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Have Lumps In Lip And Forehead, Painful Cheek And Tooth, Had A Fall. Concerned
Question: I fell 6 weeks ago and hit my cheekbone and cut my lip and forehead. In the ER I received stitches in my lip and forehead - 15 total. My cheek x-ray showed no fracture.
My concerns:
1. Lumps in my lip and forehead both of which are on or very close to where the stitches were.
2. My cheek is painful to the touch, but I didn't experience this pain in the first few weeks. I also get shooting zingers of pain near or on my forehead wound and above my cheekbone. I can live with the pain zingers, but they do scare me because I don't know if this is nerve damage or possible damage to blood vessels.
3. I continue to have pain with my front tooth on the same side. My dentist x-rayed and doesn't detect any damage to the root and says he doesn't think it will abscess, but can't guarantee.
4. I am a 63 year old white female. Since the fall, the bruising under my eye is fading nicely, but I have a vertical line down my cheek which may show some indentation. Also, I have some purple veins near my eye and injured cheek which I didn't have before.
I know that I was very lucky, but I would like to know if I should give the healing more time or see a doctor about any or all of my concerns. Thanks for you online help.
My concerns:
1. Lumps in my lip and forehead both of which are on or very close to where the stitches were.
2. My cheek is painful to the touch, but I didn't experience this pain in the first few weeks. I also get shooting zingers of pain near or on my forehead wound and above my cheekbone. I can live with the pain zingers, but they do scare me because I don't know if this is nerve damage or possible damage to blood vessels.
3. I continue to have pain with my front tooth on the same side. My dentist x-rayed and doesn't detect any damage to the root and says he doesn't think it will abscess, but can't guarantee.
4. I am a 63 year old white female. Since the fall, the bruising under my eye is fading nicely, but I have a vertical line down my cheek which may show some indentation. Also, I have some purple veins near my eye and injured cheek which I didn't have before.
I know that I was very lucky, but I would like to know if I should give the healing more time or see a doctor about any or all of my concerns. Thanks for you online help.
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
I'll try my best to address all your concerns to my best ability.
Answer 1. The lumps near the stitches are most likely granulation tissue or scar tissue ( formed as a part of wound healing around sutures).
They are not a cause of concern & should decrease in dimensions gradually.
Answer 2. Shooting pain and tenderness may be due to nerve involvement or any pressure created by healing tissues in that region. Since its already been 6 weeks past the accident you need to consult your doctor if the pain persists for another couple of weeks or if it worsens or shows no improvement in coming weeks.
Answer 3. The pain in teeth might be just referred pain due to similar nerve supply due to closeness of the region to the injury. It too should resolve in a couple of weeks.An abscess seems less likely.
Answer4. The purple veins are the new blood vessels formed and are not worrisome .
The scar may show indentation and is difficult to resolve completely without cosmetic intervention for which you can consult your dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon.
Hope I have answered your query.
I'll be available for any follow up queries.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards
Thanks for posting your query.
I'll try my best to address all your concerns to my best ability.
Answer 1. The lumps near the stitches are most likely granulation tissue or scar tissue ( formed as a part of wound healing around sutures).
They are not a cause of concern & should decrease in dimensions gradually.
Answer 2. Shooting pain and tenderness may be due to nerve involvement or any pressure created by healing tissues in that region. Since its already been 6 weeks past the accident you need to consult your doctor if the pain persists for another couple of weeks or if it worsens or shows no improvement in coming weeks.
Answer 3. The pain in teeth might be just referred pain due to similar nerve supply due to closeness of the region to the injury. It too should resolve in a couple of weeks.An abscess seems less likely.
Answer4. The purple veins are the new blood vessels formed and are not worrisome .
The scar may show indentation and is difficult to resolve completely without cosmetic intervention for which you can consult your dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon.
Hope I have answered your query.
I'll be available for any follow up queries.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Why is the line on my cheek referred to as a scar since I did not break it nor did I have stitches in my cheek?
Hello,
Thanks for the follow up.
I apologize if I have misinterpreted your finding.
A scar tissue in medical language would be any tissue formed as a result of injury wether external or XXXXXXX
I am not sure if this vertical line you are referring is formed after the accident as a result of XXXXXXX bruising or just a prominent blood vessel visible underneath your skin . If it is showing any indentation or skin tethering it's most likely due to healing of scar tissue underneath the skin. Kindly help me provide you with better advice by describing it in detail the dimension , the colour ,the onset and progression .
Awaiting your response,
Regards
Thanks for the follow up.
I apologize if I have misinterpreted your finding.
A scar tissue in medical language would be any tissue formed as a result of injury wether external or XXXXXXX
I am not sure if this vertical line you are referring is formed after the accident as a result of XXXXXXX bruising or just a prominent blood vessel visible underneath your skin . If it is showing any indentation or skin tethering it's most likely due to healing of scar tissue underneath the skin. Kindly help me provide you with better advice by describing it in detail the dimension , the colour ,the onset and progression .
Awaiting your response,
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
The line does not appear as a blood vessel like the new ones near my eye and top of the cheek. From what you say, the line must be scar tissue from the injury. I am hopeful that it will disappear in the future. I have fair skin/complexion, so it might take a while- I will hope for the best with my thin aging skin!
Thank you for giving me sound medical information.
Thank you for giving me sound medical information.
Hello,
Thanks for the follow up.
Its my pleasure to clear all your doubts and queries.
I appreciate your efforts as a health conscious individual & the positive outlook you possess. Our skin is forever renewing tissue and most of the scars do fade away sooner or later unless until significant dermal damage has occured.
In your case it's likely to heal normally but it becomes more visible due to your fair complexion ( similarly even blood vessels appear more prominent in fair skin).
The best way to faster recovery is having a balanced diet and lots and lots of water.
Vitamin c XXXXXXX foods like citrus fruits or supplements along with essential fatty acid supplements would help in skin healing naturally .
Hope I have answered your queries to your satisfaction.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards
Thanks for the follow up.
Its my pleasure to clear all your doubts and queries.
I appreciate your efforts as a health conscious individual & the positive outlook you possess. Our skin is forever renewing tissue and most of the scars do fade away sooner or later unless until significant dermal damage has occured.
In your case it's likely to heal normally but it becomes more visible due to your fair complexion ( similarly even blood vessels appear more prominent in fair skin).
The best way to faster recovery is having a balanced diet and lots and lots of water.
Vitamin c XXXXXXX foods like citrus fruits or supplements along with essential fatty acid supplements would help in skin healing naturally .
Hope I have answered your queries to your satisfaction.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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