Do You Bruise Easily?
February 19th, 2007Bruising of the skin is very common, it is usually the result of an impact or bump to the skin where the bruise appears. A bruise forms when small blood vessels known as capillaries near the surface of your skin rupture due to some type of contact injury. The broken capillaries cause a leakage of blood to form under the surface of your skin and this is usually indicated by a black or bluish mark. These dark bruises in most cases turn to a brownish or yellow color before fading away as your body absorbs the blood. However, some people are prone to bruising very easily and often in these cases the bruises may stay on the skin for some time.
Women especially are more prone to bruising than men as they have softer and more delicate skin than men. Age is another factor that may relate to bruises staying longer than just a few days. As the body ages the capillary walls weaken and the surrounding tissue is more prone to bruising from even the slightest impact. The skin also becomes thinner as the body ages and this can also cause blood vessels to rupture more easily.
People with very low body fat are at risk of bruising more easily than those who have a higher percentage of body fat on the outside of their body. Body fat just under the skin acts as a type of shield over the capillaries helping to prevent bruising. Elderly people with low body fat may find themselves bruising without even being aware of having some type of impact on the skin.
In most cases with healthy individuals the harder the impact, the bigger and darker the bruise, although some people may rarely bruise even after an intense blow to the skin. Some of the more common areas that bruise easily are on the fleshy areas of the body and often where there is a lower level of body fat. Areas on the thigh, upper arms and around the midsection of the body would be the most common places for bruises to appear after some type of impact. Bruises can also appear after an injection as the needle may burst some capillaries under the skin leading to a bruising easily. Bruises like these are often only small and usually disappear within a couple of days.
If your doctor has you on blood thinning drugs like aspirin for a pre existing health condition you may find you are more prone to bruising but don’t discontinue your medication even if you do notice you are bruising more easily before consulting your doctor. Otherwise healthy dietary supplements like ginger, garlic and fish oil have an effect on thinning your blood which may also increase the risk of bruising.
Although bruising is common and almost everybody suffers from bruises after an impact to the skin, sometimes bruises may indicate a more serious health problem. If you bruise easily and the bruises become very tender and hurt to touch even after a few days or if you are bleeding from other areas of your body like your gums or nose, don’t panic as it may only be something minor associated with a change in diet or due to a new type of medication but if you have these symptoms it would be best to consult your doctor. Conditions such as these can be a result of low platelet levels in your body. These platelets allow you blood to clot after injury and with a low platelet level your bruises may not dissipate with time like they should. Your doctor may run some tests and advise you of the best course of therapy for your particular condition.
In terms of treatment for the every day type of impact bruise there is not a great deal you can do to about it. In most cases it will fade to a yellowish color before disappearing in a few days. If however, your bruises are painful and linger around for up to a week or more, it may be an idea to consult your doctor. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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March 29th, 2007 at 7:46 am
I must admit I do bruise fairly easily but it is probably more to do with my diet then anything else as I am vegetarian. There is usually one or two bumps or bruises on me somewhere but being naturally clumsy doesn’t help.
July 15th, 2007 at 11:09 am
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August 27th, 2007 at 5:30 am
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August 27th, 2007 at 7:05 am
Congratulations on being included in the NutritionFrenzy.com’s Health and Fitness Forum. I have a similar post called “Top 10 Reasons to Exercise” that can be found at http://marylandpersonaltrainer.com/wordpress/weight-loss/top-10-reasons-to-exercise.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:26 am
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