Hello Vera! To understand how to get rid of bruises under the nails, you should first understand why and for what reasons these bruises appear there.

Subungual hematomas or bruises under the nails result from the accumulation of blood when the nail plate is damaged. Most often, the cause of the appearance of such hematomas is the pinching of the fingers by the doors. They are usually very painful.

The reason for the appearance of a bruise under the nail plate can be not only such an injury as pinching by doors, but also just a blow. And in the event that bruises appear under the toenails, the reason may be wearing tight fashion shoes. Since it creates constant pressure on the nail plate.

Sometimes it happens that fingers are simply stepped on somewhere in public transport, and bruises are formed from this.

With such mechanical damage to the nails, it is better not to try to remove the bruise yourself, but just wait until the nail grows back a little, and you can cut off the damaged part. By the way, regular pressure of shoes on the nails can also cause not only bruising, but also detachment on the nail plate, or its rejection from the pad, that is, onycholysis. In such cases, I would advise you to first of all give up shoes that create pressure on your nails and discomfort when walking. And, secondly, contact a pedicure specialist at a beauty salon. So that he removes all detachments from the nail plate and seals them. Pay also more attention to home nail care: use specialized strengthening coatings, as well as regularly soak your feet in baths with sea salt. This helps to strengthen the nails.

Subungual hematomas (subungual hemorrhages), in which mechanical damage is excluded, can appear under the influence of drugs - due to prolonged combined use of drugs. Therefore, it is worth revising, if possible, taking these medications, or approaching the treatment of the underlying disease more delicately and carefully. Maybe replace some drugs with others, or, in general, abandon them.

Abnormal nail color can be mistaken for bruises. For example, bluish-black nails may indicate melanoma and nevi (neoplasms on birthmarks). In this case, it is better to consult a doctor for advice.

If the bruises are of mechanical origin, you can try to get rid of them faster with the help of pharmacy creams / gels-venotonics, such as: Troxevasin, Venoruton, Venitan, etc.

Minor injuries in everyday life and at work are considered an everyday occurrence. Sometimes we simply do not notice them, and we are very surprised to find bruises and scratches on the body. But when it comes to the area of ​​the nail on the fingers or toes, such injuries do not go unnoticed, because they are accompanied by severe pain and the appearance of a strange dark spot that lurks under the nail plate and causes noticeable discomfort. This is a subungual hematoma, often accompanying severe mechanical injuries to the fingers. And today we will talk about how to treat such injuries.

Causes of the subungual hematoma

No matter how frightening the dark speck under the nail looks, there is nothing unusual in its appearance. Damaging mechanical effect on soft tissues is accompanied by rupture of blood vessels inside them, and a bluish or brown spot is just the result of hemorrhage. In other words, a subungual hematoma is nothing more than an accumulation of blood in the space between the nail bed and the nail plate.

It is difficult to say where bruises appear most often under the nails: on the hands or on the legs. In principle, both the lower and upper limbs are equally susceptible to injury. For example, a bruise under the nail of one of the fingers can be caused by a strong blow to it or a pinching of the distal phalanx by a door.

Toes on the toes are unlikely to be pinched. But it is quite possible for a heavy object to fall on the leg or a tangible blow with a finger (usually a thumb) on something hard.

It is quite easy to damage your toenail when walking barefoot, simply by hitting it hard on the ground or on an object lying on the ground (for example, a stone). An identical situation is observed during the game of football. Inappropriate shoes or lack of them can be a very unexpected cause of a subungual hematoma on the big toe.

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Risk factors

Risk factors for bruising under the nail can also be considered:

• wearing uncomfortable or tight shoes that squeeze the toes in the area of ​​the nail plate,
• taking anticoagulants and other drugs that reduce blood clotting and can provoke minor hemorrhages,
• diseases in which there is a low blood viscosity and a tendency to bleeding,
• increased fragility of blood vessels, as a result of which even a minor injury can be accompanied by rupture of blood vessels and hemorrhages.
• decreased sensitivity of the lower extremities, associated, for example, with the development of polyneuropathy against the background of diabetes mellitus (such patients can walk in tight shoes and do not feel pressure on the fingers, leading to hematoma under the nails),
• a disproportionately large length of one of the toes, which leads to strong pressure on it from the shoe (for example, in Martynov's disease, the second toe is too long, it is clear that it is more prone to injury than others).

