At Home Care and Seniors with Easy Bruising
As we get older several things in our body change. One of the most apparent is our skin. Because the skin cells don't replicate at fast, the skin becomes thinner. It also becomes drier and loses its elasticity. The blood vessels near the skin's surface also become more fragile and are damaged more easily. When these blood vessels are broken blood leaks out and appears as a black and blue mark on the skins surface. We call this a bruise. The body will reabsorb the blood over time and the bruise goes away.
Because of the changes in their bodies, seniors bruise more easily than those of other demographics. Bruises are common on the arms and legs and appear from the normal contact that would never have left a mark in their younger years. …show more content…
Many of these medications cause the blood to thin or prevent the blood from clotting in its normal manner. One of the most common and frequently used medication that can lead to higher instances of senior bruising is aspirin. Many seniors also use topical medicated creams that can further irritate and thin the skin which leads to easier and more frequent bruising.
While most bruising is nothing to be alarmed about, there could be a more serious medical condition at play. Seniors should seek medical advice if bruises start to appear on the body's core or head. A doctor should also be alerted if the senior has a medical history of bleeding. Along these same lines, if your loved one has recently started taking new medication and it has led to increased bruising, this should be brought to the doctor's attention right away.
In addition to watching for abnormal bruising, there are a number of things that an at home care provider can do to lessen the effects or frequency of
As we get older several things in our body change. One of the most apparent is our skin. Because the skin cells don't replicate at fast, the skin becomes thinner. It also becomes drier and loses its elasticity. The blood vessels near the skin's surface also become more fragile and are damaged more easily. When these blood vessels are broken blood leaks out and appears as a black and blue mark on the skins surface. We call this a bruise. The body will reabsorb the blood over time and the bruise goes away.
Because of the changes in their bodies, seniors bruise more easily than those of other demographics. Bruises are common on the arms and legs and appear from the normal contact that would never have left a mark in their younger years. …show more content…
Many of these medications cause the blood to thin or prevent the blood from clotting in its normal manner. One of the most common and frequently used medication that can lead to higher instances of senior bruising is aspirin. Many seniors also use topical medicated creams that can further irritate and thin the skin which leads to easier and more frequent bruising.
While most bruising is nothing to be alarmed about, there could be a more serious medical condition at play. Seniors should seek medical advice if bruises start to appear on the body's core or head. A doctor should also be alerted if the senior has a medical history of bleeding. Along these same lines, if your loved one has recently started taking new medication and it has led to increased bruising, this should be brought to the doctor's attention right away.
In addition to watching for abnormal bruising, there are a number of things that an at home care provider can do to lessen the effects or frequency of