Dear Uncle Cecil and Straight Dope Team,
I am a long-time practitioner of martial arts. A few days ago I was sparring and got caught off guard by my opponent. His kick caught me right above my left eye. I immediately packed the injured area in ice. The next day, the area of impact was OK, swelling was minimal but I was left with a shiner. Even though I didn’t get hit on the eye, I was mysteriously bruised there.
My question is, why is it that whenever I get hit anywhere in my face, I never fail to get a black eye? Does the blood migrate there for a reason?
Anthony T. in Tokyo
Anthony,
The impact probably broke quite a few capillaries around your eye socket, causing blood to seep under the skin of your forehead, temple and cheek. Since the eyelids and skin around the eye socket is especially thin and transluscent, it takes just a little blood loss under the skin to make a noticable shiner.
People who get their nose broken almost always get a black eye one one side, and very often on both sides.
“…whenever I get hit anywhere in my face…” That right there is pretty much at the top of the list of reasons I wouldn’t be practicing martial arts if I lived in Tokyo! :eek: 