However, the report recommends that any unexplained bruising on an older person be investigated to rule out the possibly of abuse. Random bruising caused by diabetes occurs when the condition affects the blood vessels and causes peripheral vascular disease. For example, a lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy which causes unexplained bruising and bleeding. The first is that the disease itself may cause the bruise. While not everyone will experience bruising after a bug bite, it is entirely possible that you develop a small contusion if you get bitten by an insect. Last medically reviewed on June 28, 2020, A bruise usually results from a blow to the body. You may havea thorough physical examination and blood tests. Article Sources Yourbody has a remarkable ability to recover and there's a good chance that your symptoms will improve in time, even without any specific treatment. I've had the flu now my stomach and part of my back is bruised what could be the cause? According to Dr. Debra Jaliman on WebMD, vigorous exercise like lifting weights or intensive training can cause tiny tears in blood vessels under the skin.10. Pain management medicines such as ibuprofen or naproxen, Radiation therapy of the bone marrow or pelvis, You dont know where the bruises are coming from and they occur regularly. Common medically unexplained symptoms include: About 1 in 4 people who see a GP have physical symptoms that cannot be explained. These spots, called purpura, are common in older adults but may be a sign of inflamed blood vessels in younger people. Our blood naturally clots to prevent excessive bleeding related to an injury. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Easy bruising and bleeding. As a result, there is less body material to cushion a blow, so the body gets bruised easily. Eden, R. E., & Coviello, J. M. (2020). Women tend to bruise more easily than men. Depending on the severity of the trauma that has caused the bruise in the first place, the average bruise will last somewhere between two to four weeks. St. John, T., The Changing Colors of Bruises and What They Mean, Symptom Find, May 7, 2016; https://www.symptomfind.com/health/changing-colors-bruises-and-what-they-mean/, last accessed August 28, 2017. Common Causes of Unexplained Bruising | Buoy Doctors from the Mayo Clinic explain that aging causes the protective fatty layer in the skin to become thinner. 2016;93(4). Icelandic. An approach to investigation of easy bruising. Unexplained leg bruising can be due to liver disease, nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune conditions, and other disorders. Mayo Clinic Staff. By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies. Random bruising could be a sign of a health issue that should be checked out. Someone who takes medication and has random bruising should speak to a doctor for advice and to discuss their drug and family medical history. If you find yourself in pain because of the bruise, you can apply a cold compress and keep the bruise elevated above the heart. 2004-2023 Healthline Media UK Ltd, Brighton, UK, a Red Ventures Company. Many essential oils are used to treat various injuries and maladies. Supplements like ginkgo biloba, ginger, turmeric, and St. Johns Wort also carry similar blood thinning issues. This can result in bruising easily on your legs or other areas of your body. Add the olive oil to a pan and drop in the comfrey leaves. Intensive exercising can cause unexplained bruises in the parts of your body under stress. You just have to figure it out- blood thinners, trauma some more severe problems with coagulation. (2016). This can cause the bruise to take on a green color or tinge. unexplained weight loss yellow skin and eyes (jaundice) dark urine abdominal pain and swelling nausea vomiting fatigue Medications, including chemotherapy and antibiotics, may also cause both. The most common symptom of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is painless swelling in the lymph nodes, which are located in the neck, groin, and armpit. They are sometimes known as"medically unexplained symptoms" when they last for more than a few weeks, but doctors can't finda problem with the bodythat may be the cause. You may be referred for a talking therapy, such ascognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). She is an assistant clinical professor of family medicine at Quinnipiac University and works in private practice in Hartford, Connecticut. A poor diet can affect health in a number of negative ways, and vitamin deficiencies can contribute to random bruising. what is this and the cause ? Read More Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. Can poor sleep impact your weight loss goals? Individuals should speak with a doctor. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Bruising in the geriatric population. Random Bruising: 13 Possible Causes Excluding Obvious Injury - Healthline Video chat with a U.S. board-certified doctor 24/7 in less than one minute for common issues such as: colds and coughs, stomach symptoms, bladder infections, rashes, and more. They can vary in color, and skin color may affect the appearance of a bruise. A bone bruise is a type of bruise that occurs when blood and fluid build up inside and around an injured bone. They usually heal without treatment, but home remedies for bruises may be, Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. Best food forward: Are algae the future of sustainable nutrition? Alcohol-related liver disease - Symptoms - NHS This makes helichrysum essential oil great for dealing with bruises. Also runners or joggers toenail is one of the most common reasons for bruised toenails as the toe pushes against the front of the shoe while running or jogging. The aim of CBT is tohelp you to manage your symptoms by enabling you to understand links between your symptoms, worries, feelings and how you cope. Achilles Tendon Rupture: Symptoms to Look For, Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, Ruptured Spleen: Symptoms and Treatment in Adults and Children, Drug-Related Bicycle Accidents Drawing Concerns, a crawling or tingling feeling in your legs, cravings to eat things that are not food, such as ice, dirt, or clay, excessive bleeding from punctures or wounds, tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands or feet, severe bleeding after injuries, dental work, or surgeries, nosebleeds that last longer than 10 minutes, a cough, difficulty swallowing, or breathlessness (if the lymphoma is in the chest area), indigestion, stomach pain, or weight loss (if the lymphoma is in the stomach or bowel), excessive bleeding after injury, surgery, or childbirth, purple stretch marks on the breasts, arms, abdomen, and thighs, fatty tissue deposits in the face and upper back, a bruise that increases in size over time, a bruise that doesnt change within two weeks, severe night sweats (that soak through your clothes), unusually heavy periods or large blood clots in menstrual flow. Most cases of random bruising are nothing to worry about. But, there are a couple of essential oils that work particularly well with bruises. suggest a visit to your, Yes since you inject in this site very common to injure the. Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy. People with low counts of blood platelets often bruise easily because there are fewer platelets in the blood to repair damaged blood vessels. What Is the Treatment for Random Bruising? Consuming certain nutrients may help reduce your risk. Benabio J. what would cause this? Blood thinners prevent this clotting, which makes it easier for bruises to develop following minor injuries because of the excessive pooling of blood underneath the skin. Cines, D. B., & Levine, L. D. (2017). But, the simpler explanations may surprise you. Why do women bruise more easily than men? So, this makes it easier for the body to bruise. Although diabetes itself doesnt cause bruising, it can slow your healing time and allow bruises to linger longer than normal. This accounts for around 75% of all cases of thrombocytopenia in pregnancy. I have a bruise on my stomach where my appendix should be.. should i be worried? Mayo Clinic Staff. Start with an ice pack wrapped in a towel (not directly on the skin). Other symptoms of iron deficiency include: Although rare in healthy adults, vitamin K deficiencies can slow the rate at which blood clots. (n.d.). 2008 Nov; 88(11): 12541264. If you develop a blood clot, your doctor will probably test you for thrombophilia and may put you on blood thinners (anticoagulants). Here's what might be causing them and how theyre treated. For potential or actual medical emergencies, immediately call 911 or your local emergency service. Platelets are cells that help the blood to clot and stop bleeding. Unfortunately, as we get older, getting unexplained bruises becomes more of a fact of life due to skin changes and medications. Gardner-Diamond syndrome is a condition wherein painful and unexpected bruising occurs, mainly on the arms, legs, or face. MedicineNet. The hyper pigmentation is usually dark in color and can look like bruising even though it is not. When the bruise turns yellow, its because more bilirubin is responsible for breaking down the blood and when it turns green, it is the action of biliverdin. Yes: Yes, it is possible, but should not happen. Bruising: How should I investigate a person with bruising? Easy bruising is sometimes a symptom of the late stages of chronic kidney disease. A low platelet count is also called thrombocytopenia, and there are a few potential causes, such as: Cushing's syndrome is a condition that arises when levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, are too high in the blood. A bruise usually starts off as a