OUR resident specialist and NHS GP, Dr Zoe Williams, shares her expert advice.
Today, Dr Zoe helps a reader who is worried about random bruises appearing on their skin.
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Q) SHOULD I be worried about random bruises? I am 68 and have no other symptoms.
I can attribute some of them to something but the others were random. Is this just normal ageing?
A) Thank you for sending the images which show many bruises of a variety of ages on your limbs.
When bruises appear without known injury or trauma we call this spontaneous bruising, and it should not be ignored or fobbed off as a normal part of ageing.
It is true that we are more likely to bruise easily as we get older, due to our skin getting thinner and blood vessels more fragile, but it can also be a sign of issues from minor to serious.
While occasional unexplained bruises can be harmless, recurrent spontaneous bruising always warrants medical investigation to rule out nutritional deficiencies, blood, bone marrow and clotting disorders, or auto-immune and rare genetic issues.
Certain medications can cause this too – especially those that thin the blood and steroids.
It’s a good idea to see your GP to discuss your symptoms and have some basic tests done.
Blood tests can check for clotting, platelet count, and nutritional deficiency, as well as assess liver function, which plays a role in blood clotting.
Note symptoms you may have in addition, such as fatigue or prolonged bleeding from small cuts.
TIP
Flying on a plane can be uncomfortable.
My tips are to avoid tight clothing or belts – the tummy can bloat due to cabin pressure – eat light meals, limit caffeine and alcohol and walk about regularly.