You can get a nail injury both at home and at work. Such an injury is always accompanied by some discomfort, and sometimes it can even have unpleasant consequences, so it is important to carefully and seriously consider the issue of its diagnosis and treatment.

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Symptoms of a subungual hematoma

As we have already said, if a bruise on the body can appear imperceptibly even from a slight blow or compression of soft tissues, then the appearance of a subungual hematoma is preceded by a strong mechanical effect on the nail plate and soft tissues of the fingers. It is simply impossible not to notice such an impact; it is another matter how to react to it.

The first signs of trauma, accompanied by the appearance of a subungual hematoma, are:

• sharp and severe pain at the site of injury, which has a pulsating character and is often accompanied by a feeling of fullness
• redness of the tissues under the nail plate,
• deterioration in the functioning of the finger due to pain syndrome or bone damage.

• short-term loss of finger sensitivity (in case of severe injury, numbness can be observed for a long time),

• swelling of the tissues of the damaged finger, as a result of which it somewhat increases in size,
• a change in the color of the spot under the nail from reddish to cyanotic, burgundy, dark brown and even violet-black (it all depends on the force of the blow and the amount of blood poured out under the nail plate),
• in some cases, there is a complete or partial detachment of the nail from the nail bed, its deformation.

As for the pain, after the impact it is stronger than after wearing and removing tight shoes, but in the latter case, the pain can be felt for a longer time, especially when the toe is loaded.

Complications and consequences

The careless attitude towards domestic injuries, which is observed everywhere, alas, can have its unpleasant consequences. Well, they hurt a finger, a dark speck appeared on it, so is this a reason to immediately run to the doctor, if it gradually disappears as the nail grows? This is exactly what many of us think, unaware of possible complications.

Perhaps the bruise itself is not particularly dangerous. But the deformation of the nail plate (more often its splitting) or its detachment can cause frequent injury to the nail and discomfort when walking if the nail of the big toe is damaged.

We will not touch on the topic of the cosmetic unsightly nail defect, because such injuries can have more unpleasant consequences in the form of infection under the nail. Bacteria, having hit the floor of the nail plate, begin to multiply actively, causing inflammation and suppuration of tissues, and this already threatens, if not blood poisoning, then the loss of the nail and serious treatment with the use of local (and in the case of septic lesions and systemic) antibiotics.

By the way, there is a danger of infection with the wrong approach to the treatment of hematoma. Blood usually accumulates under the nail plate, and the more there is, the more unpleasant the sensations caused by the pressure of blood on various tissues of the finger. If the blood is removed, it becomes much easier for the patient. But in the absence of nail detachment, blood can be removed from under it only by piercing the nail plate. Making a puncture on your own with improvised means without appropriate treatment of the instrument and the surface of the nail, you can very easily bring an infection inside, and instead of blood, pus will begin to accumulate under the nail.

Failure to act after a finger injury is also fraught with danger. Ignoring the pain and bruising under the nail, a person can simply ignore a more serious problem - a fracture of the distal phalanx bone or damage to its joint. Such injuries, in turn, can lead to impaired mobility of the finger.

There is one more important point. Under the guise of a hematoma, a more dangerous disease can also be hidden - melanoma or skin cancer, the treatment of which must be started at the early stages of the development of the process. And the faster the better, because melanoma tends to grow rapidly and spread metastases.

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Diagnostics of the subungual hematoma

Losing something heavy on our finger, crushing it with a door or just hitting it hard, we usually do not rush to run to the doctor. In some cases, this is even justified. For example, a small subungual hematoma resulting from an injury that covers less than 25% of the nail surface is unlikely to require specialist intervention. Such bruises go away on their own, moving upward as the nail grows.

