Emergency advice

Bruises:

  1. Raise and support the injured part.
  2. Hold an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel against the bruise.
  3. Do this for 10 minutes.

What are bruises?

Bruises occur when an injury causes blood to leak into the skin or tissues beneath the skin. They may not appear straight away but the skin can still be painful and often feel tender at first. Elderly people and those taking anticoagulant (anti-clotting) drugs can bruise easily.

What to do

  1. Raise and support the injured part in a comfortable position.

  2. Hold something cold against the injury to help reduce the swelling, like an ice pack or a frozen bag of vegetables wrapped in a tea towel for at least 20 minutes.

Browse our first aid products:

 

First aid ice packs and heating pads

First aid ice packs and heating pads

Shop now

Our training courses:

First aid courses

First aid courses

View

Related first aid advice

Cuts and grazes

Cuts and grazes are common injuries that can usually be treated at home. Learn what to do.

Find Out More

Head injuries in adults

All head injuries are potentially serious because they may damage the brain. A head injury may cause damage to the brain tissue, a skull fracture or an injury to the spine or neck. Learn what to do.

Find Out More

How to use a cold compress

Cooling an injury like a sprain or bruise can help to reduce the swelling and pain. Find out how to use two types of cold compress.

Find Out More

You might also be interested in...

School child smiling with bandage around head
Close

Item added to basket

${modalData.success}

${modalData.error}

Similar items below are AVAILABLE NOW as the item added to your basket is currently out of stock

${modalData.additionalMessage}

Close this window

Close

Log into your account

Close
There is an error with your details. Either your email address or password is not recognised. If you had an account on our previous website, you will need to register your details again. Please use the same email address you used previously.

Hi ${ email }, you successfully signed in!

Closing in ${ countDownSeconds } seconds.

You can now proceed to the checkout.

Close

Don't have an account?


Register here

Are you a National or Key Account customer? Log in at our major accounts portal.
Close

Forgot your password?

We've sent you an email on how to re-set your password. Please follow the instructions.

Closing in ${ countDownSeconds } seconds.
${ error }

Enter your email address below and we will send you instructions on how to create a new password.