Bruised Kidney (Kidney Contusion) Symptoms:
The most common symptom of a bruise is pain. Other symptoms include swelling, redness, tenderness and warmth. The bruising may cause your skin to feel sore or burnish feeling when touched. You might experience nausea, vomiting and dizziness if you have had too much alcohol consumption.
What Causes Bruising?
The exact causes of bruises are not known. However, it is believed that the damage occurs due to blood vessels being damaged in some way. There are several theories as to how this happens. One theory suggests that the blood flow to the affected area is blocked or reduced. Another theory suggests that the blood flow to the affected area is increased. The third theory suggests that there is a combination of these two theories.
How Does Bruising Occur?
It is possible that the bleeding occurs because of a blockage in one or both of the arteries supplying blood to your body. When the blood vessels are damaged, they may experience bleeding or a rupture.
How Long Does a Bruise Last?
The time it takes bruises to heal depends on the size of the bruise. Larger bruises heal more slowly. The affected area can be swollen, red, tender and may hurt for up to four weeks or even longer. This is why it is important not to bump or aggravate the affected area in anyway as this can slow down the healing process.
Treatments for a Bruised Kidney (Kidney Contusion)
The main treatment for a bruised kidney is to apply an ice pack to the affected area as soon as possible. The cold temperature helps to reduce swelling and pain. If you don’t have an ice pack, you can use a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel instead. Apply the ice pack for 15-20 minutes every couple of hours.
Over the counter pain relievers may help to reduce pain and swelling. If over the counter pain relievers do not help, speak to your doctor about other pain relievers that may be suitable for you.
As with most injuries, it is best to rest the affected area as much as possible. Avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting as this can slow down the healing process and may cause more damage to the bruised area.
How to Prevent Bruising on the Kidney?
There are several things that you can do to help prevent a bruised kidney. People who work in construction and other manual labor jobs have an increased risk of bruising their kidneys. Always wear high-quality protective gear such as hardhats, safety goggles, gloves and steel-toed boots when working. If possible, wear protective clothing such as jackets and padding.
During sporting events and recreational activities, it is important to wear protective gear such as helmets, mouth guards and shin pads. Avoid contact sports if possible as the risk of a bruised kidney is higher in these types of activities.
It is not possible to prevent bruises that are caused by medical conditions or diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or small blood vessel disease.
Sources & references used in this article:
Kidney trauma in martial arts: a case report of kidney contusion in jujitsu by MW Itagaki, NB Knight – The American journal of sports …, 2004 – journals.sagepub.com
Patterned bruising indicating a complete renal artery transection in a fatal occupational accident by L Tattoli, B Solarino – Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 2020 – Springer
Diagnosis and early management of renal trauma: A study of 120 patients by MH Kazmin, SA Brosman, ATK Cockett – The Journal of urology, 1969 – auajournals.org
Treatment of Cerebral Contusion by L Rogers – British medical journal, 1943 – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Bruised tissue III. Some factors affecting experimental bruises by MK Hamdy, LE Kunkle, MS Rheins… – Journal of Animal …, 1957 – academic.oup.com
Enzymatic Studies of Bruised Poultry Tissuea by WE BROWN, MK HAMDY – Journal of Food Science, 1964 – Wiley Online Library
Loquat bruise detection using optical coherence tomography based on microstructural parameters by Y Zhou, D Wu, G Hui, J Mao, T Liu, W Zhou… – Food Analytical …, 2018 – Springer
Kidney rupture without externally visible trauma by PH Memchoubi – Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 2008 – indianjournals.com
Management of renal injury in conjunction with the immediate surgical treatment of the acute severe trauma patient by RG Del Villar, GW Ireland, AS Cass – The Journal of urology, 1972 – auajournals.org
