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Remedies for the Road
Bumps and bruises aren’t fun, especially in the middle of the night when you’re bound for the bathroom and walk smack into an open door. It doesn’t matter if it happens at home or on the road in your fifth wheel, it’s going to hurt like crazy and you’re probably going to have a dandy of a shiner showing up soon.
Quick action is the best way to help heal a black eye, and that means reaching for the freezer. Don’t bother unwrapping a raw slab of steak like all the tough guys do in the movies—you just need something cold like a package of frozen vegetables. The coldness helps decrease the blood flow and relieves the swelling. Just wrap the package in a washcloth and apply it to the injured area for approximately 10 minutes or until the skin begins to feel numb; then remove it for about five minutes, allowing the area to warm naturally. A plastic bag of ice cubes works, too, but the package of frozen veggies contours to your face more readily.
Avoid aspirin. It’s an anticoagulant that prevents blood from clotting, and you’ll have a harder time stopping the bleeding that causes that discoloration. You may wind up with a bigger bruise. If you need a pain reliever, try Tylenol or another acetaminophen medication.
Food for Healing
It also helps to eat pineapple or papaya. Both fruits contain an enzyme that changes the molecular structure of the blood, so that it’s more easily absorbed by the body. Try to eat three papayas or ample servings of pineapple daily, or you can take up to 600 milligrams of papaya in capsule form four times a day. You can find the capsules at most health food stores. You’ll also be getting a healthy dose of vitamin C with both fruits.
Vitamin C promotes healing, and if you’re someone who bruises easily, getting plenty of this vitamin is essential. If you have a black eye, also increase your daily intake of vitamin C enriched foods like broccoli, mangoes, peppers and sweet potatoes along with papaya and pineapple. This should help the healing process.
(Thanks to Las Vegas orthopedic surgeon Michael Rask, M.D., for this tip about papaya and pineapple. I read his advice in a handy book that belongs on everyone’s shelf, The Doctors Book of Home Remedies by Sid Kirchheimer and the editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books.)
Danger Signals
No one likes having a black eye, especially with all the ribbing you’re bound to get. Hopefully, it’s merely one of those little mishaps in life that runs its course, but it’s also a situation to observe and monitor. A black eye can be very serious and could threaten your permanent vision, so don’t just laugh it off. It’s best to get it checked, whether you are at home or out on the road, especially if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms:
• Blurred or double vision or any impairment of your eyesight.
• Pain in your eye as well as around it.
• Sensitivity to light.
• “Floaters” or other specks in your field of vision.
Also be aware of any headaches you might have, beyond the initial wallop you felt upon impact. If you have persistent or reoccurring head pain, be sure to tell your doctor at home, or if this happens while traveling, mention it to the attending physician at the emergency room or outpatient clinic. Don’t ignore any symptoms or pain.
Easy Does It
In fact, you might want to keep a daily journal. This is something I recommend to all my patients. Just keep a little notebook where you can jot down things like symptoms, duration of pain, etc. It’s a very helpful tool for both the patient and the doctor. It’s especially useful if you’re seeing various specialists, having tests, or going to the hospital. My wife, Cappy, has kept a big blue three-ring binder filled with all my heart and diabetic procedures. We carry it with us to every appointment, and it’s obvious the doctors appreciate and respect our involvement. It’s not because I’m a doctor—it’s because I’m a patient too, and we need to be active participants in our health care.
Taking it easy, drinking plenty of water, and getting a good night’s sleep also does wonders for the healing process. It’s also a good idea to wear sunglasses when going outside—not only for vanity, but also for protection to the sensitive area of the injured eye.
Once that area around the eye begins to heal, it’s nice to pamper yourself with some old-fashioned home remedies that help ease everyday puffiness and tired eyes. Just lie down and apply a slice of cucumber or raw potato on each closed eyelid and area below the eyes. Teabags work too—just cool them down a bit after brewing and press them against your skin. Each one is soothing and comforting, plus the idea of taking time to relax a bit is definitely good for your health.
Finally—install a good night-light or replace the bulb in the one you have now. It’s no guarantee things won’t go bump in the night, but at least you’ll see where you’re going.
Take care.