Noticed this morning that my inner arm was covered in bruises where I had lent it on the water butt while scooping up water. Wasn't painful at the time, or at least, I didn't feel it as pain.
Found this bmj.com/rapid-response/2011...
Yet another area where women are labelled - but hypo is the reason.
Aspmama, I've bruised easily all my life but only become hypo in 2012. I can bruise my lower legs buy resting one on the other (I know I shouldn't as it reduces circulation). I think easy bruising is common in women judging from friends but it is also a hypo thing.
Wow, Clutter! Doctors not interested in that? I have bruised fairly easily since childhood, but this is a whole new level, so I think it is likely to be the thyroid as above.
Aspmama, I've never mentioned it to a doctor. I know why it happens so the thing to do is to not cross my ankles which is what causes the bruising.
It should do, shouldn't it?
There are obviously several possible causes of easy bruising. One of them is iron deficiency anemia, so I suspect that iron depletion, which would show in a low serum ferritin level, might well show itself in easy bruising, and that might be why I bruised earlier in life, and why Clutter finds that many women report it.
If your iron level remains low despite thyroid treatment, you would still bruise. Or could have one of the other causes...
There hasn't been a big response to this post, which maybe suggests that for most people bruising isn't a big isssue after treatment. ?????
The hyperthyroids seem to have the other problem, more clotting, according to this.
Am searching for an answer. Maybe the changes to skin vessels are permanent if we don't get treated fast...
"myxoedematous changes in the
extracellular matrix surrounding the superficial
blood vessels rather than changes in the circulatory
haemostatic mechanisms may play a leading role in
promoting easy bruising."...
What is clear is that few doctors prob know about this, it doesn't show up on their usual tests, and it might not be picked up in sub clinical hypo till we start to bleed out in an op...!!!! Wow!!
"Presenting symptoms are easy bruising, epistaxis, or mucosal bleeding.
However, the diagnosis of this coagulopathy is difficult
since it is usually not detected by routine laboratory
tests, and often hypothyroidism may have an insidious
onset with subtle clinical signs and symptoms.
Therefore, the correct diagnosis is frequently not
established until bleeding tendency is revealed by major
hemorrhages following trauma or surgery."
The paper, which is recent, is very difficult for a non scientist to follow, but it looks as though most of the problems should correct with thyroid hormone replacement.
Sorry, should say those quotes are from two different studies - the first from a 1990 paper which may be outdated, the second from a much more recent one - I think each will appear if you put a sentence from it into Google search.
Yet another blood test.
Frustrated after yet another 'normal' result.
Yet another mess...
Hypo symptoms but doctors unsympathetic
Yet another clueless gp
