Bruises

Katie Hightower

The “How's" and “Why's" of Bruising

Many people experience the encumbrance of bruising. Whether you’ve bumped into something while walking or taken a tumble, you can be at risk for those tender black and blue marks.

Why Do We Bruise?

A bruise occurs when the blood vessels underneath the skin break and leak blood into the affected area, showing a purple/blue or green hue. Then the body works to heal that area and reabsorb that blood, causing the bruise to fade.

There are many reasons why bruising can occur. Web MD lists several different factors that can affect your body and its likelihood to bruise.

Click on each contributing factor if you'd like to view more information.

Getting Older -

The number one reason for increased risk for bruising is simply getting older. With age, the skin gets thinner and the fatty layers deplete, making you more likely to bruise. Those who are older and those who smoke can also be more at risk for vitamin C deficiency. If you are relatively low on vitamin C, which can benefit the healing process, you can be at a higher risk for bruising. With our daily diets, it is rare to lack vitamin C but not impossible. Some medicines like blood thinners or prednisone can also make you more likely to bruise by thinning the blood and skin.

Genetics -

If your family bruises more easily than others, then you are more likely to bruise at a small bump that would not affect someone else. Genetic conditions like Celiac disease, hemophilia, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) have all been linked to easy bruising. These conditions contribute to bruising in different ways. People with hemophilia lack certain clotting factors in the blood, allowing more blood to spill into the body when vessels are damaged. EDS affects connective tissues in the body, including blood vessels, putting them at greater risk of rupturing.

Too Much Exposure to the Sun -

Too much sun exposure causes the skin to break down quicker, leaving the blood vessels less protected. While most bruises are based on impact with something else, these are fairly different. Sun exposure bruising is more commonly referred to as sun spots, and they typically appear on the backs of your hands and arms. However, they do not cause tenderness and pain like contusion bruises and they also tend to last a little longer.

Intense Exercise -

Occasionally, intense exercise can cause bruising. Your standard workout class or jog probably won’t be an issue, but if you are lifting weights or doing intense cardio, you might notice that you have a little bruising or swelling in some areas. It is important to apply ice to these areas right away to avoid additional bruising or swelling.

There are other factors that can cause bruising as well, but bumping into things, contact sports and falls are going to be the leading cause of bruising in the lives of most people, with or without other contributing factors. There are several ways to help avoid bruising around your household.

1) Keep your home well-lit. Having a well-lit area can help you avoid troublesome collisions and falls. If you are walking outside in the dark, take a small flashlight or use the light on your phone to light the path you are walking.

2) Eliminate Clutter. Clutter is easy to trip on and can cause serious injury in addition to bruising if your fall is severe enough.

3) Make sure your furniture is arranged in a way that makes it simple for you to walk around your home.

4) Get regular hearing and vision tests. Keeping your senses sharp is vital to avoiding those moments where you can fall and bruise, or become injured.

How Do I Treat Bruises?

When bruising does happen, it is important to rest and treat the affected area. Occasional elevation and icing will be helpful to the healing process and will keep the likelihood of swelling to a minimum. You might also try some light compression, wrapping the bruised area loosely to relieve bruising symptoms. Legs, shins, ankles, feet and toes are the areas most likely to be affected by bruises. If you find that you have stubbed your toe, dropped something on your foot, or run your shin into a table, make sure you rest and ice the area right away, and repeat the process regularly over the following days. If you find that your bruise does not disappear after two weeks, it is probably time to seek a medical opinion.

In addition, a natural pain relief cream can reduce the pain associated with bruises. The herb arnica in particular has been proven to help with the symptoms of bruising. By applying a thin coat of natural pain relief products to dry, clean skin, you could experience pain relief and comfort in as little as five minutes. That definitely beats waiting for pill taken by mouth to disperse through your digestive system! BLUESPRING’s over the counter pain relief creams Super Blue Stuff OTC, Super White Stuff OTC, and Foot and Leg Comfort are all FDA registered treatments targeted at bruising, among other problems. Specifically, Foot and Leg Comfort was designed to increase the comfort in the lower extremities, and includes all natural ingredients like emu oil and arnica.

It can be frustrating to wait for relief, and that’s why Foot and Leg Comfort is considered to be one of the best all-natural pain relief creams that is sold over-the-counter. Its natural healing properties provide quick relief and long-lasting comfort, to help you get through your day and night.

Sources

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/easy-bruising/art-20045762

http://www.healthline.com/symptom/bruises-easily

http://www.healthline.com/health/hemophilia#overview1

http://www.healthline.com/health/ehlers-danlos-syndrome#overview1

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/why-do-i-bruise-so-easily#1

http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/tc/bruises-and-blood-spots-under-the-skin-prevention

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/beauty/10-natural-ways-to-prevent-and-heal-bruises.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-bruise/basics/art-20056663

http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/tc/bruises-and-blood-spots-under-the-skin-home-treatment

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-721-arnica.aspx?activeingredientid=721&activeingredientname=arnica

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