Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Bruises

September 1, 2009 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Juliane Theben

Dear Sir or Madam,

I get bruises very quickly...
What could be the cause?
I am 49 years old and after a pelvic surgery, my whole stomach was bruised...

What could be the cause?
I know from my mother that it was already like this as a child.

Sincerely,

Juliane Theben

Dear Inquirer,

the formation of a hematoma after surgery resulting in a "bruise" is not unusual. However, if you continue to get bruises without an obvious cause (such as bumping into something, etc.), I would recommend seeing a specialist = hematologist. There are several medical conditions that are not really dramatic, but are associated with a faster tendency to bleed. You really don't need to worry too much - I think the hematologist will just need to take a blood sample and will be able to provide you with a very precise diagnosis. Especially with regards to future surgeries, which may be necessary urgently at some point or dental procedures, it can be very useful to know if you have an "increased tendency to bleed"; the surgery would then be prepared differently.
As you describe the situation, the increased "bruises" have already occurred in your childhood - this would fit very well with a medical condition that is not further dramatic (often diagnosed only after surgery where there was increased bleeding) and could be confirmed by a blood test from the hematologist.

I hope this answer was helpful to you and I would be interested to hear the hematologist's results,

Best regards,

J. Theben