Have you ever bumped into a table or a chair while getting up in a hurry? You must remember the sharp pain following the impact and a purple-blue bruise that usually forms not much later. Getting a bruise is not uncommon after you hit yourself somewhere; even in some cases, people can bruise spontaneously. But what is the science behind bruises? Have you ever thought about where these purple, blue-green, or sometimes yellow marks on your body come from?
Bruises usually form due to the impact of an injury or blow, leading to the breakage of tiny blood vessels called capillaries that are present just beneath your skin. As these capillaries break, blood has nowhere else to go, so it begins to ooze out and pool in the surrounding tissues. Since the skin barrier hasn’t been broken down, the only thing that you’ll notice is a purplish, blue-green spot forming in that area.
Our skin has several layers, one of them being the dermis. In the dermis, a vast network of blood vessels is present that supplies blood to your skin. Any injury to the muscle or connective tissue can damage these vessels and result in an ugly blemish called a bruise. Bruises are tender to touch and can appear swollen due to the blood trapped underneath the skin. Harder blows lead to bruises that are bigger due to more bleeding.
Bruises usually go away on their own and change colors with time. When they form, they typically have a red to purple hue representing the bleeding inside, which transforms into a blue-violet and then to green to yellow color, after which it disappears completely. The color changes you see on the skin correspond to changes in your body. As the blood supply of the red blood cells is cut off, they start to turn blue. Your body then metabolizes this spilled blood which then appears as a green bruise. As it is gradually absorbed back by your body, your skin color turns back around to normal, and the bruise fades away.
Some people tend to bruise very quickly regardless of their trauma history. If you’ve ever woken up and noticed some mysterious black to blue marks on your body, then you’re not alone. This is usually due to the presence of fragile capillaries, which could be due to several causes. Women are generally more prone to bruising compared to others.
Years of High sun exposure and increasing age can lead to thinning of the skin and increase the likelihood of getting trauma-based bruises. As you age, the collagen, elastin, and the cushioning provided by the fat underneath your skin decreases, which in turn increases the fragility of the blood vessels as these protective layers are lost.
Suppose you’re an athlete involved in vigorous exercises or competitive sports. In that case, you may bruise easily because of the continuous wear and tear of muscle fibers during these strenuous activities.
Frequent use of Blood-thinning medications, aspirin, ibuprofen can also cause frequent bruising. These medications lead to longer times to form a blood clot. Since bruising is a form of non-lethal internal bleeding, these drugs prolong the time till the injury resolves. Diabetic patients are also vulnerable to prolonged bruises as it slows down the healing time.
People with bleeding disorders also tend to have bruises that last longer. In bleeding disorders, the body doesn’t produce enough clotting proteins; hence more time is needed for the bruises to heal. A low platelet count or platelets that don’t function properly puts you at risk of developing spontaneous bruises.
Some chronic disorders like asthma, eczema, or rheumatoid arthritis that require you to take prolonged steroid doses have bruising as a common side effect. The more potent the drug consumed is, the greater the chances of easy bruising.
Spontaneous bruising on the abdomen should raise some suspicion as it may be due to some serious underlying condition like sepsis or chronic disorders like lupus. Genetic causes could also be involved, or you may be malnourished. Nutritional Deficiencies of vitamin b12, potassium, and vitamin c can be a cause of sporadic bruising. Most bruises usually disappear by two weeks as your body heals itself and clears up the pooled blood.
In conclusion, bruising is usually expected if you’re a clumsy person. Still, it can point towards blood disorders as well if it’s frequent and due to non-traumatic causes. You will get bruises from time to time, but you can always take precautions to protect yourself from injuries, like wearing your helmet or protective gear during sports activities. If you do notice frequent, sudden, or large bruises or a family history of easy bruising along with some other symptoms, be sure to visit your doctor.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!