Bruising Easily

I don't know if I bruised easily as a kid or not, but I do know that I have noticed more and more bruises as an adult. I get bruises all over my body what seems like all of the time. Most of the time they are about the size of a penny, a dime, or perhaps even a quarter. Other times they are like this:

Since I am already mortified that I just showed you some of my very own cellulite... I will not tell you exactly where the bruise was. Suffice it to say that I had 2 bruises like this last week. It made it hard to sleep. But it got me thinking... Why do I bruise easily? Perhaps I lack a certain type of vitamin or protien?

I did what I always do when I have a burning question... I googled it. Here is what I found...

wisegeek had the following to say on the matter: The amount of fat covering your body may be a contributing factor if you tend to bruise easily. If you do not have an adequate layer of body fat, then bruises will sometimes appear with the slightest knock.

Yeah - I don't think not having enough body fat is my problem.

webmd reported this: As a person ages, the skin becomes less flexible and thinner because there is less fat under the skin. The cushioning effect of the skin decreases as the fat under the skin decreases. These changes, along with skin damage from exposure to the sun, cause blood vessels to break easily. When blood vessels break, bruising occurs. Women bruise more easily than men, especially from minor injuries on the thighs, buttocks, and upper arms.

A little more probable... I mean I am getting older, and I am a woman.

the Mayo Clinic had the most complete information. They said the same as the other two, but added this: Medications and Supplements can also cause easy bruising. Blood-thinning drugs such as aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin) or medications such as clopidogrel (Plavix) reduce your blood's ability to clot. Because of this, bleeding from capillary damage that would normally stop quickly may take longer to stop, allowing enough blood to leak out to cause a bruise.

This makes the most sense as over the past 14 years I have had several pain meds, plus anti-inflammatories, which have also been known to thin blood.

All three sites did indicate that abnormal bruising, especially accompanied by painful swelling or bleeding elsewhere may indicate more serious problems and to seek medical attention.

However, I found the Mayo Clinic also added this as their final note on the topic...

If the sight of your bruises bothers you, try covering them with makeup until they've healed.

Helpful, aren't they?