In what cases is it worth contacting a doctor for advice and first aid:

• if a dark spot under the nail (regardless of its size) did not appear as a result of injury and is not accompanied by pain,
• if severe pain after an injury does not go away after a day,
• if the hematoma is large, that is, its area is more than a quarter of the nail, which indicates a significant amount of blood accumulated under the nail plate,
• if the injury is accompanied by a severe pain syndrome (acute pain, aggravated by the slightest load on the finger and when walking, may indicate a bone fracture), sometimes in this case there is even a slight crunching when the bones touch.

Injury to a finger with the formation of a nail hematoma is diagnosed by a traumatologist, who, if necessary, refers the patient to other specialists, for example, a surgeon, dermatologist or dermato-oncologist.

The examination begins with a physical examination and anamnesis. The doctor will ask the patient if there was an episode of a finger injury in the recent past, what was the nature of the injury and its symptoms. If there is no acute pain and the mobility of the finger is preserved, we are talking about a common bruise with the occurrence of a hematoma. Otherwise, there is a suspicion of a fracture of the bones of the distal phalanx or an intra-articular fracture.

If a finger fracture is suspected, the patient is referred for an X-ray examination.

Differential diagnosis

Trauma is not always the cause of a dark spot under the nail. Some people have these spots from birth. The thing is that moles (nevi) can be localized on the skin anywhere, including the nail bed. The subungual nevus bears a certain resemblance to a hematoma resulting from an injury to the nail.

The danger of any moles lies in the fact that under the influence of negative factors (for example, trauma to a nevus), they can degenerate into a malignant neoplasm - melanoma. It turns out that a nail injury can cause pathological processes in the pigmented skin under it, as a result of which the cells become malignant, and they begin to divide uncontrollably, causing tumor growth and the spread of the process into the body.

This is a very dangerous situation that requires consultation with an oncologist and surgical treatment. The incidence of subungual melanoma is about 3-4% of all cancers.

If you suspect a nail melanoma, the patient is referred for a dermatoscopy - an examination that allows you to examine the condition of the tissues under the nail. To confirm the diagnosis of skin cancer, a biopsy of tissues in the affected area is additionally prescribed. The histological examination of the material taken during the biopsy is considered the most accurate analysis, on the basis of which the final diagnosis is made.

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Subungual hematoma treatment

If there was a minor injury to the nail, as a result of which a small hemorrhage occurred under it, treatment will only consist in reducing the intensity of the pain syndrome. You can use ice cubes or packaged frozen foods for this purpose. The cold is applied to the injury site, thereby relieving pain and swelling. It is advisable to apply ice every half hour for 3-5 minutes until the pain subsides.

If the pain is severe enough, you can take pain relievers: analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are in your home medicine cabinet. It can be "Analgin", "Tempalgin", "Ibuprofen", "Nimid", and in case of severe pain, "Ketorolac" or "Ketanov".

In addition, a decoction made from herbs and flowers of St. John's wort can be taken as an absolutely safe pain reliever and anti-inflammatory agent. It is recommended to drink the medicinal composition several times a day, little by little, at intervals of 3 hours. You should not expect a quick result from a natural medicine, but after a couple of days you can observe a noticeable decrease in pain.

Alternatively, they suggest applying a fresh leaf or white cabbage gruel to the sore finger. It must be said that the effectiveness of this recipe remains in doubt. An uncomplicated subungual hematoma, though, is a great time to get it checked.

The same can be said about softening the nail plate in order to remove caked blood with a hot solution of potassium permanganate, which should have a rich cherry color. It is assumed that the desired effect can be achieved by immersing the injured finger in hot (as long as you can endure so as not to get burned) water for a quarter of an hour.

Usually, first aid is sufficient to relieve pain and inflammation. If the discomfort does not go away during the day, there is pressure and discomfort in the nail area, indicating a severe bruise, you should definitely consult a specialist doctor for help. The help of a specialist may also be needed if the nail plate as a result of an injury has peeled off from the skin or a break has occurred in it. The doctor will examine the wound and prescribe appropriate treatment.

If the accumulation of blood is observed under the intact nail plate, the doctor will perform a drainage operation to remove it. The essence of the operation is to pierce the nail and remove the accumulated blood from under it, which brings noticeable relief to the patients and prevents the nail from peeling off.

