Facial Bruise with Sleep Monitoring
A bruise (contusion) happens when small blood vessels break open and leak blood into the nearby area. A facial bruise can result from a bump, hit, or fall. This may happen during sports or an accident.
Symptoms of a bruise often include changes in skin color, swelling, and pain.
Because the injury was to your face, it could have caused a mild brain injury (concussion) or even more rarely severe brain injury, such as internal bleeding. Symptoms of concussion can show up later, even 10 or more days later. For this reason, you need to watch for symptoms of concussion and more severe brain injury once you're home. You need someone to wake you up during the night to check for the symptoms listed below.
The swelling from the contusion should decrease in a few days. Bruising and pain may take several weeks to go away.
Home care
Sleep monitoring
Someone must stay with you for the next 24 hours (or longer, if directed). It's OK to go to sleep. Your doctor may recommend that you be woken up from time to time to be evaluated. The person staying with you should check for signs of a brain injury. These include:
-
Nausea.
-
Vomiting (more than 1 episode).
-
Dizziness or balance problems.
-
Confusion.
-
Severe headache, or one that gets worse.
-
Memory loss.
-
Loss of consciousness.
-
Drowsiness. This may be normal if woken up from a deep sleep in the middle of the night, but you should be alert at your normal waking time.
-
Irritability.
-
Trouble speaking or communicating.
-
Changes in sleep patterns.
-
Depression.
-
Increased sensitivity to light or noise.
If any of these symptoms develop at any time, get medical care right away. If no symptoms are noted during the first 24 hours, continue watching for symptoms for the next 1 to 2 weeks. Symptoms typically occur in the first day. But in rare cases, they can appear later on. After the first 24 hours, you don't need to be woken up during your usual sleep time. Ask your doctor if someone should stay with you during this time.
General care
-
If you have been prescribed medicines for pain, take them as directed.
-
To help reduce swelling and pain from the contusion, wrap a cold pack or bag of frozen peas in a thin towel. Put it on the injured area for up to 20 minutes. Do not place the ice pack or frozen peas directly on the skin. Do this a few times a day until the swelling goes down.
-
If you have scrapes or cuts on your face needing stitches or other closures, care for them as directed.
-
For the next 24 hours or longer if instructed:
-
Don’t drink alcohol or use sedatives or medicines that make you sleepy.
-
Don’t drive or operate machinery.
-
Don't do anything strenuous. Don’t lift or strain.
-
Don't return to sports or other activity that could result in another head injury.
Follow-up care
Follow up with your doctor as directed.
When to contact your doctor
Contact your doctor right away if:
-
Your swelling or pain gets worse, not better.
-
You have new swelling or pain.
-
You have warmth or drainage from the swollen area or from cuts or scrapes.
-
You have fluid drainage or bleeding from the nose or ears.
-
You have a fever of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or higher, or as directed by your doctor.
Call 911
Call 911 if:
-
You have repeated vomiting.
-
You are unusually drowsy or have unusual trouble waking up.
-
You faint or lose consciousness.
-
You have a seizure (convulsion).
-
You have confusion, memory loss, dizziness, headache, behavior or personality changes, slurred speech, or blurred or double vision that gets worse.
-
One pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) is larger than the other.