Cuts and bruises are a painful childhood affair, but they slowly heal with time. Though, for some grown-ups, bruises tend to re-appear every now and then, in myriad colours of red, purple, and green. It may be because they are following a bad routine, or their bodies are trying to show some vital warning signs.While many of you might wake up to red and purple spots on your limbs wondering where did you bang yourself the last night, here are the possible causes if you find these ugly spots re-occur day after day.
1. Pale Skin
People with pale skin, tend to get more bruises. While this assumption might freak out a few, it is entirely false. Pale skin makes your bruises more visible on the lighter skin tone than the darker one.
2. Ageing
Older people often get bruised easily. This is because of the loss of the fatty layer beneath the surface, which basically acts as shock-absorbent in the case of a fall or a bump. Also, with age, the skin becomes thinner and delicate, due to the dearth in the collagen synthesis in the body. This makes the skin more prone to bruises.
3. Excessive Exercise
Exercising is not usually the reason for bruises unless you mishandled the dumbbell, or your run fell short on the treadmill. In other cases, over-enthusiasm can end up punishing one’s own body. For instance, when you try to do a workout over your capacity, be it weightlifting, or any other form of vigorous exercise, it might cause your capillaries, or small blood vessels to tear up under stress. This may cause those little red patches to appear on your skin.
4. Diabetes
Diabetes is known to cause skin changes, which includes slow-healing of bruises and wounds. Diabetics tend to develop darker skin discoloration, specifically where the skins rub, which may be mistaken for a bruise. In worst case scenario, diabetes can damage the blood vessels due to excessive glucose in the blood causing bruises – a condition called Hyperglycemia, in which you must consult a doctor immediately.
5. Purpuric Dermatosis
Purpuric dermatosis is a skin condition that causes hundreds of tiny red or purple spots to appear on the skin. The name purpuric can be associated with ugly purple patches, but this disorder may turn out be a chronic one. The peculiar colour is caused by leakage of red blood cells through fine capillaries, running under the skin. Though it can occur at any age, it is more commonly found in elders.
6. Blood Disorders
Consistent unexplained bruising can be pointers to blood disorders such as leukaemia and haemophilia. These disorders can be the reason behind depleting count of platelets in your body. The platelets in our blood are responsible for clotting the blood cells to stop us from bleeding, in case the blood vessels are injured. Not having enough platelet count can be a cause of easy bruising.
7. Medications
Certain medicines such as anticoagulants and anti-platelet agents can lower your blood’s ability to clot, or make your blood thinner. Aspirin and oral contraceptives are few among the many other medicines, which can alter with your blood clotting mechanism. This may in turn cause the bruises to appear. If you have a habit of popping in an aspirin every time you get a headache, then you might have discovered the reason behind those recurring bruises by now.
8. Vitamin Deficiency
Certain vitamins play an important role in the healing of wounds and bruises.
- Vitamin C is the major player here. It is responsible for the production of collagen in our bodies, which cushions the blood vessels, preventing them from rough bumps, and jerks that would otherwise cause an injury to blood vessels.
- Vitamin K aids in clotting, and its deficiency can possibly cause the blood vessels to bleed.
Having a nutritious diet, rich in these vital vitamins can prove to help in getting rid of bruises.
9. Sun Damage
Basking in the sun with the intention of absorbing some Vitamin D is good, but you would not want to risk your skin getting damaged due to excessive exposure. The excessive heat can lead to sunburns, and make your skin prone to internal bleeding. This may again lead to bruises.
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Tips To Ensure Reduced Bruising
Bruises can be surprising. You can stumble upon one by chance, as they stay under your skin with no hint of pain. You can even literally stumble, and find one next morning! Proper health care steps can ensure reduced bruising.
- Eat vitamin rich food.
- Apply good quality sunscreen before stepping out.
- Get your diabetes in check.
- Avoid self-medication.
In case the spots and bruises re-appear, immediate consultation with a doctor is recommended.
