Why do girls always have bruises on their bodies when they wake up?

"Honey, what did you do last night? Why is there a bruise on your leg?"

"Who knows? I just took a nap. Maybe I fought with ghosts in my dream..."

This is a conversation between the roommate and Xiao Han.

Xiao Han always has bruises on his body for no apparent reason, even though he has done nothing and has not been bumped or hit. Sometimes, he would just wake up from a nap and find a few bruises on his body.

Xiao Han was puzzled by this. Did he really fight with a ghost in his dream?

Doctors remind: When girls get bruises for no reason, in most cases, there is a reason!

How do bruises occur?

Bruises are medically known as subcutaneous hemorrhages , which are usually caused by rupture of subcutaneous blood vessels due to external impact or other reasons such as infusion, blood drawing, blood system diseases, etc.

The color of a bruise is not constant; it changes over time.

Generally, bright red appears first, then purple, green, and yellow, and finally disappears gradually.

Under normal circumstances, human tissue has the ability to repair itself, and bruises usually disappear gradually in 2 to 3 weeks .

1. Bright red : Subcutaneous blood vessels rupture and bleed, blood cells leak out and spread to the surrounding subcutaneous tissue, causing subcutaneous hemorrhage. Generally, fresh subcutaneous hemorrhage is bright red .

2. Bluish purple : Fresh red blood cells are rich in oxygen, but when the oxygen in the red blood cells is used up, they will die and gradually turn darker. The more serious the injury, the darker the color, usually bluish purple .

3. Green : Hemoglobin produced when red blood cells die and rupture will decompose to produce bilirubin and hemosiderin. Bilirubin is then oxidized into biliverdin. Bruises will appear green within 6 to 12 days .

4. Yellow : When biliverdin is gradually absorbed and only hemosiderin remains, the bruise will gradually turn yellow after 8 to 15 days. When the hemosiderin is also absorbed, the bruise will gradually disappear .

Because everyone's physique is different, the recovery speed of local injuries is also different, and the bruises may not be uniform in color.

Why do girls have bruises on their bodies for no apparent reason?

The reason why girls are prone to bruising is mainly related to the thickness and structure of their skin.

Studies have found that girls' skin is about 20% thinner than boys' on average . Because their skin is thinner, the blood vessels under the skin receive relatively less protection, which also makes girls more likely to get bruises due to minor bumps.

In addition, bruises on girls' bodies may also be related to the following physiological or pathological factors. The specific judgment should be made based on the patient's symptoms, blood routine, coagulation function and other examination results, and the cause should be further clarified and symptomatic treatment should be given.

1. Physiological factors

During menstrual period

When girls are menstruating, their hormone levels rise, causing capillaries to become more fragile , which may cause bruises on the body.

This situation is generally normal and girls do not need any special treatment.

Vascular fragility

The fragility of blood vessels can also cause bruises on the patient's body for no reason.

When the patient's blood vessels are fragile, the subcutaneous capillaries may rupture after being hit by external force, resulting in skin bruising.

If there are no other discomfort symptoms, this is generally a normal phenomenon . Patients do not need to worry too much and do not need special treatment. They just need to pay attention to their own safety protection.

Weak skin tissue

It is more common in aging, overly thin, and advanced malignant tumor patients. Due to the loss of subcutaneous fat and collagen, the skin's elasticity and thickness decrease, and the support of capillaries under the skin is reduced, making it easy to be irritated and rupture and bleed, leading to easy bruising.

Patients can reduce bruises by supplementing nutrition and appropriately increasing skin thickness, such as eating more nutritious foods such as eggs and milk.

2. Pathological factors

Vitamin deficiency

Lack of vitamin C : Vitamin C is one of the important factors in maintaining the elasticity of blood vessel walls. If a girl lacks vitamin C in her body, it is easy to cause reduced blood vessel elasticity and increased blood vessel fragility. When subjected to external forces, blood vessels are easily damaged, causing blood vessel walls to rupture and bruises to appear.

It is recommended that girls can adjust their eating habits appropriately and eat more foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, kiwis, tomatoes, etc. If the effect is not good, you can use vitamin C tablets, vitamin C injections, etc. as prescribed by the doctor.

Lack of vitamin K : Vitamin K is an essential substance for the liver to synthesize coagulation factors. When it is deficient, it will lead to coagulation factor deficiency, and bruises may appear on the skin of the body, accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and repeated gum bleeding.

When girls lack vitamin K, they can supplement it by consuming appropriate amounts of green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, etc. , to play a supporting role.

In addition, it can also be supplemented through medication, such as using vitamin K1 tablets, vitamin K1 injection, etc. under the guidance of a doctor.

Lack of platelets

Platelets are the main substance that controls blood coagulation. If there is a lack of platelets in the body, its coagulation function will be affected, and bruises may occur after bumps and collisions.

Generally speaking, when the platelet count is 30x10^9/L, bruising is less likely, spontaneous bruising is rare, and bruising may occur after a collision.

When the platelet count is extremely low, such as persistently less than 20x10^9/L, the skin may spontaneously develop bleeding spots, purpura, or ecchymosis.

However, bruises are not necessarily caused by low platelets. People with abnormal coagulation function are also prone to skin bruises.

For patients with platelet deficiency, it is recommended to use drugs such as aminopeptide tablets and caffeic acid tablets as prescribed by the doctor. If the effect is not ideal, platelet transfusion can also be considered to improve the condition.

Disease factors

① Skin diseases

Such as eczema, urticaria, allergic purpura, etc., are mostly caused by infection, allergies and other factors, which lead to vasodilation, increased permeability, easy bleeding, and easy bruising under the skin.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura is an allergic vasculitis that invades the small arteries and capillaries of the skin and other organs. It may be related to infection, genetics and other factors. Patients may experience symptoms such as rash, fever, abdominal pain, and some patients may also experience vascular abnormalities, which may manifest as recurrent skin bruising, which can even last for weeks.

It is recommended that patients use prednisone acetate tablets, methylprednisolone tablets and other medications for treatment under the guidance of a doctor, and also pay attention to rest and maintain adequate sleep.

② Blood system diseases

Diseases such as thrombocytopenic purpura, hemophilia, aplastic anemia, leukemia, and myelodysplasia can all cause bruises on the body.

Patients with thrombocytopenic purpura will experience bleeding in the skin and mucous membranes, which may manifest as bruises or petechiae on the legs. They may also experience increased menstruation and nosebleeds, and in severe cases, internal bleeding may occur.

Patients with aplastic anemia may experience excessively pale skin, skin bleeding spots, and obvious bruising on the legs. Female patients may also experience excessive menstrual flow and prolonged menstruation.

Leukemia patients may experience subcutaneous bleeding in their legs, which may lead to the formation of bruises, and may be accompanied by symptoms such as pale complexion, fever, and anemia.

Patients with hemophilia often experience slow bleeding in the joints, muscles and other parts of the body, leading to bruises on the legs.

③ Impaired liver function

When a patient suffers from severe liver damage, the liver cannot synthesize sufficient coagulation factors in a timely manner, which can also cause skin bruising.

During the treatment, patients need to supplement coagulation factors while also undergoing liver protection treatment. They also need to pay attention to getting more rest and avoid fatigue and staying up late in their daily lives.

Medication factors

Girls who take aspirin tablets, clopidogrel bisulfate tablets and other drugs for a long time are also prone to bruising due to the reduction of coagulation factors in the blood caused by the drugs.

It is recommended that such patients go to the Department of Hematology for diagnosis and treatment, and use medication in a timely manner after the cause is identified to avoid the persistence of the disease.

How can I get rid of bruises quickly?

1. Usually, after a bump or sprain, you can wrap ice in a towel and apply local cold compress within 24 hours after the injury.

Generally, hot compress can be used 24 hours after the bruise appears , when the swelling has completely subsided.

When applying hot compress, you can generally use salt bags, hot water bottles, hot towels or some traditional methods, such as using boiled eggs to roll around the bruised area, which can effectively promote local blood circulation and speed up the absorption of local bruises.

In addition, patients can also elevate the area of ​​bruises , such as raising their legs higher, to improve blood circulation.

2. If the bruise area is relatively large, local physical therapy can be used , such as infrared therapy, microwave therapy or ultrashort wave therapy, which can effectively promote local blood circulation, accelerate the reduction of swelling, and thus speed up the repair of injured tissue.

3. Take or apply some Chinese medicines that can reduce swelling, relieve pain, and promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis , such as Sanhuang Powder, Xiaotong Paste, and Compound Nanxing Pain Relief Paste, which can reduce swelling, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis.

If it is an oral medication, the patient can drink Panax notoginseng powder with water, or take Chinese patent medicines such as Danqi Capsules and Shensanqi Tablets that can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis.