Treatment
Treatment for light bruises is minimal and may include RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), painkillers (particularly NSAIDs) and, later in recovery, light stretching exercises. Particularly, immediate application of ice while elevating the area may reduce or completely prevent swelling by restricting blood flow to the area and preventing internal bleeding. Rest and preventing re-injury is essential for rapid recovery. Very gently massaging the area and applying heat may encourage blood flow and relieve pain according to the Gate control theory of pain, although causing additional pain may indicate the massage is exacerbating the injury. As for most injuries, these techniques should not be applied until at least three days following the initial damage to ensure all internal bleeding has stopped, because although increasing blood flow will allow more healing factors into the area and encourage drainage, if the injury is still bleeding this will allow more blood to seep out of the wound and cause the bruise to become worse. In most cases hematomas spontaneously revert, but in cases of large hematomas or those localized in certain organs (e.g., the brain), the physician may perform a puncture of the hematoma to allow blood to exit. History
Folk medicine, including ancient medicine of Egyptians, Greeks, Celts, Turks, Slavs, Mayans, Aztecs and Chinese, has used bruising as a treatment for some health problems. The methods vary widely and include cupping, scraping, and slapping. Fire cupping uses suction which causes bruising in patients.
Chloroquine retinopathy is a form of toxic retinopathy (damage of the retina) caused by the drugs chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, which are sometimes used in the treatment of autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. This eye toxicity limits long-term use of the drugs. Presentation
The risk of toxicity is low for individuals without complicating conditions during the first five years of treatment using less than 6.5 mg/kg/day of hydroxychloroquine or 3 mg/kg/day of chloroquine, and/or cumulative doses of less than 1000 gram and 460 gram (total dose), respectively. Some physicians suggest that lean body weight is more accurate when calculating daily dosage.Most patients are routinely given 400 mg of hydroxychloroquine daily (or 250 mg chloroquine). This dose is considered acceptable. Early stage
The earliest signs of toxicity include bilateral paracentral visual field changes (best detected with a red test object) and a subtle granular depigmentation of the paracentral RPE. Advanced stage
With continued drug exposure, there is progressive development of a bilateral atrophic bulls-eye maculopathy and paracentral scotomata, which may in severe cases ultimately spread over the entire fundus, causing widespread retinal atrophy and visual loss. Pathophysiology
Both agents bind to melanin pigment in the RPE, and this may serve to concentrate the drugs or to prolong their adverse effects. Diagnosis
Patients and their primary care physicians must be made fully aware of the ophthalmic risks and the need for regular screening examinations to detect retinal toxicity at an early stage.