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January 2022

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BRUISING QUESTIONS

The What, Why, and How of Bruises

En españolSend us your comments(link sends e-mail)


Many things can cause a bruise: minor injuries, falls, small collisions. While
bruises may hurt, they’re usually harmless. But sometimes, they might be a sign
of a deeper problem.

If you bump part of your body hard enough, you can break tiny blood vessels
under your skin. But if you don’t break the skin, the blood has nowhere to go.
It gets trapped under the skin’s surface, causing a bruise.

When you first get a bruise, the newly trapped blood makes it look pink or red.
Over the next few weeks, the body naturally breaks down the blood and absorbs
it. So as the bruise fades, it changes colors. This is part of the normal
healing process. Some bruises can take weeks or months to heal.

What can contribute to bruising? Some people bruise more easily than others,
says Dr. José López, an expert on bleeding disorders at Bloodworks Northwest
Research Institute. This can be influenced by many things, including your genes.
Other factors, such as diet, can also affect how easily you bruise. For example,
deficiencies in vitamin C or K can make you bruise more easily.

Some people may just be more prone to bumping into things. And skin naturally
becomes thinner and bruises more easily as you age.

You can take steps to make your home safer from minor bumps and falls. Keep
walkways clear of clutter and furniture. Good lighting can also help you avoid
bumping into things.

Bruises may be painful, but they’re usually not dangerous. If a bruise does
hurt, an over-the-counter pain killer may help. But some drugs used to treat
pain, like aspirin or ibuprofen, can actually increase the tendency to bruise,
López explains.

Putting ice on the affected area for a few minutes at a time can help reduce
swelling. Wrap the ice in a clean towel to avoid irritating the skin.

If you notice a change in where or how often you’re bruising, consider talking
with a health care professional. “If bruising becomes really common, if it’s not
provoked, or if there’s a change in your bruising patterns, get it checked out,”
López says.

These can be signs that bleeding is happening inside the body when it shouldn’t.
Others include a rash made of tiny bruises, called purpura. Or tiny, pin-point
sized red spots called petechiae.

Excessive bruising can be triggered by many things. Examples include liver
problems caused by heavy drinking or certain types of cancer. It can also be a
sign of a rare problem like an inherited bleeding disorder. If you notice
someone has bruises regularly, it may suggest serious problems in their home,
like domestic violence.

Medications can also be a cause of excessive bruising. Almost any medication has
the potential to change the way platelets work in the body, López says.
Platelets are tiny, disc-shaped cells that play an important role in helping
your blood clot. “They’re one of the things that stop you from bleeding,” says
López. Let your health care provider know if you notice bruising soon after
taking a new drug.

Bruises may be a sign of a serious problem, but in most cases, they’re harmless.
See the Wise Choices box for signs that bruises may need to be checked out.


RELATED STORIES

Reducing the Health Risks of Night Shifts

Blood Clots Explained

Staying Safe From Sepsis

Battling Bent Blood Cells


WISE CHOICES

WHEN TO GET YOUR BRUISE CHECKED OUT

Talk with your doctor if you:

 * get a large bruise or many smaller bruises without a known injury.
 * have signs of infection. These can include streaks of redness around the
   bruise, oozing, or a fever.
 * have a bruise that does not show signs of healing and fading.
 * get a large or very painful bruise immediately after an injury. This can be a
   sign of a sprain or broken bone.
 * bruise more easily or more frequently than you used to.
 * notice bruising soon after taking a new drug.


LINKS

 * Blood Clots Explained: Clearing Blockages in the System
 * Battling Bent Blood Cells: Progress in Sickle Cell Disease
 * Harmful Partnerships: When Someone You Love is Abusive
 * How to Spot and Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis
 * Avoiding Anemia: Boost Your Red Blood Cells
 * Bleeding Disorders




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Tel: 301-451-8224

Editor: Harrison Wein, Ph.D.
Managing Editor: Tianna Hicklin, Ph.D.
Illustrator: Alan Defibaugh

Attention Editors: Reprint our articles and illustrations in your own
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Health as the source and send us a copy.

For more consumer health news and information, visit health.nih.gov.

For wellness toolkits, visit www.nih.gov/wellnesstoolkits.


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