Have you ever developed a bump on your body that just won't go away? Maybe it's in a spot where clothes rub against it all day, making it even more irritating. Or perhaps it's been there for so long that you've given up hope of ever getting rid of it.
Well, fear not my friend! You may have something called a calcified hematoma - and I'm here to tell you everything you need to know about them. With this ultimate guide, saying goodbye to those pesky bumps will be easy as pie!
What is a Calcified Hematoma?
Let's start with the basics - what exactly is a calcified hematoma? Essentially, it's an area of tissue damage (a bruise or injury) that has healed but left behind some scar tissue. Over time, calcium can build up in the damaged area and cause hardening or thickening of the skin.
Now, before you gasp and think you're doomed forever if you have one of these bad boys...it's important to note that they are usually harmless! In fact, most people don't even notice them unless they are in visible areas like arms or legs.
Why Do They Form?
There isn't always an obvious reason why calcified hematomas form - sometimes they seem to appear out of nowhere. However, there are several common causes:
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Trauma: This is by far the most common cause. If an injury doesn’t heal properly due to lack of attention afterwards – which can make blood accumulate under your skin – then voilà , instant hematoma.
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Surgery: Any surgical procedure involving incisions under local anesthesia might end up accumulating bloody fluids too fast while healing occurs hence forming either pearls or hematomas.
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Medical conditions such as lupus erythematosus, vasculitis or scleroderma can lead to secondary calcification in regions that had previously been damaged.
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Aging: As you age, your body naturally loses elasticity and becomes less resilient. This weakens the blood vessels in your skin and makes you more prone to bruising.
How Can I Tell if it's a Calcified Hematoma?
If you're unsure whether the bump on your body is a calcified hematoma or something else entirely – like cysts (which are filled with pus), for example - here are some telltale signs:
- It feels hard to the touch.
- It looks white or yellowish under the surface of the skin.
- There isn't any pain or discomfort unless pressure is applied directly onto it
If you've ticked all three boxes then congratulations! You most likely have yourself an unwanted hematoma on board!
It's important not to confuse these bumps with other types of lumps that could be malignant so whenever there’s doubt always better safe than sorry, get medical attention pronto!
Now that we know what they are, let's move on to how we can say goodbye to them!
Treating Your Calcified Hematoma Bump
There are several approaches you might wantto consider when treating your calcified hematoma bump:
Doing Nothing
Ironically...sometimes doing nothing is actually going to be your best bet! If you aren't experiencing any discomfort from the lump and it doesn't affect anything else in terms of movement then leaving it as is may well make sense. In fact doctors recommend this non-interventional approach since their removal wouldn’t help but rather worsen things up by leading either into infection because remember:
To cut
OR
Not To Cut
That my friends Is The Question
and if removing won´t improve much why go through such trouble?
Cryotherapy
This comes in as the next best option. The medical procedure comprises of freezing the bump with liquid nitrogen or other types of cryogens which causes them to die off and eventually get reabsorbed by your body resulting in a decrease in their dimensions.
Is it painful? A bit; but this shouldn´t stop you from indulging yourself!
Surgery
In more extreme cases, surgical removal may be required especially when bulk calcifications could lead into problems.
But why go through surgery if there’s little to no benefit – not worth risking an infection or damaging surrounding tissues.
So these are our main three options and what might work for some folk like yourself won´t work for everyone so before diving head first intointervention remeber that every person heals differently hence listen closely to your doctor's advice.
Preventing Them
As noted beforehand they usually result from traumatic events such as car accidents,falls, sports related injuries or any actual activity where blunt force encounters take place at specific locations throughout one´s body. So good ol´ common sense will keep having its place rightfully cemented on people (no matter how smart) making each decision of theirs count.; striving also to wear helmets, elbow/knee pads while going out Roller Skating isn't overdoing things just acting responsably.
In addition To being careful and well protected enough whether doing Parkour along rooftops oR playing rugby (especially naked!)there’s some food evidence suggesting nutrition contributes highly towards either preventing OR treating hematoma lumps:
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Vitamin K - found mostly in green leafy vegetables- can help increase clotting factors meaning less blood loss reducing damage done by possible internal bleeding –which remember is needed for hematoma formation. Resultantly having optimal levels translates into fewer hematomas forming
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Pineapple contains Bromelain - an enzyme known for its anti-inflammatory properties so consuming pineapple after suffering a hematoma incident could promote healing.
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Low fat protein foods such as chicken baked - skinless and turkey breast are among the best laced with zinc which is well known for its wound healing capabilities.
Ingesting these kinds of things won´t turn you into an invincible Hulk but they surely can help later when a cure OR prevenction must be sought!
Final Thoughts
If there´s one thing to take away from all this, it's that calcified hematomas aren't something to panic over.
They're usually harmless and will eventually go away in their own good time (noise around drumroll), especially if no pressure´s exerted on them meantime. While there are ways to speed up the process, patience will often give the desired results naturally without resorting to surgery!