Why do I Bruise Easily?

I am a worried granddaughter. My grandmother has bruises (sometimes big and usually very dark in color) in various places on her body. She is 58 -- 59 in September. She smokes cigarettes regularly and has become an alcoholic over the past 10 years. It is now to the point that I come home from work at 8 a.m. (I work night shift) and she has already cracked open her second beer. (Not sure if the alcohol has anything to do with what is wrong, but she swears it is thin skin genetically passed down from her mother, so I want to be sure it isn't the alcohol consumption.)

When she drinks, she does not stop until she is slurring her words, mad at the world, bumping into things and even falling over. My seven month old daughter has lightly squeezed her arm leaving her with a dark, dark bruise. She can bruise simply from a "joking around"-type pinch. Like the pinch you would do on a baby's cheek because it is cute. That small pinch will result in a deep dark bruise. I am beginning to get really worried because she never goes to the doctor/hospital and I don't want to sit around acting like everything is OK if something fatal is wrong with her. Please, someone with medical experience let me know what is going on and what to do to help her.

Has anyone ever heard that that a lot of bruising can over time affect your liver? A doctor I saw once told me that my bilirubin level in my liver was high and this is sometimes caused by bruising and strenuous exercise.

I don't drink or smoke, but am and have been type II Diabetic for four years. I have had a lot of dents and dings on me from various things over the years before my bilirubin levels were found to be high.

I'm 30 years old woman and I'm overweight. I have bruises all over me, but I haven't even noticed knocking myself. I have about 30 on my both legs. Is this because of my weight or something else?

My husband, who is nearly 86 years old, is very healthy but kept getting large red bruises on his arms and hands from the slightest bump. He doesn't take aspirin or other herbs that would cause this. I finally got the idea to break open capsules of Vitamin K (K1 and K2) and to rub them on directly on his skin every morning and evening. The resulting has been amazing -- the bruises are gone, and now when he bumps into something, the resulting red spot is very small and hardly noticeable.

Bad bruising can also be attributed to Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. If anyone is hypermobile (double jointed) and bruises easily, they need to be checked for connective tissue disorders.

to post no. 64: I would suggest you get him to the doctors to get a complete blood count, he has symptoms of leukemia. That doesn't have to be what it is, but I would get him checked out just to be on the safe side. Best of luck to you.

This article does very little to describe the potential problems and implications of someone who bruises easily. If you notice that you are bruising a lot, it is important to visit your doctor and get a full blood count, and a referral to a hematologist (a blood specialist) who can do a range of blood tests to see what your coagulation (blood clotting) is doing.

This is particularly important if you are going to undergo a dental procedure or surgery, since too often I've seen people coming in who have bled out post-op. Blood disorders are not rare, and can be fatal.

I'm really concerned right now. I got a very large bruise in the middle of my thigh about four months ago. The color had finally begun to fade a month ago but the knot never went away. Two days ago, it started burning like crazy and I was rubbing the knot with my fingers. This morning when I woke up, the entire area had turned a weird reddish orange color. Should I be concerned or go see a doctor?

I am 12 years old and i bruise right after i scratch myself or if someone else scratches me, i have never been like this when i was younger, but after a few minutes the bruises go away. is this some kind of poison?

My sister is 19 and she likes to play with hula hoops and after that she has bruises all over her legs, arms, wrists and even her fingers. i worry about this.

I am 20 years old, and I bruise very easily. Sometimes I bruise just from scratching myself and end up with fingerprints on my legs. The bruises tend to last a few weeks until they fade. I have a lot of spider veins as well. Is this abnormal?

Bruising and iron go hand in hand. Eat more iron. Try bananas. In kickboxing I don't turn black and blue anymore. I only turn red for a day or two.

I am eighteen years old. Recently I have noticed I have large dark bruises on my inner thighs, arms, wrists, and legs. I'm pretty clumsy and often fall down or bump into things, however, this has always been the case and I haven't had bruises like this since I was a child. Also, they are in very strange places on my body. I have also been feeling extremely tired and when I brush or run my hands through my hair chunks often come out. What's going on?

to comment #62: Your son does not sound so good he could have a lack of vitamins or something serious like leukemia. you should get him checked out as soon as possible.

i just went skating and i fell and apparently bruised my knees and legs but when i feel i didn't really feel i thing except hitting the ice. i never was like this last year and it takes about two months to heal a little bruise.

