Unexplained Bruising on Your Body: Causes and Treatments

Side effects of some medicines or supplements

Certain medications and supplements can cause the blood to thin and result in random bruising on the body. If you are taking blood-thinning medications, you may find that even a slight knock on your leg or arm can easily cause bruising.

According to doctors from the Mayo Clinic, aspirin, some antibiotics, and anticoagulant medications can cause clotting problems. This can result in random bruising or larger bruises from trauma to the skin.

Also, supplements like ginkgo biloba, ginger, turmeric, St John’s Wort have blood-thinning properties and may make you bruise easily. Before taking any supplements that thin the blood, you should speak to your health care provider if you are already taking medication to prevent blood clots.

That is one reason why some people shouldn’t take turmeric regularly for medicinal purposes. Ginger should also be used with care if you take medication to thin the blood.

Hereditary conditions

Sometimes unexplained bruising on your legs or body is because of hereditary factors. Dr. William Blahd on WebMD says that if your parents bruised easily, there is a greater chance that random bruising will affect you as well.

Women tend to bruise more easily than men. This is because women have more fragile blood vessels and may bruise more easily on their legs, upper arms, or buttocks. Dr. Blahd says that if you have no other symptoms, then random bruising is nothing to worry about.

Bleeding disorders

Bleeding disorders may cause large bruises to develop without any explanation. For example, hemophilia and Willebrand disease affect the blood’s ability to clot and can cause bleeding and excessive bruising resulting in black or dark skin patches.

However, unexplained bruising by itself isn’t the only symptom of a bleeding disorder. The National Hemophilia Foundation says that along with excessive bruising, hemophiliacs usually have unexplained nosebleeds, extended bleeding from minor cuts and scrapes, and women may have very heavy menstrual periods.