Puncture of a subungual hematoma is not a painful procedure, because the nail plate itself does not have nerve endings, and the removal of blood does not require a violation of the integrity of soft tissues. Nevertheless, some people psychologically adjust themselves to pain, begin to worry, and make sudden movements. To avoid this, your doctor may suggest local anesthesia with lidocaine. In other cases, the puncture site is irrigated with an anesthetic solution.

After pretreating the nail plate with an antiseptic, drainage is started. The procedure for extracting blood from under the nail can be done in two ways:

• the puncture is made using a sufficiently thick medical needle, screwing it into the nail plate as in the case of a drill,
• the nail plate at the site of the hematoma is burned with a special device - a thermal scooter.

Through the resulting hole, blood begins to protrude outward. To speed up this process slightly, lightly press on the nail plate. Next, an antiseptic-soaked napkin is applied to the finger, which is fixed with a bandage. Since blood can ooze from the hole in the nail for a day or more, the dressing should be changed periodically (at least once a day).

A prerequisite for the success of this procedure is sterility, because infection in the puncture site will provoke the development of a purulent process under the nail plate, the treatment of which may require its removal. It is customary to use a hydrogen peroxide solution as an antiseptic. In its absence, you can use other excellent antiseptics: an alcoholic solution of iodine, an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate or furacilin. The use of the drug "Chlorhexidine" with a pronounced antibacterial effect is indicative. It is customary to treat not only wounds, but also hands and surgical instruments before and after surgery.

On the Internet, you can find a description of nail drainage at home using a paper clip that needs to be heated over a fire in order to then pierce the nail with it to draw blood out. Before the procedure, it is recommended to lubricate the surface of the nail with iodine, and after removing the drainage and blood - with hydrogen peroxide with the application of a bandage soaked in the same solution.

In theory, if the operation is carried out under conditions of good disinfection of the clip and nail, infection should not occur. However, often such self-medication has unfortunate results. Patients have to consult a doctor for a suppuration of the nail.

In the case of very bulky hematomas that cover most of the nail, as well as when spontaneous detachment of the nail plate is observed, doctors often resort to surgical treatment - removal of the nail followed by treatment of the tissues under it.

Treatment is understood as removing accumulated blood, treating the cavity with an antiseptic and applying an aseptic dressing to prevent infection from entering an open wound.

In some cases, not the entire nail is to be excised, but only a deformed, exfoliated part of it, which can subsequently undergo repeated injury.

Surgical removal of the nail may also be necessary if a purulent-inflammatory process has begun under the nail plate. In this case, the wound is washed, treated with an antiseptic, and then one of the effective antibacterial ointments (tetracycline, synthomycin, erythromycin, etc.) is applied on top. Aseptic bandage must be applied on top. The wound needs to be treated and bandaged daily.

In case of severe injuries, if the nail peeled off on its own and had to be removed, doctors at the site of tissue damage can suture using self-absorbable materials. Reappointment with examination of the stitches can be assigned 3-4 days after the injury.

At the request of the doctor at home, the seams will have to be washed with soap and water and applied to them with antibiotic ointments, after all, any wound is the path of least resistance for the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms that cause purulent-inflammatory processes.

Prophylaxis

Avoid the appearance of a subungual hematoma due to regular squeezing of the toes by choosing shoes that are suitable in size and shape. When training and playing football, it is recommended to use special sports shoes with sufficient protection against impact to the fingers. Construction workers should also have special footwear, because they usually have a higher risk of injury to their feet.

When lifting excessively heavy loads, do not forget about the danger of dropping them on your foot. You need to learn to correctly calculate your strength.

Do not forget about the fingers of our hands, which, due to our carelessness and carelessness, so often fall into the sharply narrowing gap of the door. Especially often small children suffer, who still do not understand the full danger of a doorway. Children are often to blame for the injury of their parents, who close the door in the apartment or car, not paying attention to the location of the hands of children who are nearby. Again, attention and caution will help prevent such injuries.

If the injury could not be avoided, the urgent application of ice to the injury site will help to reduce the severity of its symptoms and, possibly, to avoid the appearance of a subungual hematoma. Such a five-minute treatment is recommended every half hour, observing the sensations and changes in the injured limb. The lack of relief of symptoms during the day is in any case a sure reason to visit a medical facility.

The prognosis worsens if, during an injury, bones and soft tissues were damaged, or a purulent process developed at the site of the hematoma. In this case, the growing nail may have an irregular shape and various defects. An untreated fracture can negatively affect the functionality of the finger. Pain and displacement of bones can impair mobility, as well as reshape the damaged phalanx or joint.

A dual prognosis can also be given for melanoma disguised as a hematoma. If the malignant process was detected on time in the early stages, the chances of forgetting about the disease for a long time are about 70-100%, depending on the size of the neoplasm. Detection of skin cancer at an advanced stage reduces the survival rate after treatment to 30-50%.

But back to our trauma hematoma. If its cause is precisely traumatic damage to the nail and tissues under it, prevention of domestic and industrial injuries can be considered the prevention of this condition. First of all, it is caution and accuracy.

If a bruise develops under the toenail, you need to seek medical attention, because the injury to the plate is dangerous and has serious consequences. Mechanical shocks and fungal infections are considered common causes of the onset of the disease. If a hematoma occurs, you need to give yourself first aid, drink anesthetic and take measures to eliminate the pathological condition.

What is a bruise under the nail

After mechanical impact, blows against furniture or a door, a bruise may appear on the big toe nail. This formation is characterized by bursting vessels under the plate, the appearance of hemorrhage, and blood stasis. The blood first becomes bluish, then purple, at the end it turns black. Over time, redness and swelling diminish and become subtle.

What does a bruise look like under a big toenail

According to external signs, a bruise under the toenail is characterized by blackening of the plate, there is a throbbing pain under the nail. As a result, the blood does not come out from under the nail, therefore it stagnates, the finger swells, most of it turns red. Over time, these symptoms subside, but the hematoma cannot resolve on its own, it disappears only after the healthy plate has completely grown. Rarely, a bruise appears on the finger itself.

How does hematoma form

From the moment of injury, it takes about 1-2 hours, after which a hematoma begins to form under the nail of the big toe. Swelling and redness of the foot immediately appears, but the bruise itself appears after the release of blood from the ruptured vessels, its accumulation under the plate. Stages of hematoma development:

1. A small pink spot appears, the nail bed turns crimson, the nail turns blue. The person feels numbness, pain.
2. Formation of a large purple spot, pain relief.
3. After a few days, the hematoma turns blue, its edges become sharp, the area decreases, pain is present only with pressure, there is no discomfort.
4. After a week, the bruise turns black, reducing itself to 3-5 mm in diameter. The edges remain clear, there is no pain. Within a week, the hematoma can resolve on its own.

Causes of occurrence

A subungual hematoma on the big toe occurs for a variety of reasons. Common factors in the onset of the disease are:

• mechanical shock - the object fell on the leg, the finger was pinched by the door;
• fracture;
• constant wearing of uncomfortable shoes - if the pressure of the toe falls on the thumb;
• professional deformation - the wearing of specific winter shoes by skiers, skaters, which exerts strong pressure;
• taking drugs that affect blood coagulation can damage blood vessels;
• cardiovascular failure - all organs, including the skin, receive less oxygen, the body weakens, pathology begins;
• melanoma, skin cancer, diabetes mellitus;
• fungus - combined with nail detachment, itching, discoloration.

What is the danger of hematoma

If a bruise appears under the thumbnail, treatment should be started immediately, otherwise the lack of therapy will lead to serious consequences and problems:

• when a void forms between the cornea and the nail bed, bacteria and infection can get there;
• The dead part is attached to the finger until it is completely renewed, but it becomes fragile, in the process of accretion, the shoe presses on the hole, it happens that because of this the new plate is deformed.

How to treat a bruise under your toenail

First aid in the event of a hematoma is to cool the bruised area to relieve pain. Wrap your finger with gauze, run cold water, or place a plastic bag with ice cubes on the bump. Leave for 3-6 minutes, remove for 15 minutes and repeat the procedure. Apply until the pain subsides. You can speed up the healing process by opening the nail (if the hematoma is small). You can do this with your doctor or on your own:

• prepare the nail: disinfect the plate with iodine, potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide;
• use antibacterial agents to treat the needle, heat its tip until a red color appears;
• pierce the central part of the hematoma through the nail so that blood flows out of the hole;
• fix a sterile plaster on the wound;
• do not leave the house for three days or wear open shoes so that the foot does not suffer.

Drug therapy

To treat a bruise under the big toe nail, experts advise using the following medications and useful tools:

• analgesic antispasmodics - eliminate pain (Analgin, Spazmalgon, Sedalgin);
• compresses with Dimexidum;
• anti-inflammatory ointments - eliminate limb edema, increase blood flow activity (Bodyaga, Arnika, Zhivokost);
• for a local effect on inflammation, heparin ointment is used, it quickly eliminates bruising, stimulates the process of capillary recovery.

Traditional methods

In the treatment of a hematoma that has arisen on the big toe, you can use the methods of traditional medicine:

1. Baths with sea salt, essential oils, aloe juice to accelerate the growth of a healthy plate. For three liters of water at a temperature of 40 degrees, take a tablespoon of salt or 7-10 drops of ether. Keep your feet in the bath for 15 minutes, then lubricate with a non-greasy cream.
2. Bodyagi mask - mix 10-20 g of dry powder with water to get a thick gruel consistency. Apply on the bruise, hold for 15-20 minutes, wipe with chamomile broth. Repeat 2-3 times a day.
3. Ointment - grind 35 g of laundry soap, mix with 30 ml of ammonia, camphor laurel oil, 50 ml of lamp oil, 250 ml of turpentine. Treat the site of the clot every 4 hours for a week.
4. Lotions from a solution containing 250 ml of apple cider vinegar, dry wine and 10 g of sea salt. Dissolve the ingredients, moisten a napkin, apply to the bruise every two hours.
5. To relieve pain, take a decoction of St. John's wort.
6. Vitamin C and rutin will help the patient to speed up the healing of blood vessels.

Prophylaxis

As a preventive measure to help avoid bruising on the nails of the big toes, use the following:

• wearing loose shoes;
• avoidance of injuries, accuracy when closing the door;
• short nail clipping;
• eating foods rich in vitamins;
• timely examination by doctors in the presence of diabetes mellitus, the first signs of ailments;
• the requirement to comply with the rules in the profession associated with an increased risk of injury to the nails.

Video

Observed in patients with psoriasis. Fingernails are affected in 42% of cases, and on toes in 6% of cases. The symptom reflects the orientation of the capillary plexuses in the nail bed and the fragility of these capillaries in active psoriasis. Longitudinal subungual hemorrhages in the nails can be analogous to the Auspitz symptom (blood dew symptom) on the skin developing in the nail bed. Longitudinal subungual hemorrhages can also be observed with mimicry of psoriasis.

When forming longitudinal subungual hemorrhage have a plum color, which in the treatment of several days darkens to brown or black. The blood comes into contact with the ventral layer of the nail plate and moves distally. From time to time, longitudinal subungual hemorrhages stop briefly due to the fact that they are in contact with the nail bed, and not with the plate.

Most occur in the distal third, where the nail plate separates from the nail bed. In this area, particularly fragile coiled capillaries form a pink line 4 mm proximal to the fingertip, normally visible through the nail. The rupture of these superficially located thin-walled vessels gives rise to linear hemorrhages, which outwardly resemble wood splinters under the nails.

Rare variations of proximal longitudinal subungual hemorrhage include matrix tumors, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, trichinosis, and mono- or polydactylary longitudinal erythronychia.

Longitudinal subungual hemorrhage are more common in men than in women, and more often in blacks than in fair-skinned people. Nail changes and age-related disorders are more common in older patients, in whom longitudinal subungual haemorrhage is most common. In women, these disorders are usually limited to one finger.

Subungual hemorrhage can also occur due to nail injuries and with the use of a number of drugs, including docetaxel, paclitaxel, and especially imatinib.

Repetitive microtrauma with partial movement second toe on the thumbnail can cause bilateral triangular hemorrhages. Most of the causes of longitudinal subungual hemorrhage are listed in the table below.

a - Psoriatic punctate hemorrhages.
b - Point hemorrhages in psoriasis mimicry.

From this article you will find out: what diseases can bruises on the legs indicate for no reason in women and men. What to do if bruises (or, in other words, hematomas) begin to appear without bumps. Which doctor to contact, how the diagnosis and treatment will be carried out.

Date of publication of the article: 05/19/2017

Date the article was updated: 05/29/2019

Bruises without injuries on the legs and other parts of the body appear due to the weakness of the vascular walls, their increased permeability or excessive blood thinning and impaired coagulability.

The causes of hematomas without strokes in both women and men are the same. However, more often they can appear in women who are addicted to wearing high-heeled shoes, as this provokes excessive tension in the legs, stagnation of blood in them and the associated weakening of blood vessels and varicose veins. Also, the strength of blood vessels may decrease during menopause.

In case of problems with blood vessels and blood, bruises often appear on the legs, since these parts of the body are most susceptible to stress in everyday life. Microtrauma, which with pathologies of blood vessels and blood is manifested by bruises, can arise from a long walk, from jumping, and so on.

Hematomas without bumps are a very alarming symptom. If you have started to appear bruises on your legs or other parts of the body for no reason, see your doctor immediately. Depending on the test result, he may refer you to a hematologist, angiologist, phlebologist, hepatologist or gynecologist for further diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of bruises on the legs

Hematomas can appear for one of two reasons:

1. Vascular problems (increased permeability of the vascular walls, weakening and decreased elasticity of the vascular walls).
2. Blood problems (pathological decrease in the level of platelets in the blood, clotting disorders, leukemia).

In such cases, bruising occurs from moderate pressure on the skin or from the pressure of clothing on it, or for no apparent reason at all.

The initial stage of vascular weakness is manifested in the fact that a large bruise appears from a light blow, which does not go away for a long time.

The causes of such problems with blood vessels and blood can be very diverse. Sometimes this indicates a lack of certain substances in the body, and sometimes about serious diseases of the cardiovascular system or blood.

What can provoke the unreasonable appearance of bruises on the legs and other parts of the body:

• Lack of vitamin C or vitamin P - when they are deficient, the strength and elasticity of the vascular walls decreases, and capillary fragility increases.
• Thrombocytopenia - a lowered platelet count, which leads to impaired blood clotting and the spontaneous appearance of hematomas. Thrombocytopenia can be a side effect of medications, a symptom of infectious mononucleosis, hepatitis, herpes, HIV, and even a complication of the flu.
• Liver failure - severe liver dysfunction causes thrombocytopenia.
• Alcoholism. Alcohol abuse causes thrombocytopenia.
• Phlebeurysm. This is a very common reason why leg bruises appear. With this disease, superficial veins become weakened and become brittle, which can cause bruising.
• Menopause. With insufficient estrogen levels, vascular strength decreases.
• Leukemia.
• Congenital bleeding disorders (hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, etc.) - in this case, the symptoms begin to appear from childhood.

Even if the fragility of blood vessels is triggered by a lack of vitamins, the risk of internal bleeding and cerebral hemorrhage increases, especially in hypertensive patients. So take the issue seriously.

Varicose veins can cause bruising on the legs

Accompanying symptoms

With increased vascular permeability and blood clotting disorders, not only bruises on the body are observed, but also:

• frequent nosebleeds;
• bleeding from the mucous membranes of the mouth, bleeding gums;
• a long stop of blood even with minor cuts;
• in some diseases - blood in the urine, spotting from the vagina outside the critical days.

These symptoms are not seen with bruising on the legs caused by varicose veins. With this disease, hematomas can appear only on the legs. Vascular "nets" and "stars", swelling of the legs, discomfort and pain in the lower extremities are also characteristic.

Diagnostics

First of all, a general blood test is taken from a patient who has addressed such a problem. The greatest clinical significance in this case is the level of platelets.

The rate of platelets in the blood:

A slight deviation from the norm can be triggered by stress or an improper lifestyle, but a drop in the platelet level below 100 * 10 9 / l can already be called thrombocytopenia.

