Why do some of us bruise easily?

Occasional bruises are a fact of life. At some point, we’ve all banged our shins on a coffee table, walked into a wall, or just woken up one morning with a mystery bruise. But why do some of us bruise more easily than others?

As it turns out, there are a lot of factors that can affect how frequently we bruise and how long those bruises last. Amy Shira Teitel of DNews explains what’s actually happening to our bodies when we get a black-and-blue. While the typical bruise is caused by some form of mild trauma, Teitel explains that athletes can get bruises from the small amounts of muscle damage caused by working out. Factors like age and sun exposure, meanwhile, can thin the skin and weaken capillaries, making trauma-based bruising more likely. And some bruises, like those caused by bleeding disorders, can occur without any form of trauma at all.

Bruising without an injury can be a warning sign of a more serious condition. Teitel recommends visiting a doctor if you’re worried about yours. “At the end of the day, bruising is pretty normal,” she explains.

“But frequent bruising or ones that last a long time can come down to a lot of different things. The moral is: Listen to your body. If a part of it changes colour, maybe find out why.”
Source: www.mentalfloss.com