I bruise easily

I notice that I get bruises on my skin frequently these days. Kindly let me know what is causing this problem.

Ibukun (by SMS)

Common causes for random bruising can include: Intense exercise can leave you with more than just sore muscles. If you’ve recently overdone it at the gym, you may develop bruises around the affected muscles. When you strain a muscle, you injure muscle tissue deep under the skin.

This can cause blood vessels to burst and leak blood into the surrounding area. If you’re bleeding more than normal for some reason, the blood will pool under your skin and cause a bruise. Certain medications make you more susceptible to bruising.

Anticoagulants (blood thinners) and over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), and naproxen (Aleve) affect your blood’s ability to clot. When blood takes longer to clot, more of it leaks from blood vessels and accumulates under the skin. If you suspect that your bruising is a result of OTC or prescription medication use, you should speak with a doctor.

They can advise you on any next steps. Vitamins perform many important functions in your blood. They aid in the formation of red blood cells, help maintain mineral levels, and lower your cholesterol. However, being deficient in certain vitamins can lead to symptoms such as bruising. If you suspect that your bruising is a result of deficiency, consider speaking with a healthcare professional.

They may prescribe iron tablets or other medication — as well as help you modify your diet to meet your nutritional needs. Although diabetes itself doesn’t cause bruising, it can slow your healing time and allow bruises to linger longer than usual. If you’re experiencing symptoms of diabetes alongside bruising, you should speak with a doctor.

They can make a diagnosis, if needed, and advise you on the next steps. People with von Willebrand disease are born with the condition but may not develop symptoms until later in life. This bleeding disorder is a lifelong condition. When blood isn’t clotting like it should, bleeding can be heavier or longer than normal.

Whenever this blood gets trapped under the surface of the skin, it will form a bruise. Someone with von Willebrand disease might notice large or lumpy bruises from minor, even unnoticeable, injuries. You should speak with a doctor if you suspect your symptoms are a result of von Willebrand disease. Thrombophilia means that your blood has an increased tendency to clot. This condition occurs when your body makes too much or too little clotting chemicals.

Thrombophilia typically has no symptoms until a blood clot develops. If you develop a blood clot, a doctor will probably test you for thrombophilia and may prescribe blood thinners (anticoagulants). People who take blood thinners bruise more easily. In some cases, random bruising may be associated with one of the following less common causes.

People who have cancer often experience excessive bleeding and bruising. If you’re undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments, you may have low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia). Without enough platelets, your blood clots more slowly than usual. This means that a minor bump or injury can cause large or lumpy bruises.

People who have cancer and are struggling to eat may also experience vitamin deficiencies that impact the blood’s ability to clot.  People who have cancers in parts of the body responsible for blood production, like the liver, may also experience unusual clotting.

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