A bruise can form when one hits the corner of a table or door. However, there are times when the cause of bruising is not as obvious.
How Do Bruises Form?
Bruises, or contusions, are the responses of the body to injuries in the blood vessels. They appear when an injury damages the blood vessels beneath the skin that is intact. This causes blood to leak into the tissues that surround it.
Even when the bleeding stops, the blood that has already flowed ends up trapped beneath the skin. The blood collection ends up making bruises visible. Initially, the pooled blood patches may look reddish. Later on, they turn bluish-purple as well as greenish-yellow. The exact color of the bruise may also depend on the person's skin tone.
These color changes of bruises take place because of the components within the pooled blood breaking down, as noted by Terry Foster, a critical-care clinical nurse specialist as well as the 2023 president of the Emergency Nurses Association.
The color of blood is gotten from hemoglobin, which is an oxygen-carrying protein within red blood cells in the bloodstream. Hemoglobin is typically dark red on its own. However, its color ends up changing when it binds to particular molecules. For instance, it becomes cherry-red when it brings waste gas carbon dioxide, as opposed to its bright red look when carrying oxygen.
When bruises form and the damaged vessels' blood flows into tissues nearby, the blood's hemoglobin starts dropping oxygen and capturing carbon dioxide. The hemoglobin starts to break down in itself. It first transforms into a dark-brown protein form known as methemoglobin. It then becomes a yellow pigment known as biliverdin and bilirubin.
In general, bruises typically fade within a span of two weeks. Most minor bruises also do not pose any great health risks. However, there are cases when the bruises may last for over a month.
Causes of Bruises
Bruises can result from physical trauma or injury. However, there are also other causes of bruising. These causes may include blood-clotting conditions, such as thrombocytopenia, allergic reactions, or skin aging.
When bruises are not caused by trauma or blunt force, they could indicate an underlying medical condition, such as a blood disorder. Because of this, those who have mystery bruises should undergo a healthcare evaluation. Receiving treatment that impacts one's blood platelet count could also lead to bruising.
Foster adds that individuals who are taking certain medications could also be more susceptible to bruising that is not directly due to injury or force. There are certain medications, such as over-the-counter pain relievers, that boost bruising risk by decreasing the clotting ability of blood. There are also certain antibiotics, dietary supplements, and antidepressants that could lead to problems with blood clotting.
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