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What Causes Bleeding From A Fragile Wound?
Question: I would like advice about an abrasion on my shin (from a fall onto a XXXXXXX path) that occurred in early December. The skin is apparently still fragile; when I gave myself a good scrub in the shower a few days ago the skin broke where the wound had been and started to bleed. This alarms me because of the great length of time.
Also, the larger area of the original scrape is still purplish.
What's going on here?
Do I need to do anything specific?
p.s. I forgot one drug from my list: lamotrigine
Also, the larger area of the original scrape is still purplish.
What's going on here?
Do I need to do anything specific?
p.s. I forgot one drug from my list: lamotrigine
Brief Answer:
Hi
Detailed Answer:
Generally the wound heals with a scab following an injury. This scab is replaced by normal skin in a few weeks. Unless wound was initially deep, the area is deprived of scars. Further is some cases, the affected area is covered by hypertrophied scars and keloids.
If you have pictures of the affected area before it started bleeding, it would help me understand what exactly went wrong in your case. Alternatively you can post pictures of the current wound and I shall try explaining it.
At this point of time, I want you to control the bleeding. If you are unable to control it, you need to seek medical attention. Keep the area clean and dry. Avoid dressing it up with bandages. Antiseptic powder like neosporin may be applied over the area.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Hi
Detailed Answer:
Generally the wound heals with a scab following an injury. This scab is replaced by normal skin in a few weeks. Unless wound was initially deep, the area is deprived of scars. Further is some cases, the affected area is covered by hypertrophied scars and keloids.
If you have pictures of the affected area before it started bleeding, it would help me understand what exactly went wrong in your case. Alternatively you can post pictures of the current wound and I shall try explaining it.
At this point of time, I want you to control the bleeding. If you are unable to control it, you need to seek medical attention. Keep the area clean and dry. Avoid dressing it up with bandages. Antiseptic powder like neosporin may be applied over the area.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Aparna Kohli
Hello,
Thank you for the reply. The initial wound was an abrasion over a fairly large area (about 3" x 4" -- approx. 7.5 cm x 10 cm), some of it quite superficial. In a few places the wound was a little deeper and took a long time to heal (as far as I thought). The area was reddish and purplish for several weeks, but has faded to a smaller area since then. There is no active bleeding now--those small areas were where the deeper places were, and there are scabs now. I'm sorry, but I don't have a photo or a way to send you one.
I thought the wound was taking a very long time to heal, and unfortunately I have fallen a few times in the winter (on ice) and have had several scrapes and bruises those times, and some nerve damage so that the area is numb. (In fact, that is about where the current problem is, although the nerve damage was caused by a fall several years ago.)
As I mentioned, the fact that the skin broke open again without anything unusual -- just a normal scrubbing with a washcloth as I usually do -- is what has perplexed and worried me now. How could it be that my skin hasn't repaired back to normal in just about 6 months? Are any of my conditions or medications likely to be involved in such slow healing or complete healing?
Besides good wound care such as what you have recommended, is there anything more lasting that I should be doing? Are any of my medicines likely to have caused this, and should I ask my internist about stopping taking them?
Thank you.
Thank you for the reply. The initial wound was an abrasion over a fairly large area (about 3" x 4" -- approx. 7.5 cm x 10 cm), some of it quite superficial. In a few places the wound was a little deeper and took a long time to heal (as far as I thought). The area was reddish and purplish for several weeks, but has faded to a smaller area since then. There is no active bleeding now--those small areas were where the deeper places were, and there are scabs now. I'm sorry, but I don't have a photo or a way to send you one.
I thought the wound was taking a very long time to heal, and unfortunately I have fallen a few times in the winter (on ice) and have had several scrapes and bruises those times, and some nerve damage so that the area is numb. (In fact, that is about where the current problem is, although the nerve damage was caused by a fall several years ago.)
As I mentioned, the fact that the skin broke open again without anything unusual -- just a normal scrubbing with a washcloth as I usually do -- is what has perplexed and worried me now. How could it be that my skin hasn't repaired back to normal in just about 6 months? Are any of my conditions or medications likely to be involved in such slow healing or complete healing?
Besides good wound care such as what you have recommended, is there anything more lasting that I should be doing? Are any of my medicines likely to have caused this, and should I ask my internist about stopping taking them?
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Skin abrasion
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I do not think you should do anything extra apart from what you were doing. I also do not think the medicines that you take now would be slowing down the healing process.
I understand why you were worried. When you actually fell on a path, some amount of dust would have settled on it or some larger dust particles would have gone deeper into the tissue. When such things were not removed or cleaned enough then they hamper the healing process. The body defense would first attack them as foreign agents and engulp them eventually. So the healing would not be as smooth and faster. You would not find this particles now as they were already killed. Second, you seem to have multiple medical issues at a time and some of them delay the healing.
I still suggest you to continue skin hygiene and keep the medical problems under control with adequate medication and referrals.
Skin abrasion
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I do not think you should do anything extra apart from what you were doing. I also do not think the medicines that you take now would be slowing down the healing process.
I understand why you were worried. When you actually fell on a path, some amount of dust would have settled on it or some larger dust particles would have gone deeper into the tissue. When such things were not removed or cleaned enough then they hamper the healing process. The body defense would first attack them as foreign agents and engulp them eventually. So the healing would not be as smooth and faster. You would not find this particles now as they were already killed. Second, you seem to have multiple medical issues at a time and some of them delay the healing.
I still suggest you to continue skin hygiene and keep the medical problems under control with adequate medication and referrals.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Aparna Kohli
Thank you very much for your help.
XXXX
XXXX
Brief Answer:
Please close and rate the discussion
Detailed Answer:
I am happy that you found the answers.
Take care.
Please close and rate the discussion
Detailed Answer:
I am happy that you found the answers.
Take care.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Aparna Kohli
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