Easy Bruising on Legs

Bruises are most commonly seen in children, who play and remain active throughout the day. Adults do develop red or bluish color marks on the skin when they bump into something. The reason behind bruises is quite obvious; injury to the soft tissues and small broken blood vessels underneath the skin.

Even though all parts of the body develop bruises, the arms and legs are more susceptible. Whether there is any specific medical reason or not for easy bruising on legs, the actual treatment for this condition, and other related details are is discussed in the upcoming paragraphs.

Causes

Everyone of us experience skin marks after knocking into a hard object. According to health experts, bruising on legs and arms becomes frequent when a person gets older. The same problem in children and young adults may be because of poor diet or underlying medical reasons. People tend to develop bruises every now and then, without any apparent reason.

• In both children and adults, low platelet count is found to be a common reason for causing easy bruises. The normal function of platelets is to help stop bleeding after physical injury. Since platelet count is low, clotting takes longer time, which in turn causes bruises.

• It can also be caused due to blood clotting problems. As blood does not clot normally, the bleeding time is more, and bruises are quite likely. Similarly, susceptibility to this condition may be because of blood disorders, like hemophilia, leukemia, and sepsis.

• Corticosteroid medication and some dietary supplements (ginkgo and fish oil) are also the leading causes of this condition in many patients. Such formulations cause thinning of skin as one of its adverse effects, thus increasing the risk for wounds.

• People who are currently on blood thinning medication may also experience it. The ingested drug disturbs the normal blood clotting process, thus increasing the risk for bleeding and wounds.

• In elderly individuals, the capillary walls become weak and broken blood vessels are experienced even with a mild collision. Aging can also be a major cause, due to skin thinning, which overtime loses the underlying, supportive fatty tissues.

When to Consult a Doctor?

In fresh bruises, the blood oozed out from the affected capillaries causes red coloration to the affected skin area. This blood is then absorbed by the adjoining cells and tissues during the healing process. Consequently, the skin condition recovers on its own after some days.

When this happens occasionally, it is a normal incidence, and one need not get alarmed. Nevertheless, it is best to consult a trusted physician for such wounds on the legs and other body parts.

The doctor may examine the condition, analyze the medical history, and run diagnostic tests to rule out possible health conditions. In case the situation goes unexplained, the doctor may perform a complete blood count to check platelet number.

Any disorder related to blood cells can be ruled out with reference to the blood test results. Accordingly, appropriate bruise treatments are proceeded for the patient.

In fact, the actual treatment is based on the causal factor. If current medicine is the root cause, then alteration of the drug or adjusting the dosage is effective for treating increased susceptibility. Likewise, refraining from dietary supplements helps combat the condition associated with excess intake of the dietary formulations.

Self care tips concerning how to get rid of bruises are applying cold compresses, taking adequate rest, and keeping the bruised portion in an elevated position. Symptoms will subside gradually with these self-care remedies.

As you see, most cases are attributed to medicine side effects and the aging process. If the underlying cause is a serious one (hemophilia, blood cancer, or liver problem), medication specific to the problem will be recommended for the patient. In addition, the doctor may suggest nutritional supplements and a healthy diet to avoid bruises.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.