my husband fell in the bathroom the other nite, and his ankle is badly swollen, the skin is very purple in some areas and other areas are very blotchy, I am trying toconvince him to go to thehospital but he says he can hobbleon it so it isnt broken. Should i make him go to the hospital?
Hi, The fact that his ankle is swollen and purple suggest a serious problem in the ankle. This most commonly happens at the outer side of the ankle.  The purple color tells that there is a hemorrhage inside. Bone fracture is not common but sometimes happen.  What I suggest is that you put an ice massage for 3-5 minutes every 2-3 hours up to 48 hours after the incident.  Also, I highly recommend that you refer to a center that can take an X-ray from the ankle. It may require casting or other type of treatment, otherwise chronic pain and repeated ankle strain could the consequences.  Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Take care Chat Doctor.