Part and parcel of being responsible about how you take care of your physical health and well-being is to make sure that, as well as watching what you eat and getting regular exercise, regular body checks are also important. Some people, especially those who play contact sports or have a particularly physical job, often notice bruises on their arms and legs and remember how it happened; for others, bruises are few and far between. Unexplained bruising can, of course, be nothing more than the result of colliding with the living room table. However, here are four signs you should get unexplained bruising investigated. 

#1. Your Daily Medication 

Firstly, if you have been prescribed medication to take on a daily basis, recently, or else have been advised to increase the current dose of your medicine, this could also be a reason for unexplained bruising.

Now, it is more than likely that, upon investigation of the bruising by your doctor, they either deem it unnecessary to change your dosage or type of drug, or else they may show concern that the bruises seem to be too large, deep, or a concerning colour and want to order further tests. 

#2. Undiagnosed Diabetes  

More and more people in the US each and every year are being officially diagnosed with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and although genetics is most definitely a factor (especially in the case of Type 1), diet and lifestyle have a huge influence, too. 

It is important to note that diabetes, in itself, does not cause bruising on the body, but what it can do is drastically slow down how long your body takes to heal a bruise. Other key signs of a person who is living with undiagnosed diabetes include unintentional weight loss, tingling in the hands and feet, increased urination, increased hunger and thirst, and blurred vision. 

#3. An Underlying Illness

In the modern world, where ill-advised Google searches of bruising and other new skin blemishes often make people automatically jump to the worst possible outcome, the danger, of course, is that those few who do have bruising due to serious illness do not notice till much further down the line.

Bruising, especially when it appears somewhere other than the parts of your body you regularly accidentally bash and bang, is one of the signs of leukemia due to the disease dramatically reducing the number of blood-clotting platelets.

Other key signs and symptoms of the development of leukemia in people of any age include:

• Breathlessness 
• Chronic Fatigue
• Bleeding Gums
• Nosebleeds
• Weight Loss 
• Muscle Weakness 

#4. A Nutrient Deficiency 

The fourth and final reason you should have your unexplained bruises inspected by a doctor is that this could be a sign of a nutrient deficiency. 

Vitamins and minerals are a crucial component of a healthy, balanced diet and without the right nutrients, your body is unable to form red blood cells at the required speed and rate, meaning bruises are much more likely to appear. 

Shristi Patni

Shristi is an avid reader, recipe developer and wellness enthusiast. She’s probably making a mess in her kitchen right now.