Be cautious about bruises on the skin.

Whenever people see a bruise on their skin, they immediately think of a fall or bumping into something. In reality, there are many other reasons that can cause this condition.

Unexplained dark purple knees and thighs

While bathing her 10-year-old daughter, Ms. Ha in Binh Duong discovered two bruised patches on the child's knees and thighs, with a dark purple center surrounded by a pale pink halo. When asked, her daughter denied falling or bumping into anything. Despite the bruises, the child didn't cry out in pain when her mother pressed on them. Being more cautious, the next day, Ms. Ha confided in and asked the teacher, who confirmed that the child had been playing happily with her friends for the past few days.

Seeing that her daughter wasn't in pain, she felt reassured and kept her at home without taking her for a check-up. After observing her for a few days, she noticed the bruise gradually faded and disappeared about a week later. Some time later, she accidentally discovered another painless bruise on her daughter's thigh.

This time, she decided to take her child to the doctor to find out the cause. The doctor said that the child was deficient in certain vitamins such as B12 and C, which caused the body to not produce enough platelets or the platelets to not perform their role properly, leading to subcutaneous bleeding.

Subcutaneous bleeding is a common phenomenon that occurs naturally due to vitamin deficiencies, folic acid deficiency, etc., but it is also necessary to be wary of cases where these painless, non-itchy bruises could be a symptom of dangerous diseases such as polycythemia, cirrhosis, etc.

Ms. Hong Loan, 32 years old, residing in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, frequently noticed unexplained bruises on her upper arms, legs, thighs, and neck. Seeing that many others experienced similar symptoms and that they cleared up after only a week, she didn't pay much attention. Thinking she might be anemic, she supplemented with iron and changed her diet to improve blood health, but the situation remained unchanged.

In recent months, the bruising has spread not only to her arms and legs but also throughout her body, accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, blurred vision, nighttime fever, and prolonged menstruation. After visiting the hospital for examination and tests, the doctor concluded that she has polycythemia and needs early treatment.

Do not underestimate the importance of skin bruises.

When an injury occurs, small blood vessels rupture, causing blood to leak out, accumulate under the skin, and form a bruise, also known as subcutaneous hemorrhage.

According to Dr. Le Thi Phuong Hue from Thanh Nhan General Hospital, bruising can have many causes. Usually, bruising from impact will disappear on its own after a few days. The size of the bruise can vary depending on the extent of blood vessel damage. Typically, after 2-5 days, these bruises will change color from dark red to blue, then yellow, and gradually disappear. For minor bruises and injuries, simply applying ice immediately after a fall, bumping into a table, slipping down stairs, or after surgery helps constrict blood vessels, reducing inflammation, swelling, and bleeding.

Bruising on the skin can simply be damage to blood vessels after trauma, but it can also be caused by disorders of the blood clotting process such as a decrease in the number or quality of platelets, disorders of clotting factors, or acquired vascular damage. Vitamin deficiencies, medication use, maternal genetics, etc., can also contribute. When the body does not produce enough platelets or platelets are not performing their function, subcutaneous bleeding can easily occur even without any impact or injury.

In particular, in some cases, bruising can be a sign of a serious medical condition. Therefore, to determine the exact cause of a bruise, a blood test is needed to check if the platelet count is normal.

Those most susceptible to bruising are women, the elderly, and children, with bruises often concentrated on the thighs and upper arms because the skin there is thinner and therefore more easily damaged.

Doctors advise that although most bruises are benign, they should not be taken lightly. Many people often overlook bruises when they see them under the skin and don't seek treatment. Common bruises may be reddish-purple, slightly painful, and will usually disappear on their own after a while.

However, if you notice many unexplained blood clots under your skin, or if bruises that have already disappeared keep recurring, you should immediately go to the hospital for a blood test, as there may be underlying medical conditions that require diagnosis and treatment by a doctor.

According to Afamily.vn/Young Intellectuals - TL