Why Do I Bruise So Easily?
It is almost impossible for us to avoid picking up injuries, although the vast majority will be quite minor. They can be painful but, usually, we will recover quite quickly from them. This includes internal damage, and this type of damage can lead to internal bleeding, and this can lead to bruising.
Bruising in itself is not usually a problem and bruises will clear up before long. They can look unsightly, though, and they can be quite tender to the touch. Some people will also find that they bruise more easily than other people do, and there are various reasons as to why this might be.
1. Vitamin Deficiencies
It is essential that we get the full range of vitamins and minerals in our diets. This is because they help to ensure the proper functioning of all our bodily systems and they help to keep us free from disease. Getting the vitamins that you need means having a varied diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables. One of the most important of all vitamins is vitamin C because it helps to keep our immune system strong. If we don’t get enough vitamin C then we can develop scurvy and this is a condition that can cause us to bleed easily. We also need plenty of vitamin K because it helps our blood to clot.
2. Medication
Modern medicine can help us in countless ways but, unfortunately, there are also some ways that it can hinder us. Drugs come with various side effects and, depending on which drugs you are using, one of these side effects is bruising easier than you otherwise would. Aspirin is a commonly used drug that has the effect of thinning the blood. This means that we bleed, and bruise, more easily.
In addition to drugs that thin the blood, there are others that will cause inflammation, change how blood vessels behave, and/or cause blood vessels to become weaker. You should let your doctor know if you have any problems with bleeding when they are prescribing medication for you.
3. Low Platelet Count
Our blood contains cells that are known as platelets. When we cut our skin, blood is able to pour out of broken blood vessels, and this is where our platelets are very important to us. When there is an injury that might otherwise allow blood to leak out of the body, the platelets stick together to form a clot.
This clot will then plug any breaks in the blood vessels and this will prevent more blood from escaping. Some people, however, have too few platelets in their blood and this means that their blood will struggle to clot. This, in turn, makes it easier for us to bruise even from the slightest of knocks.
4. Ageing
Its a harsh reality that our bodies begin to function less well when we are older. Our joints don’t move as well as they used to, our muscles are not as strong as they used to be, our skin is not as supple, and even our organs will struggle to function. It can also mean that our blood vessels become more fragile.
As we get older, our blood vessels begin to lose their elasticity and this means that they will break more easily. We will also lose some of the fat just beneath our skin that would otherwise help to protect us from damage. All this, and more, means that bruises are more likely to appear.
5. Bleeding Disorders
We will all bleed occasionally but it doesn’t usually happen frequently. It will usually take a significant blow or being cut with a sharp implement and, even when we do bleed, our blood will usually clot quickly to help prevent us from loosing too much blood.
This is not the case for everybody, however, because some people have bleeding disorders that prevent the blood from clotting. People with bleeding disorders will bruise easily and have to be more careful than other people to avoid injury, while they will also need specialized treatment. Even the smallest of cuts might result in significant blood loss.
6. Sun Damage
Many of us like to try and get a tan as it makes us look rather a lot healthier. While this is just fine provided it is done carefully, it is also not without its drawbacks. Too much sun can be quite harmful to us and it can even lead to us bruising more easily than we otherwise would.
Too much sun over a prolonged period can cause senile purpura and/or actinic purpura. These are purple colored patches of skin that can appear on the forearms and hands even with only the slightest of knocks. These bruises can be avoided if you take necessary cautions when spending time in the sun.
7. Vasculitis
Vasculitis is a condition in which our blood vessels can become inflamed. This can have an impact on the effectiveness of the cardiovascular system, and this can lead to a number of unwelcome symptoms. Some of these symptoms include numbness, lumps in the skin, ulcers, and shortness of breath.
Another symptom that is associated with the condition is purple spots that appear on the skin, and these can occur even if the patient has not picked up any knocks. The condition can affect different areas of the skin and treatment will depend on which part of the body is affected.
8. Liver Problems
It is very important that we take care of our livers. They perform a lot of very important functions in the body and we simply cannot live without them. If something was to go wrong with the liver then we will begin to experience a number of unwelcome symptoms and it is something that should be treated as serious.
If you are bruising easily then it is a sign that your liver might be damaged in some way. The good news is that many complications of the liver are treatable. There are medications that can help, while changing your lifestyle may also be necessary.
9. Steroids
Steroids are sometimes used by athletes to help them gain muscle mass as quickly as they possibly can. In addition, they are also used as medication to help people recover from illnesses and they can also help people with conditions such as eczema, asthma, and arthritis.
It is important to be careful when using steroids because they do come with some very unwelcome symptoms, one of which is that they can cause you to bruise more easily that you usually would. If you do experience excessive bruising then you should speak with your doctor about the appropriate course of action.
10. Cancer
There is a wide range of cancers and just about any part of the body can be affected. This includes our blood and some types of blood cancer are really quite dangerous for us. Symptoms of blood cancer includes fatigue, pain in the bones or joints, and swollen lymph nodes.
Blood cancers can also cause you to bleed more easily than you otherwise would. As with other types of cancer, treatment is more likely to be successful if you catch it early. The good news is that the chances of the symptoms being cancer are slim, and many types are treatable even if they cannot be cured.
