Tag Archives: bruise

8 Reasons Some People Bruise More Easily Than Others

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There are many potential causes of easy bruising, some of which can be serious, but most are not a threat to your health. Let’s take a look at some of the potential reasons that people to bruise more easily:

  1. Advanced age – Aging causes your skin to produce less collagen. This leads to skin thinning and the protective fatty layer of your skin starts to slowly to break down.
  2. Your genetics – you may be predisposed to weaker, more easily damaged skin if a close relative also bruises easy.
  3. Nutritional deficiencies –Vitamin C deficiency can especially cause easy bruising because one of its main duties in the body is repairing damage and helping heal contusions. Other deficiencies that may contribute to delicate skin include: low iron, vitamin K or bioflavonoids.
  4. Too much sun – While some sun is essential for healthy vitamin D levels, too much can lead to less resilient skin which blemishes and bruises much easier than stronger, healthy skin.
  5. Medications – Certain medications can lead to easily bruised or blemished skin as well, such as blood thinners, NSAIDs (which also thin the blood), cancer treatments and long term use of corticosteroids (they can lead to skin thinning).
  6. Alcohol – speaking of blood thinners, alcohol also has this effect on the body because it causes vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels). This can cause blood vessels under the skin to break.
  7. Obesity – people who have high body fat percentages are at greater risk for easy bruising, partially because the skin is stretched thinner in some areas and this causes tiny blood vessels to stretch or break.
  8. Certain health conditions – those who suffer from certain diseases or conditions may bruise easier and worse than others, or heal much slower. Some of those conditions include:
  • Purpuric dermatosis
  • Diabetes
  • Cushing’s Syndrome
  • Autoimmune conditions (such as lupus)
  • Haemophilia (and other blood-related conditions)
  • Some types of cancer such as leukemia (don’t panic – this is a very rare cause of easy bruising)

These are a few of the many reasons a person may experience easy bruising or slow healing. Thanks for visiting DocChat!

 

 

When Should You Worry About a Black Eye?

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A black eye, medically known as periorbital hematoma, usually develops when there is blunt-force trauma to the upper face, resulting in bruises that form around the eye(s). A black eye will likely change colors as it heals, perhaps starting red and changing to black, blue, green or yellow with time. Most black eyes resolve themselves within a week or so and don’t cause any significant medical trouble, but sometimes they cause dangerous complications if not immediately treated.

Potential Dangers of a Black Eye

Potential complications that can arise from a black eye (and would require immediate medical attention) include:

  • Detached retina
  • Retinal damage
  • Traumatic uveitis
  • Damage to the optic nerve
  • Hyphema (bleeding in the eye)
  • Skull fracture
  • A concussion
  • Internal bleeding

10 Signs There May Be Trouble

Some of the key signs that you need to seek immediate medical treatment for one of the aforementioned complications include:

  1. Signs of a concussion
  2. Redness, swelling or discoloration to the eye itself
  3. Visible blood in your eyeball
  4. Blurred or double vision or trouble seeing
  5. Vision changes such as bright flashes or ‘floaters’
  6. Excessive pain
  7. Excessive bruising around both eyes
  8. Bleeding from the nose or ears
  9. Pain when looking back and forth
  10. Signs of infection

Dos and Don’ts of Black Eye First Aid

DO:

  • Start with a cold compress for 10-15 minutes
  • Apply heat to the area after a couple days (this will help blood flow return to normal)
  • Take acetaminophen for the pain
  • Get it checked out by a professional

DON’TS

  • Apply raw meat to the area – unless you’re hoping for an infection to develop!
  • Take NSAIDS (like Advil) as they may increase bleeding
  • Press on or poke at the injured area

The best thing to do is to get a doctor to take a look at any black eye, even if you don’t think it is serious so he or she can decide the status of the injury for themselves, as well as the appropriate treatment. Thanks for visiting DocChat!