Easy Bruising

Bruising may accompany other symptoms, which vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition.

Bruising may accompany other symptoms related to bleeding including:

• Abdominal pain

• Failure of blood to clot

• Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia)

• Nosebleeds

Easy bruising may accompany symptoms related to other body systems including:

• Abdominal pain

• Fatigue

• Fever

• Flu-like symptoms (fatigue, fever, sore throat, headache, cough, aches, and pains)

• Hyperflexible joints (seen in connective tissue disorders)

• Itching feeling

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

• Joint pain

• Nausea with or without vomiting

• Rash

• Weakness (loss of strength)

In some cases, bruising may occur with other symptoms that might indicate a serious condition. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have bruising along with any of the following symptoms:

• Bleeding that occurs suddenly or without reason

• Bleeding that persists and fails to resolve

• Flu-like symptoms that occur with bleeding

• High fever that accompanies bleeding

• Uncontrolled or heavy bleeding or hemorrhage

Situations that are known to cause bruising include allergic reactions, trauma, and injury. Bruising can be symptomatic of medical conditions, including autoimmune disorders; clotting disorders, such as thrombocytopenia; and medications, including those that inhibit clotting or platelet formation.

Frequent and easy bruising can also be attributed to bleeding disorders in which your blood fails to clot properly. These disorders are caused by a deficiency in coagulation factors (substances in the blood that act together to stop bleeding) and can result in heavy or uncontrollable bleeding after injuries or trauma. They can be hereditary or due to medications, vitamin deficiency, or liver disease.

Easy bruising may be caused by medical conditions including:

• Aplastic anemia (bone marrow disorder)

• Autoimmune disorders

• Cirrhosis (liver scarring)

• Clotting disorders, such as hemophilia or von Willebrand’s disease (hereditary disorders of blood clotting)

• Henoch-Schonlein purpura (disease that produces bleeding and kidney or intestinal problems)

• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (type of bruising without a known cause)

• Leukemia (cancer of the blood or bone marrow)

• Malnutrition, including vitamin deficiencies

• Myelodysplasia (disorders of blood cell formation)

• Platelet disorders

• Sepsis (life-threatening bacterial blood infection)

• Thrombocytopenia (abnormally low number of platelets)

Easy bruising can also be caused by medical treatments including:

• Antibiotics (penicillin, cephalosporins)

• Anticoagulants, such as warfarin (Coumadin) or heparin

• Antidepressants (fluoxetine,sertraline,paroxetine)

• Antiplatelet medications such as clopidogrel (Plavix)

• Aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve)

• Chemotherapy

• Radiation treatment

• Steroids

In some cases, easy bruising may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These include:

• Aortic dissection (seen in Marfan’s syndrome)

• Aplastic anemia (bone marrow disorder)

• Leukemia (cancer in the bone marrow)

• Liver failure

• Severe trauma

To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to your easy bruising including:

• Were you recently in an accident or have you recently experienced trauma?

• Are you experiencing other symptoms? Is the bruising accompanied by pain or swelling?

• What medications are you taking?

• Have you undergone radiation or chemotherapy?

• Have you always bruised easily?

• Do you or a family member have a history of bleeding or clotting disorders?

• Did the bruising start after a surgical procedure?

Because easy bruising can be due to serious diseases, failure to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications including:

• Anemia (low red blood cell count)

• Frequent infections

• Gastric bleeding

• Intracranial bleeding or hemorrhage

• Spread of cancer