WEBVTT - BrainStuff Classics: Why Do Bruises Change Color?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Lauren bvogelbamb And Today I've got a classic.

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<v Speaker 2>Episode of a podcast for you.

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<v Speaker 1>In this one, we're talking about these slightly gross but

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<v Speaker 1>totally awesome science behind bruises and why they change color

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<v Speaker 1>while your body is healing from a bump. Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Lauren vogelbamb And. If you're anything like me and

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<v Speaker 1>absentmindedly attempt to walk through solid objects instead of around them,

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<v Speaker 1>you're familiar with bruises. They can be embarrassing reminders of

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<v Speaker 1>less than graceful moments, or, perhaps for an athlete with

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<v Speaker 1>hard won marks from a vigorous workout, a mark of

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<v Speaker 1>profound pride. But however you choose to view bruises, they're

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<v Speaker 1>pretty fascinating. The variety of colorful patterns they create on

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<v Speaker 1>the skin is reason enough to want to learn more

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<v Speaker 1>about these weird and sometimes painful spots that everyone is

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<v Speaker 1>coped with at one point or another. Otherwise known as

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<v Speaker 1>a contusion, a bruise is a mark that appears when

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<v Speaker 1>when blood is trapped underneath the surface of the skin.

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<v Speaker 1>Bruises occur when some type of trauma or injury crushes

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<v Speaker 1>tiny blood vessels known as capillaries, but doesn't break the skin.

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<v Speaker 1>As a result of the injury, the broken capillaries leak

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<v Speaker 1>out red blood cells, which get trapped under the skin,

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<v Speaker 1>collecting in a pool that forms the blue, purple, red,

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<v Speaker 1>black blemish. Bruises can feel tender when they first form

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<v Speaker 1>and can be accompanied by some swelling. They usually take

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<v Speaker 1>about two weeks to heal, but some bruises can last months.

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<v Speaker 1>During the healing period, the body breaks down and reabsorbs

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<v Speaker 1>the pooled blood that produced the mark. As this happens,

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<v Speaker 1>the color of the bruises can fade from dark to

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<v Speaker 1>light and take on all kinds of interesting hues along

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<v Speaker 1>the way. When a bruise first forms, it's usually some

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<v Speaker 1>shade of red thanks to the fresh blood just below

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<v Speaker 1>the skin's surface. After about a day or two, the

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<v Speaker 1>hemoglobin in the blood cells starts losing its oxygen, which

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<v Speaker 1>is what gives blood its red color in the first place.

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<v Speaker 1>Hemoglobin is the protein that transports oxygen to cells, so

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<v Speaker 1>as it's broken down by the BOTO, it loses that

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<v Speaker 1>oxygen it was carrying, and its red tone darkens and

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<v Speaker 1>shifts to blue. Purple and blackish tones. After a few

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<v Speaker 1>more days, the mark usually fades to greener yellow, before

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<v Speaker 1>being hit with a hint of brown and then fading

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<v Speaker 1>away completely. This color change.

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<v Speaker 2>Occurs as the body reuses the iron in the hemoglobin

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<v Speaker 2>to form new red blood cells. The unused decomposed hemoglobin

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<v Speaker 2>transforms into a green pigment called biliverdin, which then converts

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<v Speaker 2>into a yellow or light brown tinged compound called bilirubin.

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<v Speaker 2>As all these products are either reabsorbed or purged from

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<v Speaker 2>the body, the mark fades and disappears. Just About everyone

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<v Speaker 2>gets bruises, but some people are more prone to them

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<v Speaker 2>than others. Elderly people, for example, may be more likely

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<v Speaker 2>to bruise to to thinner skin and softer tissue. Other

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<v Speaker 2>factors like certain diseases, medical conditions, and medications can also

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<v Speaker 2>increase a person's risk for bruising. So what do you

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<v Speaker 2>do when you get a hickey, a shiner, or any

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<v Speaker 2>other form of contusion. Usually time real life does heal

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<v Speaker 2>all wounds. Eventually, A serious bruise can develop clots that

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<v Speaker 2>take months to resolve, but will usually go away on

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<v Speaker 2>their own. And while there are plenty of urban myths

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<v Speaker 2>and tales about how to magically banish bruises in a snap.

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<v Speaker 2>The only legit healing method is to chill, literally and figuratively.

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<v Speaker 2>Doctors recommend applying ice right after the injury occurs, and

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<v Speaker 2>then resting the injured area as much as you can

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<v Speaker 2>for the next few days. After that, you can try

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<v Speaker 2>applying mild heat to increase blood flow, which might speed

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<v Speaker 2>the healing process up a little bit. By the way,

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<v Speaker 2>if you find yourself constantly battling bruises, you might want

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<v Speaker 2>to talk to a doctor to investigate whether you have

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<v Speaker 2>a nutrient deficiency because your blood requires vitamin K to

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<v Speaker 2>clock properly. If you don't have enough, you might bruise

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<v Speaker 2>more easily. Vitamin C is also important to protect your

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<v Speaker 2>blood vessels. Today's episode is based on the article why

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<v Speaker 2>do bruises change color as they heal? On hostifforks dot Com,

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<v Speaker 2>written by Shell cons Standinofsky. Brainstuff is production by Heart

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<v Speaker 1>Dot Com is produced by Tyler Klag.

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