by Ann E. Smith

Created on: November 24, 2008

Bruises are eye sores, with some worse than others in terms of size and severity. Bruises also lead to reactions and questions. What happened? Does it hurt? How did you do that? If you are prone to bruising, you may want to try a home remedy so as to try to lessen the severity of a bruise or make an affected area look a tad bit better.

ICE, ICE BABY

Icing an injured body part not only lessens the pain, but it immediately counteracts the formation of an ugly bruise. Since bruises are formed by blood that flows into the tissues around an injury, one goal is to restrict the amount of blood that gets to that area. Icing will do the trick. It's a smart idea to keep an ice pack in your freezer, but a frozen bag of vegetables can be used as well. The sooner you can apply ice to an injury, the less severe the bruise will be so act quickly.

EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Broccoli is rich in Vitamin-C, and this vitamin helps prevent the formation of bruises. Other food options that contain significant amounts of this vitamin include oranges, sweet red peppers, cauliflower, kiwi and cabbage. Who knew preventing bruising could taste so good?

ARNICA ANYONE?

Arnica is derived from a plant in the sunflower family, and it is reputed to have medicinal value. One of its healing properties is to treat bruises. You can creams or ointments that contain arnica and apply to bruising. Athletes often use this kind of treatment, so it's certainly worth a try.

PULL OUT THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

It's great when a home remedy involves a product you are likely to have in your kitchen cabinet. In this case, it is apple cider vinegar. Mix equal parts of the vinegar and room temperature water in a bowl or pan. Soak a small towel in the mixture and then apply to your bruise. Gently hold the towel on the bruise for several minutes.

ST. JOHN'S WART TO THE RESCUE

You may have heard of St. John's Wart as it is a popular herbal remedy for depression. The plant actually also has anti-inflammatory properties when extracted as an oil. You can get some of this oil at a natural health store. Ask the worker there about how to much to apply to bruises as it may need to be diluted slightly. Note that when used in this form, it will not work to counter depression.

VITAMIN K, PLEASE

Vitamin K is known to lessen the appearance of a dark bruise, so you may want to try this remedy. Vitamin-K creams are readily available online. Rub a small amount of this cream onto a bruise and gently massage it into the skin. Be careful, though, as the bruised area may be sensitive.

In conclusion, bruising is a fact of life. However, the good news is that by taking some of these actions, you can reduce how bad they will be or their unsightly appearance.

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