I'm 21 and I've been going to the gym since after thanksgiving. I used to weigh about 101 and I'm 5' feet female. now i weigh 94 but ever since like about a month ago I've been getting these scary looking bruises on the side of my legs randomly.

i thought it was my new job because i do carry some boxes once in a while, but now they've appeared again in the same places and now there's little ones on random places of my leg and more of them on the side and on the side of my arm as well.

It's been starting to freak me out because it never happened before without me knowing i haven't hit myself in those places.

Is this something i should be worry about to go to the doctor? Or is it normal after someone losing weight? I've weighed 94 before in high school but i used to play sports. i don't know why this is happening to me now.

if you have a personal question see your physician or go to a clinic if you don't have one.

I am 14 years old, and right now I have 17 unexplained bruises just on my legs. They don't happen anywhere else. I get bruises from leaning against things, because both of my knees have bruises when ever I sit a certain way on my floor. Also, I have a bruise from leaning against the wall.

I don't remember getting any of these bruises. I also get lots of cuts on my hands without even realizing it. Furthermore, I have been feeling sick and weak this past week.

I currently have about 30 bruises all over my legs, all different sizes. I hate getting so many bruises. Not just does it make your legs look unattractive, but you wonder just what the hell is happening inside. I'd love to know whether anybody else who has lots of bruises goes numb. i have numbness at my skin layer. does anybody else?

Good article.

seems like a hefty topic. i am a 56 year old male, and over the past two years i have noticed i am bruising on my hands and arms, the slightest touch can cause a purple looking bruise, no pain, simply a horrible bruise.

Anyone have any ideas if it is attached to getting older or can i get my bloods checked and maybe sort it out? i am an engineer and constantly hitting my hands. i hate it. i look as if i need attention all the time but as i said, no pain. please help if you can.

Out of nowhere I have noticed that doing very simple activities like to jump off a step or to do a sit up is causing extremely deep, purple and black bruises on my inner thigh and lower back. I am not prone to bruises and never have been. What can this be? Is this normal or should I be worried?

I started to lose weight and I have lost 30 pounds so far. I have noticed that I am bruising easily. Any reason why?

I have two bruises on my legs from walking into benches at a fair speed. I think because I don't eat much meat and get the allotted amount of iron needed is why I bruise so easily. I am also lactose intolerant and I rarely drink water -- it always seems I have juice or coffee on my hand. So I think it partly has to do with eating patterns.

My mother at my age (21) was anemic, so it may push some of you to get tested for that. Most of the females in my family (blood related) bruise easily. The males, not so much.

Bruising easily is a sign of vitamin K 1 and K2 deficiency. I used to bruise like crazy until I did research and found out this major biological reason. You can only consume K2 from things like seaweed and certain vegetation normally not eaten in the US diet. I bought a K1/K2 supplement and have stopped bruising. A good quality brand I use every day is the NSI vitamin K complex. You should give it a try. It's completely worked for me.

I am 25. I have a daughter who is almost three and a 10 month old. I'm nursing and it's hard for me to keep weight on me. I've noticed that just getting in and out of my car (I think that what it is) has given me a large bruise on the back of my thigh. I also have many more (about 20) all over the rest of my legs.

I also black out several times a day, and get dizzy in the head. Like when I stand up quickly or move too fast. Could the two be connected?

I have a bruise on my knee and it has been there for a month. i was just wondering, is that bad?

I am 54 year old female and have always bruised easily, but lately I seem to have bruises continually. My family tend to be "bruisers" as well. It is very embarrassing.

I am a very physical person -- not athletic, just active --and have a large, strong and playful dog.

It makes sense that with my familial predisposition to bruising and my environment I would bruise. After reading these posts and considering my activities of late and a sudden weight loss due to an excessively heavy schedule, I understand why it may be occurring more often. What I found extremely interesting is that I also have a tendency to react to adhesive bandages. Perhaps I also have a latex allergy in addition to my eczema and contact dermatitis (metals)?

I'm 21, and I bruise easily on my legs, from my knees, to my ankles. A slight bump and i will bruise, but a hard hit and I don't get a bruise at all. It's very confusing and very annoying. Most of the time, i know what the bruising is from, but sometimes i don't, and recent a bunch of little bruises started popping up on the inside of my calf.

I am anemic, and i take a multi vitamin to help with that, but it does nothing for the bruising.

I do work outside, and my legs are exposed, and i do a lot of running, biking, hiking. I read sun exposure can weaken the skin, but its only my legs, i never bruise anywhere else. is there any way you can strengthen your skin?

