Why Do You Bruise So Easily When You Get Older

Yes, you DO bruise easier as you age – here’s why

1. You’re losing fatty tissue. When you were younger, you had a layer of fatty tissue between your skin and your capillaries that protected you against bruising.
2. Blood vessels are losing their elasticity. When we reach a certain age, things just don’t bounce back quite as effectively as they once did.
3. Your medicine cabinet is to blame.

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Why Some People Bruise More Easily Than Others Your Age. Those with thinner skin and capillaries (like the elderly) may bruise more easily because they have less tissue to protect what’s underneath. Vigorous Exercise. Photo by Clara S. … Taking Medications. … Could Indicate A Type Of Disease. …

A person should seek medical attention any time they have the following symptoms or issues associated with bruising: a suspected broken bone. loss of function of a joint, limb or muscle. increasing pain. an area is affected by a bruise that returns. there is no identifiable cause of the bruising.

People often bruise more easily as they get older. Bleeding happens when blood vessels are broken because of an injury, but it can also be a normal part of life. For example, women bleed during their period. Some women naturally have heavier periods than others.

Contributing Factors Age. The most common reasons for easy bruising aren’t a major cause for alarm. … Sun Damage. Speaking of which, people with chronic sun damage continually bruise their arms, Kasteler says. … Body Fat. … Blood-Thinners. … Exercise Level. … Alcohol Consumption. … Don’t Be Trippin’-What You Can Do. … Cool down, then heat up. … Pop over-the-counter pain relievers. … Go green. … More items…

Some people — especially women — are more prone to bruising than others. As you get older, your skin also becomes thinner and loses some of the protective fatty layer that helps cushion your blood vessels from injury. Can medications and supplements contribute to easy bruising?

Easy bruising is common with age. Although most bruises are harmless and go away without treatment, easy bruising can sometimes be a sign of a more serious problem. Most bruises form when small blood vessels (capillaries) near the skin’s surface are broken by the impact of a blow or injury — often on the arms or legs.

To find the cause of your bruising, your doctor might check your blood platelet levels or do tests that measure the time it takes your blood to clot. Other serious causes of bruising include domestic violence or abuse. If a loved one has an unexplainable bruise,…

As a result, bleeding from capillary damage might take longer than usual to stop — which allows enough blood to leak out to cause a bigger bruise. Topical and systemic corticosteroids — which can be used to treat various conditions, including allergies, asthma and eczema — cause your skin to thin, making it easier to bruise.

See a doctor if you have: Significant pain and swelling. … A bruise that lasts longer than two weeks without changing. … Small blood spots accompanied by fever, chills, weight loss or any other systemic symptoms that are new. Recurrent bruises without any clear causes.

Most bruising is benign, and is very common. But here’s when you should perhaps worry about bruising and when you should see your doctor: If they persist for prolonged periods of time (not healing) If you have more and more bruises through time. If you experience bruising more frequently than your prior baseline.

Bruises typically take 2 to 4 weeks to heal. As a bruise heals blood is reabsorbed into the body. Healing is accompanied by a change to various colors ranging from purplish black to reddish blue and yellowish green as the WebMD website says.

Bruises generally heal by themselves, if they do not disappear in a couple of weeks then that is when to worry about a bruise. Here are a few tips to ease the pain and speed up the healing process: Rest: If you get a bruise give that area some rest. This will stop the bruise from progression.

The most common medical cause of major blood loss is surgery, particularly cardiovascular procedures, liver transplantation and hepatic resection, and major orthopedic procedures. Excessive blood loss may also occur for other reasons, such as trauma. Drs. Mannucci and Levi report receiving lecture fees from Novo Nordisk.

The most common causes of a heavy period with clotting are hormonal changes, fibroid tumors, a miscarriage, an abnormally large uterus, and some medications. One or two abnormal menstrual cycles are not cause for concern.

The main reason periods are heavier or lighter is hormones. When you are first starting out with your period, you may or may not have high enough levels of the hormones that trigger the uterine lining to thicken up.