Are bruises on the body caused by ghosts? Why are girls more likely to get bruises than boys? Here is the expert's explanation →

gossip

When I woke up, I saw purple and blue spots on my body, but I clearly remembered that these parts had never been bumped or injured before. What was going on?

The old folks like to call this phenomenon "ghost pinching bruises", which means that the "ghost" secretly "pinches you" while you are asleep, causing bruises. This explanation really scared a group of friends and they dared not turn off the lights when they went to bed at night.

So, what are these bruises that appear out of nowhere? Are they really caused by ghosts?

analyze

The saying "bruises caused by ghost pinching" has no scientific basis. Bruises are actually a kind of subcutaneous bleeding.

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There are many thin and delicate capillaries hidden under our skin, which are many times thinner than a hair. They may rupture and bleed with the slightest touch.

Although there are no obvious breaks on the skin surface, after the capillaries rupture, the platelets and coagulation factors do not have time to "repair" them, and some of the blood that flows out penetrates into the soft tissue of the skin and coagulates into the so-called bruises.

However, the blood stasis accumulated under the skin will generally be slowly absorbed by the body, and the bruises will usually disappear on their own.

What are the common causes of bruises?

1. Platelet factors

Platelets are the repair workers among blood cells. Their main function is to coagulate and stop bleeding, and repair damaged blood vessels.

When a blood vessel ruptures, platelets rush in droves to seal the wound and stop bleeding within seconds. In addition, platelets can release adrenaline, causing vasoconstriction and promoting hemostasis.

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When the number of platelets in the human body is significantly reduced, the injured blood vessels will continuously ooze blood like a leaky pipe, causing subcutaneous bruises even without obvious bumps.

There are many reasons for thrombocytopenia, such as blood diseases, immune thrombocytopenia, medication, viral infection, etc.

2. Vascular physiological factors

Our blood vessels actually have a certain degree of resilience and expansion and contraction , which can buffer external impact forces to a certain extent, thus making the blood vessels less likely to be damaged.

However, due to certain reasons, such as aging and vitamin C deficiency, the brittleness of blood vessels increases, making them "fragile" when facing impacts. Just like when a glass tube and a rubber tube face the same impact, the more brittle glass is more likely to break.

Also, have you noticed that girls tend to bruise more easily than boys?

That's because men's skin is generally thicker than women's, which protects the capillaries under the skin better. So for the same collision, men may be fine, but women will have bruises.

Another thing is that girls generally have fair skin, so bruises are more noticeable.

3. Abnormal coagulation function

The so-called coagulation function is the body's ability to convert flowing blood into a gel state that cannot flow . When the body is bleeding, coagulation function plays a vital role.

Congenital coagulation disorders such as hemophilia, lack of coagulation factor raw materials such as vitamin K deficiency, and damaged liver function leading to insufficient supply of effective components of the coagulation system are all common causes of coagulation disorders.

Supplementing corresponding coagulation factors and vitamins and actively treating liver disease can improve coagulation abnormalities.

Some elderly people take oral anticoagulants for a long time. The mechanism of action of this type of drug is to affect certain coagulation factors in the coagulation process to prevent the coagulation process. Therefore, the coagulation function should be monitored during the use of anticoagulants to prevent bleeding.

4. Allergic purpura

There is a type of subcutaneous hemorrhage, which may initially be dense, small hemorrhages above the skin on the legs, which merge into flake-like ecchymoses over time, but platelet and coagulation function tests show no abnormalities. This may be allergic purpura.

The causes of allergic purpura are related to infection, immune disorders, allergic constitution and drugs, and are essentially a vasculitis change.

Some people do not pay attention to their diet, change their living environment, and then they will develop purpura after a cold. Allergic purpura is common in children and adolescents. The rash often occurs in low-hanging parts, with the lower limbs being the most common parts. Sometimes the rash also appears in the upper limbs and abdomen. In severe cases, it may be accompanied by joint pain, abdominal pain and kidney damage. However, after regular treatment, the prognosis of allergic purpura is generally good.

5. Bromadiolone (rodenticide) poisoning

Bromadiolone is a rodenticide. Improper storage or accidental ingestion can cause poisoning. This preparation can disrupt the synthesis of coagulation factors in the body and affect coagulation function.

The incubation period is generally 1-7 days. The early manifestations are bleeding and ecchymosis at the site of trauma and easy bleeding of the gums. As the disease progresses, spontaneous bleeding may occur, such as subcutaneous purpura and ecchymosis, nose bleeding, and even hemoptysis and blood in the stool.

If there is clear contact with rodenticide and bruising occurs at the same time, the diagnosis of poisoning cannot be ruled out and medical examination is necessary.

What should we do when we get bruises?

When you are injured, don't rub the injured area vigorously to relieve the pain because of the obvious pain. This wrong behavior will aggravate the damage to the subcutaneous capillaries and affect the body's hemostasis process.

The correct approach should be to apply ice to the bumped area immediately.

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The cold temperature will cause the blood vessel walls to contract, reducing the amount of blood flowing to the damaged blood vessels, helping to reduce the amount of blood that seeps into surrounding tissues and reducing the scope and extent of bruises.

If the injured part is a limb that can be raised, try to raise the injured part to reduce bleeding. After 24 hours, you can apply hot compresses to the bruise area to promote local blood circulation and speed up the metabolism of blood stasis.

Remember not to apply heat in the early stages of an injury, as this will increase bleeding. Generally, bruises will subside on their own within 2 weeks.

If you have repeated bruises for a long time that are not caused by trauma, it is still necessary to go to the hospital for a comprehensive examination, such as blood routine, coagulation function, trace elements, etc., to rule out some organic disease causes.

in conclusion

"Ghost pinching green" is pure superstition and has no scientific basis.

There are many reasons for bruises. If you always have bruises for no apparent reason, or if your body is warning you, don't panic. Seek medical help in time, complete a thorough examination, receive regular treatment, and face the bruises squarely.

Author: Ding Yang, attending physician of the Department of Dermatology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital

Reviewer: Lu Min, Director of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College

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