I'm 14 years old and whenever i get hit really hard by something i can watch the bruise form. i know bruises take like a day to form. should i be worried. and they stay for months and then they leave discolored patches wherever they were. I'm starting to get worried.

My 11 year old son bruises real easily. If he scratches his arm it will bruise. He has bruises all over his body. I don't know what to do. He gets nose bleeds that would last all day and his gums will bleed for like 20 minutes. He complains that his legs will ache and hurt and it won't go away. I don't know what to do. He can't see the doctor for a little over a month.

my name is em. I'm 25 with an eight months old daughter. i always have lots of bruises in my arms and legs and it makes me worried about that because it takes to long for it to disappear.

I am 28 years old and I have been noticing that I am bruising a lot and very easily lately, just small bruises that disappear pretty quickly. A lot of the time I have no idea how I got them. It is really starting to scare me. I get the bruises mostly on my legs from the knee to the ankle.

i bruised very easily and it stayed for two weeks. do i have any skin problems or what?

My son just turned four and he seems to bruise easily all over his legs, mostly, plus his shin bones hurt from time to time. He is very clumsy and all over the place but he also has some constipation and very thin stools as well.

He is very hyper and is a very picky eater but it seems that it doesn't matter if we keep sugars out of his diet or not. His main beverage is water and that's about it. I don't know what to think. The doctors don't act like they care enough to find out. What's wrong around where I live?

I am 38 years old. I've bruised easily for years but over the last four months they are not disappearing. I have a discolouration mark in their place. Please help me with an answer.

I am 19 years old and i started bruising like two months ago. i just get them in my legs and they are like circles. should i worry?

I am a 30 year old mother who has been bruising all of my life. I have always been told that it is a lack of iron.

I tend to bruise around my ankles. I notice that right were I tie my work boots, bruises are starting to appear. What could cause this? I have on socks of course, yet the bruising still happens.

Post no. 30: Please take your daughter to her doctor and have her checked out. Have the doctor do a complete blood workup on her.

I have a 13 year old daughter and she bruises very easily and i am worried that something is wrong with her. She's had the same bruise for over two weeks. is that normal for a girl her age? She doesn't play any sports but she is fairly clumsy and has a tendency to get hurt a lot and that's why we took her out of sports and dancing. Please help? Signed, Dazed and Confused

I am 15 and I am involved in combat sports very often. I seldom bruise and two years ago was the last time I got sick, even with all the swine flu and stuff. My brother bruises much easier and gets sick more often. Is there a reason offhand for this difference?

check for liver disorders, A high blood count on your SGOT and SGPT. and normal count is around 20 and will say a lot if your running as high as 130! and will make you bruise easy. If you are a drinker then chances are that it is a hepatic liver disease or viral hepatic liver disease. get your blood work done to see how your liver is doing.

i get random bruises on my legs and arms and paper cuts overnight. any helps?

Regarding post # 49, the woman with the son that bruises easily along with the other symptoms. His symptoms are exactly the same as what my daughter had. She was diagnosed with diabetes at age six. She was losing weight, very thirsty, etc. Have him checked, just in case. Good luck!

We adopted two boys four years ago. Jakkie (the youngest) is now four and recently we saw that he bruises heavily. We never thought much of it because "he's a boy", but the bruising is getting worse. The slightest bump and he looks like he has been hit with a ball bat! He also drinks water excessively and doesn't pick up weight. Recently we have noticed that he's appetite is going down. He also seems to be hyper all day long. Should we worry? What should we do? WaXxy G

Though one might have a condition called ITP (Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) which does run in my family, most of those practicing medicine do not know that one cause of the bleeding could be a hypersensitivity to foods that contain high amounts of "natural aspirin" such as fruits, spices and preservatives.

This sensitivity is also know as salicylate sensitivity, which I have, and I can control the bruising and bleeding by altering my diet.

I am 14 and I get random bruises. But lately they just keep popping up. I just brought some groceries in, and I guess I got it from that- but I wasn't carrying much. and I get bruises easily on my hips, legs, and arms. I don't remember getting them. Help?

i am 17 years old. and i have had the same bruises for 3 months and they are not going away. I don't know what's wrong with me.

