Swelling near an old bruise?

[lindrusso]

Last night I was at an outdoor party and it was quite hot (for Indiana :p ) and somewhat humid. I have a bruise on my hand from where a nurse tried to start an IV. Anyway, I looked down and the bruised area was very puffy - it looked gross! Today the puffiness is more diffuse, but it still really aches.

Anyone had this happen before? It was very odd!

I have had old bruises swell before, I guess, but it really hurts too - that kind of threw me. I remember getting sunburned once - a spot where I had had swelling from a car accident got puffy again, even though it had healed quite a while before.

Just curious....................

[wallycat]

I got kicked in Karate class once and had a HUGE, solid knot with the bruise. I don't recall having anything like you describe but that doesn't mean it's bad.
I think your fluids must have just pooled there and puffed up at the injury.
If it isn't hot or red (infected), I'd probably put some peroxide on it and watch it. That's just me and I'm not a doc and I hate going in for stuff. Take an aspirin too, incase it is some odd clot. :o

[Andrea_2]

How long ago was your IV? I had a similar experience with mine from a c-section in March. The IV was started in early March, and removed a week later. About a month after that the site started to hurt really bad! It only lasted a couple days and then it went away again. Very weird. I did also have extreme swelling with it, but that was after it had been in for a week, and I was still hospitalized. It took awhile for the swelling to go down after it was removed, but I didn't have additional swelling after that.

While hospitalized, I also had to have some steroid injections for the baby's lungs, and I had a recurrence of pain at the injection sites for those a few weeks later too.

[lindrusso]

How long ago was your IV?

Actually, I guess it's not really an OLD bruise - the IV was a week ago. But still not exactly fresh, either.

I went walking today in the heat and it started to hurt again and get a little puffier, but it's a bit better now that I'm indoors.

Just kind of an oddity that I was curious about. I just wish it didn't make my hand so stiff and achy.

[luv2cook]

Well, heat causes swelling. I would try to ice it when it swells. That tissue is damaged and needs to heal. I had the same problem when I got hit w/a golf ball on my leg...it's still sore and it's been six months!

[mbrogier]

At least it's your arm--I was worried when you said swelling. I can tell you from my experiences that surface clots in the arm are not dangerous (at least that's what my doctors have told me, and I have a clot factor so they're extra careful with me). I would use heat on the area to help the clots dissolve. My doctor also recommended a lot of massaging of the area so that a hard knot did not form. Those knots can take months to dissolve, and they do hurt. Don't be surprised if the area doesn't bruise more. If it gets hot or red or looks weird, I'd let your doctor take a look at it. It is possible that IV sites get infected. I'm just telling you what I've experienced. I've had hundreds of IVs.

I'd go with Ana's advice of the aspirin, too.

**again I am not a physician and do not play one on TV. Take post at your own risk. ;)