black and blue patch of skin and gradually turns green or yellow as it heals.1, You may find that the bruises on your body are painful at first but they may start to itch as they heal. This is because they lower the amount of platelets in the blood. Learn more. The possible benefits of medicine always need to be weighed against the potential side effects. Learn more about what the colors of a bruise mean here. If they do not, the bruise might be the underlying sign of a larger health issue. Vitamins and minerals: What you should know about essential nutrients. Helichrysum essential oil contains a chemical compound called italidione. A person with kidney disease bruises easily due to a loss of skin elasticity. Phys Ther. But first, we need to look at the different types of bruises and what causes them. And yes, getting older also means that we will be a little more prone to injury. The bruise doesnt heal within two weeks. Our gait becomes more unstable, and we bump into things a little more than we used to. Without enough platelets, your blood clots more slowly than normal. If the liver is affected by a disease, it can impact the production of those chemicals and influence blood clotting, allowing the body to bruise easier. A black eye is bruising and swelling around your eye, usually caused by a blow to the area, such as a punch or fall. 2-3 weeks apart. Bruises that take longer than usual to disappear are another concern. Vitamin K deficiency. However, there are early warning signs of diabetes that can indicate you are at risk for developing the disease. DOI:10.1055/s-2002-23205, last accessed August 2017. A lack of vitamin C allows weakens the blood vessels and causes the body to bruise easier. This can help speed up the healing process. Some people may be more susceptible to random bruising than others, and depending on the circumstance, you may want to see a healthcare professional. If unexplained you should be examined by a physician, as it could be nothing to worry about but it could represent a skin disorder, or clotting disorder. What causes unexplained bruising? It mostly occurs in females who have a mental health condition or emotional stress. You and the GP may identify some lifestyle changes and goals that you both think will help relieve your symptoms, such as regular physical activity and better rest. I've noticed 3 bruises on my stomach for no apparent reason approx. A ruptured Achilles tendon is not uncommon for athletes and can cause a great deal of pain. Learn more about bruises on dark skin here. confusion and memory problems, trouble sleeping (insomnia) and changes in your personality caused by a build-up of toxins in the brain passing black, tarry poo and vomiting blood as a result of internal bleeding a tendency to bleed and bruise more easily, such as frequent nosebleeds and bleeding gums Ecchymosis, which occurs when blood leaks from a broken capillary into surrounding tissue, is common and requires a preventive treatment plan. Kawasaki disease WebMD. What Do Your PT/INR and PTT Results Mean? For example, hemophilia and Willebrand disease affect the bloods ability to clot and can cause bleeding and excessive bruising resulting in black or dark skin patches. But if you still find unusual bruises after switching up your diet or cutting back on OTC pain relievers, it may be time to consult a doctor. Doctors will check a womans platelet levels throughout a pregnancy term, but bruising could be a symptom of gestational thrombocytopenia, which leads to a low platelet count. Always mention any unusual bruising during pregnancy to a doctor or midwife. WebMD. If you are able to, you can also keep the bruise elevated above the heart to prevent further blood pooling. Bruise Itch Causes, Risk Factors, and Treatment - Healthline 4.9k views Answered >2 years ago. Skin manifestations of Cushing's syndrome. Vitamin deficiencies of various sorts can lead to unexplained bruises. Learn more about these serious fractures, how theyre treated, and what to expect. For example, being in the sun too long, aging, or a vitamin deficiency can weaken small blood vessels near the skins surface. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. Although random or sudden bruising does not necessarily mean that a person has a medical condition, it may still be worth discussing with a doctor. When you combine this with everything mentioned above, bruises begin to be a more likely and repeated occurrence. Bruises develop from damage to blood vessels that reside under the skin. A lack of vitamin C allows weakens the blood vessels and causes the body to bruise easier. Vitamins perform many important functions in your blood. A GP will aim to rule out all the possible conditions that might be causing your symptoms. When this happens, blood leaks out of the vessels and initially appears as a dark mark. According to Dr. Neha Pathak on WebMD, some common viral infections that can cause unexplained bruising are chickenpox, mumps, and rubella. A blunt trauma injury can cause your spleen to rupture. