Help for Easy Bruising

QUESTION: I have a problem that I can't get a satisfactory answer for from
any of the doctors I've seen. It's that I bruise so very easily, even when I
haven't knocked myself or fallen. Except for being advised not to take
aspirin, I have gotten no help. Can you help me?
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ANSWER: I'm not sure that my answer will please you any more than the other
doctors, but I will be happy to tell you what I know about your situation.
You are probably a sufferer from Purpura Simplex, the most common vascular
bleeding disorder. It represents a situation where the vessels which carry
the blood are more fragile than normal and break or rupture easily. Most
often we find this condition in women, who like you complain of bruises on
the thighs, buttocks and upper arms, that seemingly have no cause. Sometimes
the history may reveal that another member of the family has suffered from the
same problem, but laboratory tests of the blood fail to show anything abnormal
in the mechanisms that control clotting and coagulation. There are no
medications effective in controlling the condition, and because we know that
aspirin and aspirin containing medications can reduce the way blood clots,
many doctors advise avoiding this chemical, even in the absence of any real
evidence that the bruising is caused by aspirin. The good news is that it is
not at all a serious condition, and aside from producing some unsightly
bruises, will not effect your general health in any way.