Got Head Injury. Noticed Swelling And Eyelid Discoloration. Should I Be Concerned?

Posted on Fri, 4 Jan 2013

Question: yesterday morning I hit my head right around the end of my eyebrow. There's a small gash that bled briefly and the area is a little swollen. No problems with eyesight. I just looked and out of the blue, a black & blue line appeared under my bottom eyelid extending out about 1/2". It's not sore, but it just appeared. I'm scheduled for a flight shortly...is there any reason to be concerned, or is it just black & blue?

Answered by Dr. Sudhir Kumar (2 hours later)

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query.

First of all, I wish to reassure you that your symptoms are not suggestive of any serious problem.

The most likely cause of the discolouration is a hematoma (blood collection) under the skin. After the injury, hematoma from near the site of injury tracks downwards under the skin, leading to the new location of the discolouration.

This would usually subside on its own in a few days.

You can safely take your scheduled flight.

Please get back if you have any more queries.

Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar