Why am I bruising so easily now I'm older?
Dr Mark Porter advises on senile purpura, a type of bruising that is common as we age.
Dr Mark Porter advises on senile purpura, a type of bruising that is common as we age.
Is there anything I can do to stop bruising so easily? For the past couple of years, I've always had a few bruises somewhere, mostly on my forearms and the backs of both hands, despite not being aware of any injuries.
My GP checked my blood – which was fine – and told me it’s just my age. Are there any supplements that might help?
I suspect you are referring to senile purpura: purplish patches that typically appear on the skin of older people where it has been exposed to the sun and is prone to knocks, like the backs of the hands, the forearms and the lower legs.
The marks are caused by bleeding under the skin, and differ from normal bruises in that they have well-defined edges, and don’t usually change to all the colours of the rainbow as they heal. And, unlike most bruises, they also develop after knocks that you may not notice.
Any older person can develop purpura, but the greater the sun damage, the more likely it is, so people who work outside or who often holiday abroad are more prone to them. Steroid creams, used in eczema and related conditions, can thin the skin and exacerbate them too. And, last but not least, aspirin and related ‘blood-thinning’ drugs and anticoagulants can make them much more of a problem as they aggravate the bleeding.
Fortunately, cosmetic appearance aside, they are of little or no consequence, and will fade over a month or so, albeit only to be replaced by more. Good sun protection, like high-factor creams, can reduce further sun-related damage, but this is shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Vitamin C supplements can help ‘strengthen’ the tissues around the blood vessels, but research suggests that this only works in people who have a poor vitamin C intake in their diet (good sources being citrus fruits, broccoli and potatoes).
You can see classic examples of senile purpura at DermNet.
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