What Causes Excessive Bruising In The Elderly

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.

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.

There is no special medical treatment for skin bruises. Conservative treatment methods, such as ice packs, heat application, elevation of the affected area and over-the-counter medications are done for relieving the skin bruises.

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.

Bruises are not typically something to cause undue worry. Often, they are a surface injury that requires no medical attention, and people can treat them at home. But, in some cases, a person may want to seek medical attention for their bruising.

Three other types of bruising to look out for are: Hematoma: After the injury, the blood can actually pool underneath the skin forming firm lumps. Purpura: Is a more serious case and occurs when severe bruises appear without an injury.

Over time, a bruise changes color as the blood under the skin breaks down, and as the bruise heals. Bruising typically occurs when a person receives an injury to an area of their skin, such as from falling or bumping into something. The blood vessels between the skin and other tissues in the body burst.

Older adults bruise more easily because their skin is thinner and they tend to have less muscle and fat to cushion their blood vessels from injury. People who have fair skin often bruise easily. Drinking alcohol can make you more prone to easy bruising and bumping into things.

You may begin to bruise easily if you aren’t getting enough iron. That’s because your body needs iron to keep your blood cells healthy. If your blood cells aren’t healthy, your body won’t be able to get the oxygen that it needs to function. This may make your skin more susceptible to bruising. Other symptoms of iron deficiency include:

Easy bruising may be a result of a seemingly insignificant compression of skin or there may be no skin injury recollected. Easy bruising can occur when the blood vessels are weakened by diseases (such as scurvy), medications (such as aspirin, prednisone, and prednisolone), and aging.

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.

There are simple ways on how to treat bruises. These help to get rid of the bruises within a short time and using a few first aid steps. Ice: When ice is applied on the skin, it causes a constriction of the blood vessels. As a result, the blood that seeps through the skin to cause discoloration on bruises is prevented from seeping.

The best treatments include rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). People with this type of injury should rest and apply an ice pack to the affected area in order to help keep the bruise from spreading and keep swelling down.

Some of the causes of bruising for no reason include age, medication, or serious disease. Bruising for no reason may be a signal to consult a healthcare professional. As people age, capillary walls become less able to withstand the bumps and jostling of daily activities.

The most common cause of arm bruising is trauma. A broken bone or severe sprain may cause bruising to the arm. Children tend to incur more bruises than adults as a result of their higher activity levels.

Also, if you begin to feel a lot of pressure or pain in a bruised part of your body, you could be suffering from compartment syndrome. This happens when pressure increases on the soft tissue and structure underneath your skin and reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to tissues.