What Might Cause Bruising?
Bruising can be upsetting for your senior, especially if the bruises seem to show up out of nowhere. Very often fragile skin and a thinner layer of fat directly under the skin make bruising happen much more readily for your elderly family member, but there are other causes, too. Always talk to your senior’s doctor about issues like bruising to find out how you can help her more effectively.
Elderly Care in Lilburn GA: Senior Bruising
Prescription Medications
Some of the prescription medications that your elderly family member takes for other health issues can cause her to bruise more easily. Inhaled corticosteroids help her to breathe more easily, but they can also cause bruising, for instance. Blood thinners and anticoagulant medications can also make bruising much more likely. Make sure you and your senior understand the side effects of her medications.
Over-the-counter Medications
All medications have side effects, including over-the-counter medications. Some asthma medications, NSAIDs, and aspirin can cause bruising because of how these medications work. Your elderly family member might take these over-the-counter medications for years and not develop bruising, but find that as she ages and her health changes, her reactions to these medications change.
Anemia
Anemia is when your senior’s body doesn’t have enough red blood cells circulating throughout her body. The red blood cells are responsible for moving oxygen throughout your senior’s body, and not having enough oxygen can leave your senior feeling tired and out of sorts. Some types of anemia can cause bruising, but even with other types, your elderly family member may become more accident prone because she’s anemic.
Diabetes
Diabetes involves uncontrolled blood sugar levels, and that does some damage to your senior’s body. One of the ways that excess sugar creates problems is that it can affect how quickly and how well your senior is able to heal from wounds. Bruises may take much longer to heal if your senior is diabetic.
Other Health Issues
There may be a lot of other health issues that contribute to issues with bruising for your senior. Some are medical issues, like high blood pressure or liver disease. Others are issues like vision impairment that might make your senior more likely to not see objects that she needs to avoid. There may be solutions for some of these problems, so be sure to talk to your senior’s doctor about what she’s experiencing.
If your elderly family member is having trouble with excess bruising, she may need to have some extra help with mobility and with handling tasks around her home safely. Home care providers can help her with all of these situations and more.