I'm 15 and I bruise very easily. Just today, two have popped up; one on my right palm and another on the top half of my left arm. I don't play any sports to hurt myself in and I don't remember doing anything that could actually cause these bruises. It usually takes a couple weeks for them to go away, but even then the places still hurt if pressure is applied. Is something wrong with me?

i keep bruising. i have seven bruises on my leg that came overnight. i seem to wake up with huge bruises always on my legs. I'm really worried about this. I take thryroine and cacium tablets. Could that be a factor? it's worrying. i am 28

I am 20 years old and for six months now I have been having problems with bruising really easily. I use to never bruise so when I started to get little brown bruises I didn't think anything of it but now the bruises are getting bigger and happen for what seems like no reason. My doctor has done tests on me and I am said to be fine. The bruises still come though, I am still tired all the time and I still have what I call the foggy brain. Now when we did my results she said that she can tell I have had mono before because she said it stays in your system. Here is the thing: I have never ever had mono. A sister of mine did but when she had it I was not around her. I am also getting sick more often. This might also help: at the beginning of this year I had a blood clot that came and went in like three weeks. No one knew why I had a blood clot and we didn't do anything to get rid of the blood clot. I want to know if I am just freaking and making mountains out of mole hills or could there be something really wrong with me.

I went to the hospital for some back pain. I am currently on Warfarin. One of the doctors gave me a shot for the pain (which should not have been done). Within the hour I got a *large* hemotoma, probably the size of a cantaloupe. weeks later the hemotoma subsided, but I now have bruising going down my leg, and its very painful. I have been to the hospital a couple times since, and they can't seem to find anything wrong. I am scared to death because I had emergency surgery for a blood clot in my leg and the symptoms and pain are almost identical. Any idea/suggestions on what to do, or what can be causing it? Injection was on lower back, above the buttocks, and bruise is down on hip area?

I tend to bruise easily without any knowledge on how I got them. It tends to be after a night of drinking at the local pub. I walk home and find myself waking up at the bottom of a set of cement stairs through the park covered in bruises.

When I lightly scratch myself, large dark bruises occur and stay about two weeks. Can you tell me why?

i just counted 35 bruises. most of them on my legs. it's usually after drinking and i always wake up and think i must have fallen a lot. never put two and two together with the blood thinning though. makes sense now.

I seem to have bruises on my arms and legs and I have no idea how they got there. I have several on my arms at the moment. I take multivitamins and a strong dose of EPA Omega 3 and wondered if this had anything to do with it?

When i was taking therapeutic dosages of vitamin C i would get very large bruises which did not fade until i stopped taking the vitamin C. Usually vitamin C works the opposite for bruising. I was tested for bleeding disorders which were negative. Is there any other reason that this could happen.

I'm 25 and bruise easily on my legs which i thought wasn't such a big deal until I noticed two long bruises on my thighs after leaning against a hard surface for about 10 mintues. They're proper bruises not just red marks and haven't really changed much in 4 days. I'm quite slim but wouldn't say my legs are lacking a proper layer of fat. It's just annoying. I also don't have an iron or vitamin deficiency.

I easily bruise. Like for example, if some one grabs me, I bruise. my aunt told me that's bad. And I'm scared. Should I see a doctor about this?

OK, I've bruised over the years. Im 42 now. I noticed during my party days i bruised easier when i drank.. So afer that its been normal for years to a point, excluding sports, or cabinet hits you etc.. well, as you get older you take precautions.. i was taking a bayer aspirin a day. Well, i had anxiety when i was younger, it went away, and with everything going on it came back. So, in case it was something else i was taking an aspirin each day. Well, i would have an attack and to make sure it wasn't anything else i would take, of course, an aspirin. Now i don't know if any of the older people here are taking aspirin but once i started doing this over a couple weeks and a couple a day, i noticed this started to happen. That is my guess. I take an highly absorbable iron pill and good multi. I have to rule out iron and C because i get that in food and my multi.. The aspirin and the blood thinning totally makes sense.

Any thoughts? --JP

I have heard that bruising can be caused by malabsorbtion in the intestines. Not eating enough whole foods with enzymes to help you break down your food. This causes capillaries to become weak without the vitamins needed.

I'm a 30 year old mother of 2. For most of my adult life I seem to bruise so easy. Most of the time I have no idea what I did to get them, just lightly brushing up against something seems to do it. Everyone is always asking me, how did you get that one, and every time my answer is I don't know. I'm starting to think I should be worried, especially since they seem to last forever. Right now my legs are covered from my feet to my thighs. What should I do?

My mother is on coumadin and hit her head (not hard) on bathroom vanity and now has a bruise. Is this dangerous? She does not have a concussion but is internal bleading a risk or concern? --Karen

Reply to mnb1064:

She could be allergic to latex, I know I am and I have problems with bandaids because of it.

I pulled a stuck on bandaid off my 3 year old daughter's shoulder and it left 2 bruise like marks, one on each side where the sticky areas of the band aid were. Should I be concerned? Why did that happen? Has that happened to anyone else?

Why do I always bruise when I am having my period?

My family is always getting bruises from playing rough, sports, bumping into things, surgeries, etc. My doctor recommended Bruise Rx from Remedies Cure. It's amazing how fast the bruises go away. I carry it with me in my purse and even have the kids take it ahead of time when things get rough.

I am 22 years old and not nearly as active as I was when I was a kid. I used to NEVER bruise but now, I bruise very easily. There are a lot of things that have changed so I can't put my finger on it. I used to be very athletic, took a lot of vitamins and overall ate much healthier than I do today.

I'm trying to pinpoint if there's a certain vitamin that I should be taking that will help me.. not bruise so easily. I used to box, wrestle and swim; so I beat up my body all the time but never had bruises. I'm going to get back in shape and all that good stuff but I'd like to know if there's a vitamin or something that I can focus on specifically instead of just "living healthier".

I have bruised easily my whole life, as has my mother. We are both fairly active. She gets nosebleeds but her doctor said it was due to high BP. I have good BP, and no problem with clotting or excessive bleeding otherwise. I have a doozy of a bruise right now from banging my hip into my desk drawer. This is common- I get a huge ugly bruise from something like that at least once a month, and other small ones in between. I have pale skin and the bruises are always black and scary looking. My doctor offered no opinion, other than I may be a bit klutzy. Gee thanks...

when i lean against myself or talk on the phone for a couple minutes i will be temporarily bruised for ten or fifteen minutes later like a dark red mark, why is this and is this normal?

If you bruise easily, here are possible reasons why:

If you take blood-thinning medications, such as heparin or warfarin; over-the-counter medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen; or certain herbal supplements.

If you drink too much alcohol.

If you have a vitamin C deficiency.

If you have certain conditions of the liver or kidneys.

If you have certain bleeding disorders, including hemophilia or von Willebrand's disease.

Normal aging.

-- Diana Kohnle

Hi, I'm 13 years old are I get bruises just by a light bump, should I be worried?

ITP, you guys. I've had it for most of my life - and I'm amazed this article doesn't mention it, it's one of the more common causes behind excessive bruising. Get checked out by a doctor if you've had a lot of bruises or bruises that look especially bad and just won't go away (I had it like that, you're not alone). It also can happen in young children, although those cases often spontaneously resolve themselves. You'll have a blood test done to determine just how low your level of platelets is, and from there they'll try to determine the reason behind it.

Good article. I was wondering if it's true that you shouldn't fly when you have a large bruise as it may cause clotting.

bunnys4me- A friend of mine is the same way. Anywhere she scratches welts up. She was diagnosed with dermographia which translates to "writing of the skin". She could literally scratch (lightly) words on here skin and they would welt up and last for hours. Her skin tends to be sensitive to chemicals as well (like chlorine in a pool).

why when i scratch my side, later on i will notice scratches so bad it looks like i got into a cat fight?

I am a 6'2" male who weighs 180 lbs. I do not have excess body fat at all. I always have a tough time bruising. For instance, I just got nailed with a softball yesterday and it swelled up, but today there is no bruise at all. It is sore but no bruise. Why can I not bruise? Does it have something to do with blood circulation?

my son bruises easily and gets marks every easily he can get a little scratch and it welts up he is only 18 months old and i don't know why.

i play soccer and because it's a contact sport every collision i make with another player i bruise and the other person is fine. why is this?

My sister, seven years old...she bruises easily and i my brother heard it occurs when someone has a illness like lack of blood?

I always heard that lack of vitamin C was the problem with bruising easily.

I have dark bruising on the knees frequently.What can be causing this problem?I cannot wear dresses or shorts when it's hot.Need advice.

Hi, I play volleyball so I know that bruises are expected. But I bruise so much hat my legs (especially my knees) are always bruised during the season. I'm worried about this. No one else on the team bruises like this....I even get bruises from just moving on my knees (kneeling and things like that). Is this normal??? Also, is there something i can do to prevent this from happening?

Have you had his iron checked??

My son is 3 years old and as of recent (1 mth back) he started to bruise easily. It is all over his body as well as his limbs. I am worried on this. The bruising comes also with swell. Is this normal?

I am 31 years old and i bruise very easily .. it takes awhile for them to go away i have had one bruise for about 3 months it has faded but it is still there what should i do and should i worry about this?