Bruising More Easily Than Usual

What to know about bruising easily

• Causes. As a person ages, they tend to bruise more easily.
• When to see a doctor. A person should consult a doctor if they begin bruising more easily than before.
• Outlook. In most cases, easy bruising is a minor inconvenience that is due either to genetic factors or a minor medical condition.

Easy bruising can sometimes be a symptom of a disease or health issue. For instance, sepsis (a bacterial infection), chronic inflammatory disease, liver disease and certain types of cancer can all cause you to bruise easily.

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.

The liver makes proteins that the blood needs for clotting, so if it’s not doing its job, you may bleed or bruise more easily. It could be a sign that you’ve got a condition called cirrhosis. It’s a serious illness, so see your doctor.

Bruises without injuries can be caused by thinning of the skin which could be caused by a number of factors. Some medication when taken for too long could lead to bruising without injuries. Aspirin is one such drug. It leads to coagulation changes which then lead to spontaneous hematoma.

Bruising easily, or even spontaneously without trauma, could signify a medical problem that needs attention. Bruising easily could mean that bone marrow isn’t producing enough platelets, components of blood that literally plug leaks in the walls of injured blood vessels.

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.

Causes. Bruises are usually caused by bumping into something which ruptures the tiny capillaries under the skin leaving the area darkened. Some people bruise more easily than others, and this is indicative of fragile capillaries, poor health or an inability to create collagen.

Blood disorders usually cause symptoms other than bruising. If you’re having nosebleeds for no reason, if your gums bleed a lot after you brush or floss, or if small cuts or scrapes seem to bleed heavily, call your doctor. An extra-hard workout can sometimes cause bruises.

As a person ages, they tend to bruise more easily. People tend to bruise more easily as they age because blood vessels become weaker and the skin thins. Easy bruising may also run in families, so people whose relatives bruise easily may notice that they do as well.

Bruising without an injury can be a sign of diseases of the kidney, liver and blood such as hemophilia, leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, scurvy and thrombocytopenia. Women who experience heavy periods while bruising should consult a gynecologist to rule out conditions affecting the reproductive organs.

If you have petechiae or bruising on the legs or calves that won’t heal, it could be due to a shortage of platelets . Some conditions that can cause this are: Certain medications can also affect platelet counts, such as: