Swelling after an injury

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Swelling after an injury

Swelling is a common problem after an injury but may also be caused by overuse or repeated movement. Swelling that comes on slowly usually is not caused by a serious problem. Mild to moderate swelling may limit how much you can move a joint, or the joint may feel "tight or stiff" but you are still able to bend or straighten it. If swelling gets better or goes away with home treatment, a visit to a doctor is probably not needed.

Swelling is more serious when it is severe, it occurs within 30 minutes of an injury, and:

• It comes on suddenly.
• The injured arm or leg looks pale, white, or blue, or feels cold.
• Only one arm or one leg is swollen. This type of swelling could be caused by a blood clot in a deep vein.
• You have other symptoms of infection, such as pain, increasing redness, warmth, red streaks, fever, or pus drainage.
• You have had surgery to remove the lymph nodes above the area.

Swelling that does not get better or go away with home treatment may mean the injury is not healing normally or is more severe than you thought.

Call your doctor if you have swelling that occurs within 30 minutes of an injury or does not get better or go away with home treatment measures.

Credits

Last updated:	July 28, 2008
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer