About a week ago, I bruised my shin climbing on a retaining wall. At the time, I knew from the pain that it was going to be a whopper, and over the next several days I watched the bruise develop like a Polaroid photograph. It ran almost the entire length of the front of my leg and was swollen and very tender.
The bruise was large enough that I began to wonder if I should worry. After spending a couple of minutes on an online medical information website, my worries were put to rest. It turns out that a single bruise can become a health problem if the associated swelling is so great that it cuts off blood flow to other tissues or organs, or if it doesn’t heal in two to three weeks. Neither was the case for me.
Causes of Bruising
A bruise is bleeding that occurs under the skin, and it is commonly caused by trauma. However, there are a number of other underlying reasons for bruising to occur. Among them:
- Side effects from certain medications
- Clotting disorders
- Infections that cause toxins to build up in the blood
- Certain autoimmune disorders
- Cancers, such as leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, or multiple myeloma
- Deficiencies of Vitamin B12, C, K, or folic acid
While a single bruise from a bump or a fall is generally not a cause for concern, a pattern of unexplained bruising may be a sign of a serious health condition and should be checked out by your doctor.
Are You an Easy Bruiser?
Some people tend to bruise easily whenever they come into contact with anything that has an edge; tables, doors, or the bedpost. Is this a problem? 
If easy bruising is a new thing for you or if unexplained bruises appear on your face or trunk—places you would remember bumping—you should have it assessed by your doctor. However, easy bruising is more common in women and becomes more noticeable with age, because your skin becomes thinner.
In Chinese medicine, the cause of easy bruising would likely be diagnosed as Spleen Qi depletion or heat in the blood. In addition to digestion, your Chinese Spleen organ system is responsible for a number of functions. Through the digestive process, your Spleen turns food into energy and nutrients. Spleen energy also is responsible for retaining organs in place and keeping blood in the vessels. A weak Spleen may cause easy bruising from fragile blood vessels that are easily damaged with the slightest pressure.
Another cause of easy bruising is internal heat, from a fever, infection, or inflammation. Heat expands and speeds up movement, causing your blood to move recklessly, outside of the vessels. Other signs of heat in the blood are frequent nosebleeds and bleeding gums.
The bruise itself is considered to be blood stagnation in Chinese medicine. This simply means that blood in the area of the bruise isn’t moving. Because the capillaries and small vessels in the area of the bruise have been broken, and blood has leaked into the surrounding tissue, circulation in the area has been obstructed.
What to Do About Bruising
Simple home care for a single bruise may include elevating the area and applying ice during the first 24 hours to limit the amount of bruising. If your bruise is painful, Tylenol is the best over the counter choice, as aspirin or ibuprofen interfere with clotting and may make your bruise larger. After two to three days, heat and gentle massage may help speed the healing process. Your bruise should slowly change colors, from bright red or purple caused by the hemoglobin in a fresh bruise to green and yellow from the compounds that break down the bruise after several days. Depending on your age and your overall health, your bruise should be completely healed within ten days to three weeks.
If you’re prone to easy bruising, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and light proteins can help you get the vitamins you need to support clotting. Also, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can may your easy bruising worse, as they both affect both blood flow and the clotting process.
And finally, if you’re an easy bruiser, consider acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Whether your Spleen energy is depleted or heat is causing you to bruise or bleed easily, your practitioner can help identify the problem and develop a treatment plan to resolve your bruising and support your verall health.