Topic Overview
At one time or another, everyone has had a minor facial injury that
caused pain, swelling, or bruising. Home treatment is
usually all that is needed for mild bumps or bruises.
It may be
helpful to be familiar with the makeup of the facial bones to better understand
facial injuries. See a picture of the
facial bones.
Causes of facial injuries
Facial injuries most
commonly occur during:
- Sports or recreational activities, such as ice
hockey, basketball, rugby, soccer, or martial arts.
- Work-related
tasks or projects around the home.
- Motor vehicle crashes.
- Accidental falls.
- Fights.
In children, most facial injuries occur during sports or
play or are caused by accidental falls. Minor facial injuries in young children
tend to be less severe than similar facial injuries that occur in older
children or adults. Young children are less likely to break a facial bone
because they have fat pads that cushion their faces and their bones are more
flexible. But young children are more likely to be bitten in the face by
an animal.
Head injuries may occur at the same time as a facial
injury, so be sure to check for
symptoms of a head injury. For more information, see
the topic
Head Injuries, Age 3 and Younger or
Head Injuries, Age 4 and Older.
Types of injuries
Facial injuries may be caused by a
direct blow, penetrating injury, or fall. Pain may be sudden and severe.
Bruising and swelling may develop soon after the injury. Acute injuries
include:
- A
cut or puncture to your face or inside your mouth. This often occurs with
even a minor injury. But a cut or puncture is likely to occur when a jaw
or facial bone is broken. The bone may come through the skin or poke into the
mouth.
- Bruises from a tear or rupture of small blood vessels
under the skin. See a picture of a
bruise (contusion).
- Broken bones (fractures). See an image of a
fractured cheekbone.
- A dislocated jaw, which may occur when the lower
jawbone (mandible) is pulled apart from one or both of the joints connecting it
to the base of the skull at the temporomandibular (TM) joints. This can cause
problems even if the jaw pops back into place.
Treatment
Treatment for a facial injury may include
first aid measures, medicine, and in some cases surgery. Treatment depends
on:
- The location, type, and severity of the
injury.
- How long ago the injury occurred.
- Your age,
health condition, and other activities, such as work, sports, or hobbies.
When you have had a facial injury, it is important to
look for signs of other injuries, such as a
spinal injury,
eye injury, or an injury to the mouth, such as a cut
lip or injured tooth.
Check your symptoms to decide
if and when you should see a doctor.
Check Your Symptoms
Home Treatment
Home treatment may help treat
problems and prevent complications after an injury to your face.
First aid for bleeding
Stop the bleeding. Crying
increases blood flow to the face and can make a nosebleed or facial bleeding
worse. If your injured child is crying, speak in a quiet, relaxed manner to
soothe him or her.
First aid for a suspected broken bone
- Do not move misshapen facial bones. It may make an injury worse, increase bleeding, or cause more
problems.
- Apply an
ice or cold pack immediately to prevent or minimize
swelling.
- Seek medical evaluation and treatment.
Measures to reduce pain, swelling, and bruising
- Use ice. Cold will reduce pain and swelling.
Apply an
ice or cold pack immediately to prevent or minimize swelling. Apply the ice
or cold pack for 10 to 20 minutes, 3 or more times a day. After 48 to 72 hours,
if swelling is gone, apply
warmth to the area that hurts.
- Keep your
head elevated, even while you sleep. This will help reduce
swelling.
- For the first 48 hours, avoid things that might increase
swelling, such as hot showers, hot tubs or hot packs, or drinking alcohol or
hot fluids.
- Do not take aspirin or other nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the first 24 hours. Aspirin prolongs the
clotting time of blood and may cause more nose or facial
bleeding.
- Eat soft foods and cold foods and fluids to reduce jaw
and mouth pain. Avoid hot foods or beverages, which may increase swelling
around the mouth.
Do not smoke. Smoking slows healing because it decreases
blood supply and delays tissue repair. For more information, see the topic
Quitting Smoking.
Medicine you can buy without a prescription| Try a nonprescription
medicine to help treat your fever or pain: |
|---|
Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and
forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two
medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine. |
Safety tips| Be sure to follow these
safety tips when you use a nonprescription medicine: |
|---|
- Carefully read and follow all directions
on the medicine bottle and box.
- Do not take more than the
recommended dose.
- Do not take a medicine if you have had an
allergic reaction to it in the past.
- If
you have been told to avoid a medicine, call your doctor before you take
it.
- If you are or could be pregnant, do not take any medicine other
than acetaminophen unless your doctor has told you to.
- Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than age 20 unless your doctor tells you to.
|
Symptoms to watch for during home treatment
Call your doctor if any of the following symptoms occur during
home treatment:
- Numbness or tingling
develop.
- Changes in vision develop, such as double
vision or blurring.
- Signs of infection
develop.
- Pain and swelling continue or get worse after using home
treatment.
- Symptoms become more severe or frequent.
Prevention
There are many steps you can take to help
prevent a facial injury.
- Always use car safety seats and seat belts to
prevent or reduce nose and facial injuries during a car accident.
- Do not use alcohol or other drugs
before participating in sports or when operating a motor vehicle or other
equipment.
- Wear a helmet and other protective clothing whenever
you are biking, motorcycling, skating, skateboarding, kayaking, horseback
riding, skiing, snowboarding, or rock climbing.
- Wear a mouth
protector when you participate in contact sports.
- Wear a hard hat
if you work in an industrial area.
- Wear safety glasses, goggles,
or face shields when you work with power tools or when you do an activity that
might cause an object to fly into your face.
- Do not dive into
shallow or unfamiliar water.
- Prevent falls in your home by
removing hazards that might cause a fall.
- Do not keep
guns in your home. If you must keep
guns, lock them up and store them unloaded and uncocked.
Lock ammunition in a separate area.
You can take steps to help reduce your young child's risk of
facial injury.
- Never leave your child unattended in a high
place, such as on a tabletop; in a crib with the sides down; on elevated
porches, decks, and landings; or even on a bed or sofa.
- Do not
leave your child alone in any infant seat or sitting toy, such as a swing or
jumper. Use all of the safety straps provided.
- Use stair gates to
block stairways. Use gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, and use the
gates properly.
- Do not use baby walkers. Baby walkers have caused
many injuries and are not safe even if the baby is watched
closely.
- Watch your child when he or she is outside. Uneven grass,
sloping lawns, and hills may be hard for your child to walk
on.
- When your toddler is using a bottle or sippy cup, have him or her stay seated. This can help prevent injuries that might occur if your child were to fall while walking and holding a bottle or a cup.
- Make your home safe from falls by removing hazards that might
cause a fall, such as throw rugs.
- Place your child in an approved
child car seat when traveling in a car. Follow the manufacturer's directions
for securing the seat in the car. Children should ride in the back seat for
safety.
- Have your children wear helmets when necessary, such as
when they are passengers on a bike or are riding a tricycle or bicycle on their
own.
Preparing For Your Appointment
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
You can help your
doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to
answer the following questions:
- When did your injury occur?
- What
caused your injury?
- What are your main symptoms?
- What
have you done so far to treat your injury?
- Have you had a facial
injury in the past?
- Was your injury evaluated by a doctor?
- What was the diagnosis?
- How was your
injury treated?
- Do you have any continuing problems because of the
previous injury?
- Was this injury from abuse caused by another
person?
- Was the use of alcohol or drugs involved in your
injury?
- What home treatment measures have you tried? Did they
help?
- What prescription or nonprescription medicines do you
take?
- Do you have any
health risks?
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | David Messenger, MD |
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| Last Revised | July 25, 2012 |
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