Subcutaneous hemorrhage is a common health phenomenon with a variety of causes, including blood infection, trauma or vitamin deficiency, etc. This is a sign of several diseases, but many people are subject to this condition. So is subcutaneous hemorrhage dangerous?
1. What are the symptoms of subcutaneous hemorrhage?
Subcutaneous hemorrhage is easily recognized through purple, blue-black bruises, and tiny red hemorrhagic spots under the skin. This skin discoloration is often caused by ruptured blood vessels, causing blood to leak into damaged tissue.
You can also recognize subcutaneous hemorrhage by pressing on the skin at/ or near the area of the hemorrhage. If this is healthy skin, it will pale when pressed and return to pink when released. On the contrary, if there is a hemorrhage under your skin, the skin is completely normal when pressed without fading.
Subcutaneous hemorrhages often manifest in two main forms:
- Purple purpura without a decrease in platelet count.
- Subcutaneous hemorrhage due to a decrease in platelet count.
2. Causes of subcutaneous hemorrhage
Subcutaneous hemorrhages have many causes, including benign causes to serious diseases, including cancer. Some of the main causes of subcutaneous hemorrhage are:
- External trauma causes bruising on the skin.
- Platelet problems such as thrombocytopenia (also known as Glanzmann's disease), or primary thrombocytopenia.
- Allergies or side effects from some medications you have recently used.
- Post-treatment effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc. for cancer patients are also factors that cause subcutaneous hemorrhage.
- Infections in the body such as more trauma, measles, dengue fever, sepsis due to meningitis, or diphtheria, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, leukemia, vasculitis, autoimmune disorders, etc.
- Deficiency of some important nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B12, folic acid, etc.
- Subcutaneous hemorrhage due to aging: When reaching the aging stage, collagen as well as the outer layer of fat on the skin will gradually produce less, making bruising very likely to occur even with a slight impact.
- Women with hormonal imbalance: When female sex hormones are out of balance, the blood vessels and capillaries in the body will weaken significantly, causing injuries and bruises to appear more frequently, especially during breastfeeding, pregnancy or menopause.
- Excessive exercise also causes bruising and subcutaneous hemorrhage because overexertion will cause internal damage to the body, causing capillaries in the area around the muscle fibers to rupture.
3. Is subcutaneous hemorrhage dangerous and when should you see a doctor?
Subcutaneous hemorrhage does not always come from serious health problems. However, the causes of this phenomenon also include dangerous diseases. You may not need to see a doctor if the bruises / tiny red dots under the skin come from minor injuries, or disappear on their own within a few days.
On the contrary, if subcutaneous hemorrhage appears for no reason, does not disappear for many consecutive days and is accompanied by signs such as:
- Swelling of the limbs.
- The bleeding area is painful, open wounds (if any) often bleed a lot.
- Lumps appear on the skin, which may bleed.
- Frequent bleeding/blood in the nose, gums, urine or stool.
4. Subcutaneous hemorrhage - how should you overcome it?
4.1. Improve the condition of subcutaneous hemorrhage with nutrition
Some groups of particularly important substances can support vascular health and effectively limit the problem of subcutaneous hemorrhage, including:
- Vitamin A: This is a vitamin that plays many roles in supporting platelet activity, including kale, cereals, fish oil, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, etc.
- Vitamin B9 (or Folic Acid): Vitamin B9 has an important function in the development of some tissues and cells, found in cereals, asparagus, tomatoes, avocados, beans and lentils, corn, dark green leafy vegetables, etc.
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an essential substance in the activity of the immune system and stimulates the rate of iron absorption as well as platelet activity extremely effectively. Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, grapefruit, broccoli, etc.
- Vitamin K: This vitamin is essential for bone and joint health, and also plays a role in the body's blood clotting process. Foods rich in vitamin K include spinach, radishes, broccoli, soybeans, pumpkin, etc.
4.2. Treating subcutaneous hemorrhage at home
In addition to nutrition - a long-term remedy for subcutaneous hemorrhage - while you are experiencing this phenomenon, try some of the following tips to overcome it:
- Cold compress: Low temperatures can reduce small hemorrhages or bruises under the skin related to trauma. At the same time, this method also reduces symptoms of subcutaneous inflammation if any. You should apply cold compresses for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time and apply until the hemorrhages subside.
- Minimize injuries or strong impacts on the area where the hemorrhage is occurring. In particular, for the elderly, blood clotting is often worse than that of young people, so hemorrhages are also more likely to appear. Avoid letting them get injured in this group of people.
4.3. Some groups of drugs to treat subcutaneous hemorrhage
- Corticosteroids: The most commonly used is oral prednisone, which helps increase the number of platelets by suppressing the immune system. Normally, the number of platelets in the blood needs about 2 to 6 weeks to return to a safe and stable level.
- Intravenous immunoglobulin.
It can be said that the problem of subcutaneous hemorrhage is a common condition and occurs in any subject with rich and diverse causes. If the bleeding is prolonged, or if it is accompanied by pain, swelling, or other concerning symptoms without an apparent cause, it is advisable to seek medical attention for a thorough examination.
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