Every time you get a bruise, you know it is due to the fact that the small blood vessels became damaged underneath the skin due to an injury. They are black and blue in color and can appear purple as well. As they heal, they become yellow which is due to excess bilirubin in the blood which is normal. That is the only time when having yellow skin is normal due to excess bilirubin. And you may even find that you have bruises without even realizing that you injured yourself at all. Sometimes a minor poke from something can damage blood vessels underneath your skin even though you did not feel it at the time. Occasionally you could move around in your sleep and smack your hand against the headboard which can result in a bruise on your hand as well.
However, some people bruise more easily than others. A minor injury that may not bruise you could easily bruise someone else. In addition to that, they may not heal for a long time. On the other hand, if you are one of those people who bruise easily and you are unsure why let’s look at the five possible reasons that may be the case:
You Are On A Medication That Thins Your Blood
If you are on certain medications that cause your blood to thin, that would easily cause you to bruise easily. If you are on drugs such as non-steroid drugs, steroids, cancer medication, anti-inflammatory drugs, or aspirin, those cause your blood to thin. Therefore if you are on those drugs and have been for a prolonged period of time, you will find that even minor injuries cause massive bruising and it can take a while to heal.
Medicinal herbs such as garlic as well as ginseng can also thin your blood can increase your chances of developing bruises easily. However, if bruising is happening too easily then you will need to talk to your doctor about perhaps making some changes to the dosages of the medication. You may also want to take in fewer of the bruise-inducing herbs as well.
Certain Health Conditions
If you have blood-clotting diseases such as hemophilia or other conditions that can lead to bleeding easily such as Cushing’s disease, then you will bruise quickly and easily. If you have fragile blood vessels or an enlarged spleen, then that also can be the culprit to your bruising quite easily. This means even though you cannot completely avoid encountering something that can cause even a minor injury, you want to be as careful as you can.
Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Do you drink too much alcohol? You do realize that excessive alcohol consumption will damage the liver. Therefore, that can lead to your bruising very easily as well. The liver is what helps with blood clotting, and if your liver is not up to par, it will not be able to deliver the proteins that help with clotting blood. This leads to easy bruising. If you are drinking more than two drinks a day, then that is excessive alcohol consumption and you are damaging your liver as a result.
Deficient In Vitamins C Or K
If you are deficient in Vitamins C or K, that will also cause you to bruise easily. Vitamin K is a vitamin that is fat-soluble and plays a significant role when it comes to blood clotting. And then Vitamin C is what helps form the collagen in the body which keeps the skin and connective tissues intact. Therefore, if you do not have enough vitamin C in your body, your blood vessels become brittle. You will want to take supplements of either Vitamin if you find you are low in them.
Aging
As you age you don’t have as much muscle mass and fat underneath your skin to keep your blood vessels protected. Therefore, bruising will happen more easily as a result of this fact. You will just want to stay as cautious as you can to minimize the chances of becoming injured in any way and form.
If you don’t take blood-thinning medication and are free of those blood-related diseases, and you don’t drink a lot of alcohol, then you may have fragile vessels or you may not be taking in enough vitamins. You will want to see your doctor regardless if you bruise easily and don’t heal that fast.