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. MedlinePlus. If youre undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments, you may have low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia). I have a small bruising on my stomach with a small lump under it. There are several causes that may lead to unexplained bruising, like certain medications, nutrient deficiencies, and medical conditions. Unexplained Bruising: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention - Verywell Health Cancer can cause unexplained bruising in two different ways. An unexplained bruise on the breast that doesnt disappear may be one of the first signs of inflammatory breast cancer. It also explains bruising in pregnancy and when to see a doctor. The bruise is caused when blood cells are damaged, and blood leaks into the top layers of the skin. It should get better within 2 to 3 weeks. Iron deficiency anemia. Also known as blood poisoning, sepsis requires immediate emergency treatment. Ann Rheum Dis. First of all, lets look at what bruises are and what is the main cause of random bruising. Required for collagen production, boosting the immune system, and maintaining antioxidant activity, vitamin C is versatile and vital to health. Bruising | Health topics A to Z | CKS | NICE If diabetes has already been diagnosed, your bruising may simply be a result of slow wound healing. This doesn't mean the symptoms are faked or"all in the head" they're real and can affect your ability to function properly. AAFP. Here are 10 easy treatments to lessen the pain and reduce the visibility. Erythema nodosum - NHS MayoClinic. Manypeople with medically unexplained symptoms, such as tiredness, pain andheart palpitations,also have depression or anxiety. Generally, planning some pleasurable personal time to unwind should help whatever helps you relax,whether it'syoga classes, swimming, running,meditation orwalking in the countryside. Common medically unexplained symptoms include: pains in the muscles or joints back pain headaches tiredness feeling faint chest pain heart palpitations stomach problems About 1 in 4 people who see a GP have physical symptoms that cannot be explained. You have severe pain in the bruised part of your body. This can also help you to determine if you should see a doctor about unexplained bruises that have appeared on your body. Knowing the reason for the appearance of mysterious bruises can help to prevent them in the future. Other symptoms of vitamin K deficiency include: If you suspect that your bruising is a result of deficiency, see a healthcare provider. The National Cancer Institute says that chemotherapy can cause random bruising, as well as tiny purple or red spots on your skin.20, An unexplained bruise on your breast that doesnt go away could be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer. Blood clot or bruise: Differences, symptoms, and contacting a doctor (n.d.). Medications like aspirin, blood thinners, antibiotics, and anticoagulants can affect the blood cells by making them easier to traumatize, leading to bruising. Are you taking too much anti-inflammatory medication? Medications such as anticoagulants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroids reduce the bloods ability to clot. Medications can also hinder the blood clotting process and inhibit platelet function. A pharmacist can help with erythema nodosum. So, if the bruise is still there well after four weeks, its recommended that you seek medical attention. Excessive insulin can trigger hyper pigmentation in the areas of the body where there are natural folds of skin, such as the groin, armpits, and neck. Iron: Iron is vital for healthy blood cells. WebMD. 6 signs unexplained bruising may be worrisome - Shine365 How long does it take for a bruise to heal? The ultra violet rays of the sun can lead to bruises under the skin. All rights reserved. (2016). Sometimes, bruising without an injury could be a sign of a serious underlying medical condition like diabetes, a blood clotting disorder, or an autoimmune disease. There are a few natural and quick ways to help the bruise disappear a bit faster than normal. Healthy and Natural World is supported by its audience. Meanwhile, vitamin K deficiency can contribute to significant bleeding, poor bone development, and cardiovascular disease. (2017). Here Are Six Possible Reasons Why You Have Them, Medical Daily, March 10, 2016; http://www.medicaldaily.com/unexplained-bruising-contusions-377238, last accessed August 28, 2017. Bruises happen when an injury causes blood to leak into the skin. Although being in the sun is necessary to help the body produce vitamin D, too much sun exposure can damage your skin and cause you to bruise easily.