10 REASONS YOU GET... BRUISES
1 YOU’RE GETTING ON A BIT
Bruises, also called contusions, appear when an impact results in small blood vessels breaking underneath the skin causing a blue or purple patch to appear. The skin and underlying fat layer thins and gets fragile as we age and so becomes more susceptible to damage.
2 ARE YOU ON ASPIRIN?
Blood-thinning medication to prevent stroke or heart attack, such as warfarin or even low-dose aspirin, can cause purpura: bruises that appear without an obvious injury. Normally, clotting components in the blood called platelets seal off broken capillaries, but when taking thinners, the blood doesn’t clot as normal, causing a bruise to ‘spontaneously’ appear.
3 IT’S IN THE GENES
Another cause of purpura is a blood-clotting disorder, such as haemophilia, a genetic illness where the blood lacks clotting factors. Others include thrombocytopenia, which affects blood platelet count, and Von Willebrand’s disease, where lack of a certain protein prevents clotting.
4 COELIAC DISEASE
People with coeliac disease, which causes the walls of the intestines to become inflamed when eating gluten, may bruise more easily. The irritation in the small intestine, duodenum, prevents the body from efficiently absorbing Vitamin K, found in leafy greens such as spinach and kale. A Vitamin K deficiency may affect the blood’s ability to coagulate. This means that even a small bump can cause a contusion.
5 YOU’VE BEEN IN THE SUN FOR TOO LONG
Long-term sun damage to skin cells through exposure to UV rays causes skin to become more fragile. Thinner skin makes contusions easier to see.
6 OVERDOING THE STEROIDS
Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis are often treated using topical corticosteroid creams, which can have a severe thinning effect on the skin if they are used for a long time. Ensure that prescribed time of use is followed.
7 REMEMBER SCURVY?
Severe Vitamin C deficiency – scurvy – is considered an illness of the Victorian era, but figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that it is on the rise again in England. A lack of Vitamin C causes damage to the walls of the capillaries, and makes bruising easier.
8 YOU’RE ANAEMIC
Not getting enough iron can cause a decrease in the production of red blood cells, a condition known as iron deficiency anaemia. As well as bruising, symptoms include pale skin, fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath. It most commonly occurs in women suffering heavy periods or during pregnancy, and in those with stomach ulcers or after donating blood. Upping intake of iron-rich foods – such as red meat and green leafy veg – and prescribed supplements help.
9 YOU’RE A WOMAN
The make up of fat and blood vessels in the skin differs in men and women, making women more susceptible to bruises. In general, the layer of collagen in the hypodermis – the innermost layer of the skin, beneath the epidermis and dermis – is denser in men, which means that their blood vessels are more protected.
10 COULD IT BE LEUKAEMIA?
One sign of leukaemia, a cancer of the bone marrow where new blood cells are made, is easy bruising that does not go away. However, this would not be the only sign as unusual bruising would occur in combination with other noticeable symptoms including dramatic weight loss, night sweats and fever.