bruising easily

[shandy92]

I play football regularly and sometimes after receiving a kick to the leg, I will bruise very easily. I know that a bruise is to be expected after a heavy kick to the leg, but the bruising seems to spread and is purple and blue in a large area of my leg. This has happened twice now and after research it seems to be due to a low platelet count..

wondering if I should be concerned at all with regard to any underlying things that may be causing this, or if its just nothing to worry about? are their any ways to increase platelet count?

[caregiver222]

What you need is an appointment with a hematologist for a consult.. There are many possible etiologies, including a simple vitamin K deficiency, common in those with colitis. In addition take vitamin C supplements. Tissue fragility can be a contributing factor.

[Ger57]

I would let him do some bloodwork if you feel that your bruizing so easily is not normal (compare to your fellow footballplayers)
Actually I thought, when you said research was done, that you meant that your blood was tested already. That is why I suggested to do another measurement to see if there are changes to be seen (over a couple of weeks or so).

[shandy92]

thank you for the reply. so, do you suggest I make an appointment with my doctor to be safe?

[Ger57]

Sufferers of a medical condition called thrombocytopenia have low levels of platelets in the blood, leading to symptoms that range from troublesome to severe. Treatments for this condition can include dietary changes, medications, surgery, or transfusions.

No need to be overly concerned now but as it can have a variety of natural and artificial origins, it's important to investigate the cause of the thrombocytopenia with your doctor.
Also you do not want it to get out of hand. If your levels are still dropping, you could get in a situation where a bleeding could be hard to stop.