Easy Bruising

[Spryte]

DS has always bruised easily, so this isn't new - but seems more extreme right now. His shins look absolutely spotted right now. :( He tends to play rough, throwing himself around doing "stunts" and just in general being silly, so I usually chalk the bruises up to that. He never knows how he got them, when asked. BTW, these are mostly on shins, knees, one on his lower arm - no place that makes me think someone is grabbing him or hurting him.

 

He's had work ups (not for this specifically) - CBCs, vitamin levels, goodness knows what else as our doc is very thorough. But it's been about a year, I think, so I'll make another appointment. He has autoimmune issues, and is on a ton of asthma meds daily. I don't know if those could cause bruising, but maybe?

 

Our neighbor works in the cancer research field, and is concerned - she rattled off a bunch of ominous sounding conditions that can cause easy bruising. I am trying to stay relaxed but of course her words are echoing in my head.

 

Tell me to relax?

[NotSoObvious]

Is he really thin, by any chance?

 

I always had bruises on my legs as a kid- I was super skinny and very fair. I wasn't even a daredevil.

 

He already has health issues, you've had blood work. Go in again for a yearly check up. I would think it is going to be nothing, but it's always good to check in!

[Spryte]

Thanks! I feel better already.

 

He's not thin, but not overweight either. He's lost weight recently - but not in a concerning way, more in the sense that he had some baby fat that has disappeared. I think because we recently found that he's allergic to dairy, so we've removed that from his diet (and, wow, did it help his asthma!!! Yay!!!). Plus he's more active right now - nice weather & outdoor activities are gearing up.

 

He's very fair. So the bruises really jump out.

 

He's scheduled to go in for a well child check, so I'll ask soon.

[ocelotmom]

If this is an ongoing issue and he's had a CBC since it started, that is reassuring on most of the more serious causes. Steroid-based asthma meds could definitely be a cause. However, getting current bloodwork can't hurt.

[Lisa in SC]

As NotSoObvious suggested, have another yearly check done to be thorough, but all of my children have gone through childhood with spotty shins. Last year, youngest ds's shins were so spotted with bruises, that I specifically asked his pediatrician about all of the scary possibilities. He said he would run labs, but since there were no bruises in areas that were typically "low contact" areas, he was fairly certain they were all due to his high activity. Ds is constantly running, jumping, climbing, biking, sliding, etc. The dr. said that the bruising associated with scary diagnoses typically present with bruising in areas that wouldn't bruise during normal activity such as the back, neck, abdomen, etc. (i think i may have set a record for most frequent use of the word bruise in one sentence...sorry). Ds's labs were clear. I'm happy we did the testing though, because I wasn't second guessing anymore.

[happi duck]

Sometimes bruising can come from pressure not impact. Perhaps he's leaning on something? (I get bruises on my shins if I use a ladder because the rung presses into my leg.)

 

I wonder if any of his meds act like a blood thinner.

 

Hope you get some answers!

[zoobie]

It can't hurt to call the doctor, but he may simply bruise easily. I do. I'm very fair-skinned and have bruised easily all of my life. Arnica gel (OTC at drugstores, health food/natural stores) dissipates bruises quickly IME.

[celticmom]

I used to bruise easily. I went through much of my life with at least one bruise somewhere from a minor bump. Then dd had to give up wheat so I did so too to support her. Then one day I looked down and realized I had not had a bruise in a couple of weeks.

[Cera]

I go through periods when I bruise very easily and others when I rarely bruise. I have found that often the bruising can be greatly reduced by taking a flintstones with iron vitamin every day (it takes about two weeks to start working).

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Arnica comes in supplement and cream/gel form. The supplements can help prevent bruising, the cream/gel helps them clear up faster.

 

I would check about medication interaction before I gave the supplement though.

[jenn-]

Unless this is a new issue since his last round of testing. Get him in for a yearly check up, but I would probably not worry yourself too much until then. Stay off of Dr. Google for the time being.

 

I personally bruise easily, as do most of my kids. Very rarely do I remember what I hit and the times I smack something really hard and think it will bruise, it doesn't. I did have a concerning time in college when I couldn't get rid of 2 bruises on my shins. Then one day I leaned against my bed frame and viola! my source of constant bruising revealed itself.

[HS Mom in NC]

Easy bruising can be a symptom of nothing serious to very serious conditions. I assume you're seeing a ped? It may be worth it to see a specialist as a ped is a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-nothing. Too often people waste time with the ped when a well chosen specialist can get to the heart of the matter very quickly. If you see a specialist and (s)he tells you it's nothing to worry about it will carry far more weight with you. I wasted 2 years with a very thorough ped with my middle daughter's migraines and alopecia areata. You don't need that kind of guilt.

[Mommyof4ks]

I would go back to redo bloodwork just to be sure. My youngest is a leukemia survivor, and the docs get concerned when bruises happen on body parts that usually do not get bruises. For my son he was covered in pencil eraser sized bruises even on his torso and back. There are other things like ITP that could explain bruises, but there would be signs in a CBC (lowered platelet count). Try to relax until there is a reason to worry. Easier said than done for sure, but scary things are rare.

[Supertechmom]

Low Vit K can be a culprit too. Wen we have a rash of shin bruises, I make sure we get lots of Vit K -greens, green onions, broccoli, etc. does the trick.