Bruises, or ecchymoses, are a discoloration and tenderness of the skin or mucous membranes due to the leakage of blood from an injured blood vessel into the tissues. Pupura refers to bruising as the result of a disease condition. A very small bruise is called a petechia. These often appear as many tiny red dots clustered together, and could indicate a serious problem.

Most minor bruises will go away on their own with time (usually after going through a rainbow of colors), but these remedies may speed up the healing process. If you close a door or drawer on your finger, prepare a poultice of grated onion and salt and apply it to the bruised area. The pain will disappear within seconds.

Place ice on a bruise to help prevent the area from turning black and blue, and to reduce the swelling. If ice is not available, immediately press a knife (flat side only-we're talking bruises, not amputation) or a spoon on the bruise for five to 10 minutes.

Natural home remedies
Make a salve by mashing pieces of parsley into a teaspoon of butter. Gently rub the salve on the bruise. Grate a piece of turnip or a piece of daikon Oapanese radish. Apply the grated root to the bruise and leave it there for 15 to 30 minutes. These two roots have been known to help clean up the internal bleeding of the bruise, preventing it from turning black and blue. Apply a sliced, raw onion over the bruise, but not if the skin is broken.

Spread a thin layer of blackstrap molasses on a piece of brown paper (grocery bag) and apply the molasses side to the bruise. Bind it in place and leave it there for a few hours. Peel a banana and apply the inside of the peel to the bruise. It will lessen the pain, reduce the discoloration and speed healing. Bind the peel in place with a bandage. Chinese people use a mixture of 1 part cayenne pepper and 5 parts melted Vaseline, mix and cool, apply once a day.

Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of castor oil. Dampen a clean white cloth and make a cornstarch/castor oil poultice. Apply the poultice to the bruise and leave it on until the damp cloth gets dry.

Prevention
Vitamin K promotes normal clotting in the blood, and therefore may help reduce the tendency to bruise easily. Green leafy vegetables, alfalfa, broccoli, seaweed, and fish liver oils are dietary sources of vitamin K. Other good foods to eat would be those containing bioflavonoids, such as reddish-blue berries. These can assist in strengthening the connective tissue, which will decrease the spread of blood and bruising. Zinc and vitamin C supplements are also recommended for this.