to anoint the bump on the head from a blow after first aid? In pharmacies, you can purchase various local remedies for bruises. Let's consider some of them:
- "Troxerutin." This is a gel-shaped drug that helps absorb swelling after a bruise. The agent is well absorbed into the skin, but it is not recommended to be applied to the damaged epithelium. The treated sore spot should be protected from ultraviolet radiation.
- Troxevasin. The gel strengthens the walls of damaged vessels and promotes their healing. It reduces swelling and relieves pain. The bump should be treated with gel in the morning and evening.
- "Rescuer". This gel suppresses the inflammatory response and heals the injured area of the skin. In addition, it has disinfectant properties.
- "Heparin ointment." The tool is intended to combat thrombosis. However, it is also effective in cones on the head from a blow. Ointment acts as an anticoagulant and promotes resorption of hematomas.
- Lyoton 1000 This gel also has anticoagulant properties and dissolves the blood mass under the skin after a bruise.
- Mirralgin. The tool is a plant-based balm. It improves blood circulation in damaged tissues, relieves pain and swelling. This harmless herbal remedy is especially indicated for young children.
These drugs must be used until the cones disappear completely. Treatment may take a different period, depending on the degree of injury.
Folk remedies
Cones on the head from a blow can be cured with the help of folk remedies. Everyone knows the healing properties of aloe juice and Kalanchoe. A compress can be made from these plants to help reduce tissue swelling. You need to take a leaf of the plant, remove the top layer from it, put on a sore spot, and then cover with film and cotton. The compress is held for about 2-3 hours.
You can use the leaves of ordinary cabbage. They need to be crushed and boiled in milk. Then put the mass on a napkin or cloth and attach to the site of the bruise. The compress is held for about 1 hour. This tool helps relieve swelling.
Cones on the head from a stroke in adults can be treated with a mixture of iodine and alcohol (1: 1 ratio). This tool is especially useful for edema of bluish and pinkish color, accompanied by severe subcutaneous hemorrhage.
Possible consequences
It should be remembered that a bump on the head from a blow is far from always a harmless phenomenon. Indeed, in the cranium is the brain, many vessels and nerve nodes. Damage to these anatomical structures can lead to serious consequences:
- concussion;
- skull fracture;
- rupture of cerebral vessels.
It is important to remember that serious head injuries often lead to severe malfunctions of the central nervous system. With such pathologies, long-term treatment is often required. Therefore, everyone should know in which cases a lump can be dangerous.
When a doctor needs help
It is necessary to consult a doctor if a lump on the head after a blow does not pass within a week. If the edema does not disappear for a long time, then this may indicate trauma to the bone tissue.
It is urgent to seek medical help if the following symptoms are noted in a child or adult:
- pain in the head and neck;
- dizziness;
- nausea and vomiting;
- visual impairment;
- strabismus;
- the discharge of blood or light fluid from the nose or ears;
- an increase in pain;
- disorders of speech and consciousness;
- pain aggravated by turning the head;
- convulsive attacks;
- bleeding from a wound that does not stop for more than 10 to 15 minutes.
These warning signs may indicate a severe head injury. It is necessary to lay the patient, call an ambulance and control his consciousness and breathing before the doctors arrive.
Is the bump always associated with a bruise
A soft cone after hitting the head is not dangerous if there are no signs of trauma to the brain or bones of the skull. It is important to remember that a bruise hematoma never has a solid structure. If the bump looks like a seal, then most likely it is not associated with a blow.
Very often, people associate tumors on their heads with the fact that they accidentally hurt themselves. However, such cones may have a completely different origin.
The following formations may occur in the forehead and scalp:
- Atheromas (wen). They look like balls filled with greasy contents. Suppurative wen can be painful.
- Hemangioma. This tumor from the blood vessels is very similar to a bump after a bruise. However, such a neoplasm has a more intense color than a normal hematoma.
- Fibroma. The tumor consists of connective tissue and is benign in nature. With trauma, malignant degeneration is possible.
- Lymphadenitis In children with inflammation infections, lymph nodes often enlarge. They look like reddened painful bumps. Usually located on the back of the head or behind the ears.
The appearance of a lump on the head should not be associated solely with the blow. Many of the above neoplasms need surgical removal. Therefore, if you are not sure that the bump is caused precisely by a bruise, then you need to contact a specialist. Only a doctor can determine the exact cause of the tumor.