If it has been identified, they immediately begin to find out its cause.

Thrombocytopenia is often a side effect of these medications:

• diuretics;
• Quinidine, Quinine;
• antirheumatic drugs;
• antibiotics (sulfonamides, Biseptol, Levomycetin, Ampicillin, Rifampicin, Gentamicin);
• cytostatics (antineoplastic drugs);
• anti-inflammatory (Indomethacin, Paracetamol, Benoxaprofen)
• Heparin;
• Allopurinol;
• Chlorpropamide;
• Digoxin;
• Amitriptyline;
• Doxepin;
• Carbamazepine;
• Cimetidine and others.

Drugs that can cause thrombocytopenia and, as a result, bruises on the legs

People over 50 and under 20 are especially susceptible to this side effect. If you have been taking any medications at the time of the appearance of bruises, immediately inform your doctor and stop taking. Symptoms usually resolve within a few weeks after drug withdrawal.

If at the time of the decrease in the level of platelets in the blood you did not take any medications, a comprehensive examination of the body is carried out: ultrasound of the liver, blood tests for HIV, for herpes, for hepatitis.

Also, on a blood test, leukemia can be suspected. With blood cancer, the level of platelets, erythrocytes and hemoglobin drops sharply, and the number of leukocytes rises. If doctors suspect leukemia, bone marrow tests are done to confirm the diagnosis.

If the general blood count is normal, a blood test for vitamins and trace elements is prescribed. With its help, it is possible to identify hypo- or avitaminosis C or P.

If you suffer from varicose veins in your legs, you will be prescribed a duplex scan of the veins for detailed examination.

For women during menopause, a blood test for sex hormones is also prescribed.

Genetic bleeding disorders can be detected with a clotting test and an extensive blood test for specific proteins (clotting factors).

Treatment and prognosis

Treatment consists of removing the cause of the bruising.

With hypovitaminosis

If the fragility of blood vessels is caused by a lack of vitamin C or vitamin P (rutin), appoint ascorbic acid, Ascorutin or combined vitamin complexes. You can also include foods high in these vitamins in your diet.

With thrombocytopenia

In this case, the drug that provoked it is canceled, or the underlying disease that affects the composition of the blood is treated. If a decrease in platelet count was triggered by medication, recovery occurs within 1-3 weeks after stopping their intake. The same applies to alcoholism - the blood composition returns to normal within a few weeks after parting with a bad habit (but only if alcoholism has not yet led to serious liver problems). If thrombocytopenia is caused by diseases, then the treatment will be very laborious, and sometimes life-long (for example, with HIV).

With varicose veins

The situation can be corrected through surgical treatment (or phlebectomy). Recovery occurs within a few weeks after the intervention.

With menopause

Hormone replacement therapy is prescribed to normalize estrogen levels in the body. You can supplement it with folk remedies to improve women's health. Consult your gynecologist before using them.

The most effective folk remedy for menopause, especially if problems with blood vessels are expressed, is red clover. It is rich in phytoestrogens, plant substances similar to female sex hormones, and vitamin C, which will help strengthen blood vessels. Pour 200 ml of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of dry clover and leave in a thermos for 8 hours. Drink 50 ml half an hour before meals.

Dill is also useful during menopause. Pour 1.5 tablespoons of seeds with a glass of boiling water, leave in a thermos for one hour. Then dilute with another glass of water. Drink 100 ml 3-4 times a day half an hour after meals. Dill is contraindicated under reduced pressure.

You can also add phytoestrogen-rich foods to your diet. These are soybeans, flax seeds, red grapes.

With leukemia

If leukemia was detected, the prognosis is disappointing. Full recovery is possible only after a bone marrow transplant.

Symptomatic bruise treatment

To quickly pass an already appeared bruise, use special ointments:

• Heparin;
• Troxevasin;
• Indovazin;
• arnica ointments;

Please note that most bruising ointments are contraindicated for bleeding disorders. They can be used only if the bruises are provoked by hypovitaminosis, varicose veins or climacteric changes in the body. Always consult your doctor before use.