Do I need to see doctor about bruises? (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Do I need to see doctor about bruises?

5:20pm Thursday 5th February 2009 in Health By Doctor Tom Smith

Q. I get large purple bruises on my legs, despite not bumping myself. I’m only in my forties. Do I need to see my doctor about the bruises? I don’t feel ill.

A. This sounds like a condition called purpura, which is to do with the walls in you smallest blood vessels becoming brittle or a problem with in your control of blood clotting. Blood clotting depends on the interplay between several proteins and particles called platelets in the bloodstream, and a fault with any of these can lead to bruising. It can also be a side effect of drugs such as steroids or warfarin. Some women find the bruising coincides with the end of their monthly cycle: why they do is not clear but may be linked with peak hormone levels. Your doctor needs to know about your bruises, and will do blood tests to find the cause. Only then can he or she decide on treatment.