Why do I bruise easily? Is it a sign of illness?

The hot summer is the season for people to wear short sleeves and shorts, and it is also the season for people to show off their beautiful arms and legs. However, some people dare not wear shorts and short sleeves in summer because their bodies are particularly prone to bruising. Sometimes just a slight touch will cause a large bruise that will last for several days. In fact, there are reasons why bruises are easy to occur on the body. Let’s learn about it together!

Why do bruises often occur?

Subcutaneous hemorrhage is the bruises often found on the body surface in daily life. The main reason is damage to the blood vessel wall, causing blood to seep out of the blood vessel. The diameter of the bleeding spot is 3-5 mm, which is called purpura.

Diseases that cause purpura include allergic diseases and are also common after insect bites. The elasticity of blood vessels in the elderly decreases and their fragility increases, so even a slight collision will cause subcutaneous bleeding. Any factors that increase the fragility of blood vessel walls will cause subcutaneous bleeding, such as bacterial or viral infection, malnutrition, vitamin C deficiency, etc.

In addition to the above-mentioned vascular damage factors, it is also related to thrombocytopenia or poor platelet quality.

If you usually have bleeding gums, nose bleeding, excessive menstruation, fever, anemia, etc., you should go to the hospital for further diagnosis and treatment, platelet count, clotting time, capillary fragility test, etc., and the doctor will make appropriate treatment based on the results. If it is simple purpura, it will disappear on its own after a few days and no special treatment is needed.

The above explains why bruises occur, but how to treat skin bruises? We often encounter this situation. If it is not handled properly, the injured area will become more and more serious, and even severe swelling will occur. In fact, as long as it is properly cared for, the bruises on the skin can be well relieved.

Step 1: Ice

Applying ice immediately can reduce blood flow and minimize bruising. Wrap an ice pack in a towel, or soak the towel in cool water for a while, and apply the cold compress to the affected area for 10 minutes, repeating the cold compress every 20 minutes or so. It is recommended to prepare ice packs at home in advance. You can fill a plastic bag with 6 parts of water and 1 part of alcohol, seal it and put it in the refrigerator to make a simple ice pack. If you apply pressure to the affected area or wrap an elastic Band-Aid immediately after an injury, the bruise will be greatly reduced.

Step 2: Elevate

When a bruise first occurs, reducing blood flow to the affected area can minimize the bruising. If your legs are bruised, you may want to sit on a sofa or chair with armrests and raise your legs above your heart while applying ice. If your arms are injured, try to raise your arms to heart height.

Step 3: Heat

After 24 hours, applying hot compress to the affected area can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. You can use a heating pad, hot water bottle or hot towel to warm the affected area several times a day, for 20 minutes each time. Vinegar can promote blood flow to the surface of the skin and help dissipate bruises. You can pour it into warm water and soak a towel for hot compress. However, the temperature of the hot compress should not be too high, otherwise it will easily burn the skin.