Along with many other factors, your diet can influence the severity of hematomas and contusions. Certain foods can increase bruising, while others might reduce the appearance of them. Also, certain supplements can potentially help reduce your susceptibility to large bruises. Before you make any significant changes to your diet or begin taking any supplements, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Identification
Contusions are bruises that are caused by tiny blood vessels rupturing beneath your skin, typically caused by a bump, fall or other injury. When your blood begins to "pool" beneath your skin, you develop a hematoma. Hematomas are more concentrated, rubbery and lumpy than bruises. Although everyone can develop bruises, contusions and hematomas after an injury, some people are more prone to bruising, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Avoid
Certain foods contain aspirin-like properties that can "thin" your blood and increase the appearance of a contusion or hematoma. These foods include fruits like apples, peaches, apricots, plums, prunes, cherries, raisins, currants, grapes, grapefruit, lemons, melons, nectarines and oranges, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. You can also limit your intake of strawberries, blackberries, dewberries, gooseberries and raspberries. Vegetables like bell and green peppers, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, sweet potatoes and tomatoes can also thin your blood and increase bruising. Avoid wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, shellfish and fish, garlic, rootbeer and spicy foods as well.
Add
Although many types of fruits contain blood-thinning properties that can increase bruising, consuming foods that are rich in vitamin C --- like fruits --- is essential to reducing the appearance of contusions and hematomas, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Even a slight vitamin C deficiency can increase bruising, so adding fruits and vegetables that are high in this nutrient can greatly reduce bruising
Key Nutrients
If you're deficient in vitamin C and cannot get enough of the nutrient from your diet, you might consider taking supplements of vitamin C and flavonoids to reduce bruising, says the University of Michigan Health System. Certain herbal remedies can also help in treating hematomas and contusions, such as topical arnica, comfrey and sweet clover. Topical applications of escin and oral supplements of bromelain, trypsin and chymotrypsin, bilberry and oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or OPCs, could also help, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Talk with your physician before using any natural supplements or remedies for hematomas and contusions.
Considerations
Just like certain foods, some medications and supplements can thin your blood or thin your skin and worsen bruising. Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications like Coumadin, Plavix and aspirin can thin your blood, while corticosteroids can thin your skin, per the Mayo Clinic. Supplements like ginkgo and fish oil can also thin your blood. So can policosanol, garlic and high-dose vitamin E supplements. Other medications and supplements that can increase your risks for hematomas and contusions include ibuprogen, Aleve, hawthorne, cayenne, red clover, St. John's wort, valerian, kava kava, dong quai, feverfew, meadowsweet, turmeric, niacin, licorice root, melatonin, Ma Huang, Echinacea, white willow bark, yohimbe, guarana, ginger and ginseng. Keep in mind that bruising more easily is common as you age.
Warning
Don't stop taking any prescribed blood-thinning medications before talking with your doctor first, the Mayo Clinic warns. Also, consult your physician or a registered dietitian before you make any substantial dietary changes, such as excluding whole food groups. Keep in mind that herbal and dietary supplements can cause side effects, drug interactions and other health risks just like conventional medications. Ask your healthcare provider about these potential dangers before you begin taking any supplements to treat hematomas and contusions.
