What Are the Causes of Bruises on the Body?
A bruise, also called a contusion, is an injury to the soft tissue that causes the capillaries at the injury site to break and leak red blood cells. This will cause a discoloration to form that begins reddish-purple in color, then as the body heals itself, will become bluish-purple, then yellowish-brown, before the skin returns to normal.
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Causes
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Injury, aging, Battle's sign, certain diseases and even certain medications are some of the many causes of bruising on the body.
Injury
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Everyday injuries cause more serious trauma to the area. Such causes include blunt force (as in a blow to the face or other body area), child or domestic abuse, falling, motor vehicle collision or sports injury. Sports injury bruises result from microscopic tears in the blood vessels under the skin.
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Aging
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As we age, the tissues that support the capillaries weaken; as a result, the capillary walls become more delicate and susceptible to rupture. Additionally, the skin becomes thinner and loses some of the fatty layer that helps protect the blood vessels from injury.
Battle's Sign
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Battle's sign is a bruise that appears behind one or both of the ears that will appear within 24 to 36 hours following a skull fracture or temporal bone fracture. It can be indicative of underlying brain trauma. Causes of Battle's sign include motor vehicle accidents, falls, severe blows to the head or physical abuse.
Diseases and Medications
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Certain diseases also cause bruising. Such diseases are cirrhosis of the liver, Marfan syndrome (a condition affecting the connective tissues), dengue fever (virus transmitted by mosquitoes), hemophilia, thrombocytopenias (platelet disorders) and bone marrow disorders. For example, in Marfan syndrome, many body systems are affected, including skeletal, eyes, heart and blood vessels. In dengue fever, a person may experience symptoms such as headache, fever, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands and a rash. Medications that may cause bruising include blood thinners such as aspirin and warfarin, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), corticosteroids and certain dietary supplements such as fish oil and ginkgo.
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References
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