What Does It Mean If You Bruise Really Easily

Easy bruising may be a sign that you’re taking corticosteroids, a common treatment for these and other diseases. Whether you’re using an inhaler, taking pills, or applying a topical version of these powerful anti-inflammatory drugs, bruising is a common side effect. Long-term use, especially at more potent doses, can cause skin thinning.

Easy bruising is common with age. Although most bruises are harmless and go away without treatment, easy bruising can sometimes be a sign of a more serious problem. Most bruises form when small blood vessels (capillaries) near the skin’s surface are broken by the impact of a blow or injury — often on the arms or legs.

Causes. Bruises are usually caused by bumping into something which ruptures the tiny capillaries under the skin leaving the area darkened. Some people bruise more easily than others, and this is indicative of fragile capillaries, poor health or an inability to create collagen.

Easy bruising can sometimes be a symptom of a disease or health issue. For instance, sepsis (a bacterial infection), chronic inflammatory disease, liver disease and certain types of cancer can all cause you to bruise easily.

A person should seek medical attention any time they have the following symptoms or issues associated with bruising: a suspected broken bone. loss of function of a joint, limb or muscle. increasing pain. an area is affected by a bruise that returns. there is no identifiable cause of the bruising.

Although based on the above factors, the length of time elapsed by bruises before fully healed may be various, in general bruises will last for approximately 2 to 14 days, depending mostly on the injuries.

There can be no doubt that life without bruises is noticeably better than life with them, but most bruises are not considered especially dangerous. That’s not to suggest that severe bruising cannot lead to other complications such as blood clots, nerve damage and loss of mobility, however.

A bruise is commonly tender, and sometimes even painful for the first few days, but the pain usually goes away as the color fades. Because the skin is not broken in a bruise, there is no risk of infection.

You may begin to bruise easily if you aren’t getting enough iron. That’s because your body needs iron to keep your blood cells healthy. If your blood cells aren’t healthy, your body won’t be able to get the oxygen that it needs to function. This may make your skin more susceptible to bruising. Other symptoms of iron deficiency include:

As a person ages, they tend to bruise more easily. People tend to bruise more easily as they age because blood vessels become weaker and the skin thins. Easy bruising may also run in families, so people whose relatives bruise easily may notice that they do as well.

To find the cause of your bruising, your doctor might check your blood platelet levels or do tests that measure the time it takes your blood to clot. Other serious causes of bruising include domestic violence or abuse.