Many people have felt this way after looking in the mirror. It’s yet another bruise, and you can hardly remember having bumped into anything. Moreover, this has been a frequent occurrence. Well, this is a normal worry for some people, and the bruises are caused by various factors. The factors range from age to health issues. As much as the bruises can be common among people, it should be a concern that needs medical assistance from a health specialist, since the bruises could be a signal or a more serious internal problem.
The bruises can be in purple or black, and the most common areas that the bruises are likely to appear to include the arm (especially the elbow area towards the upper arm), and the legs (especially the thigh areas). However, one should not be in a panic since the following factors discussed below are the reason behind the frequent and mysterious bruises.
1 - Being an Athlete or Engaging in intense Exercise
Almost everyone involved in some sport will at some point in their life get bruised. It is so common for bruises when they get into contact with other players or at the gym while they work out. It should not be a big deal to these people unless they are worried about how they will look when they go out to the beach. But if it is bruising due to a fall, it is important to rest, use ice, then compress by wrapping around the injury and then elevating the damage to a level above that of the heart. It is also known as the RICE method, and it helps to reduce the pain, the bleeding, and swelling.
2 - Skin Damage by the Sun
When a person's skin is exposed to the sun for a long time, the blood vessels are weakened. The weakening of the blood vessels is the reason behind the purple or black patches that tend to occur on the forearms and legs of older adults, without having to bump into anything necessarily.
This condition is known as the actinic purpura. To reduce such instances of ‘bruise patches,' one should wear sunscreen to prevent further damage of the skin by the sun. Also, if living in areas where the sun keeps being scorching hot, one could wear long-sleeved shirts or blouses to protect the skin from the sun.
3 - Age
As one grows older, the skin loses part of its protective layer, and the blood vessels may start to become more fragile than they were when one was younger. Moreover, one begins to lose that which used to protect the blood vessels. In turn, it means that it would take less effort or force to cause a bruise than when one was younger.
4 - Diabetes
Purple or dark discolorations may appear on the skin and often at parts where the skin touches other parts of the skin. It is familiar with people suffering from diabetes. However, the discolorations are not always real bruises from bumping into things or falling; preferably they are just an underlying resistance in the body. Diabetes patients may also have huge problems before wounds on any part of their body heal.
5 - Painkillers and Blood Thinners
Anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as blood thinners block the normal functioning platelets in the body and as a result, cause clotting factors in the body. This is especially common in older people, as such drugs would cause easy bruising since they are used on a long-term basis.
6 - Genetics
If most of your close family members tend to bruise easily, there is a high chance that you will also injure easily. However, this is not always a must since there are steps that a person could take to alter such potential genetic tendencies.
7 - Underlying Illness
It is the main reason why one should seek medical assistance in cases where they bruise easily. It is because the dark or purple colorations could be a sign of leukemia, alongside other symptoms although this rarely occurs. However, rarely does not mean never. It’s always best to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to consistent bruising.