A diabetes bruise typically does not heal very quickly. This is because your immune system does not work the same as it did before. Diabetes does not cause bruising in itself, but related conditions of the disease may. If you are unsure what has brought about a diabetes bruise, you should see your doctor so the cause can be found.
Some people mistake a condition called acanthosis nigricans for a diabetes bruise. This is a condition which is fairly common among type-1 diabetics. According to LiveStrong.com, this condition causes brown or black patches to appear on the skin. They usually are located in folds of the skin, such as under your armpits or on the back of your neck. This is due to excess amounts of insulin circulating in the blood. Fortunately, most physicians can differentiate between this condition and bruising.
People who take insulin often have a diabetes bruise where they have injected the insulin, especially if they use the same place over and over. Changing your injection sites will typically keep this from happening. If it continues, however, it is best to visit your doctor.
Diabetes Bruise Easily
Contrary to popular belief, diabetes does not cause people to bruise easily. There are a number of diabetic complications which will though. If a diabetic develops kidney disease, for example, they may begin to bruise more easily.
Type 2 diabetes usually does not set in until a person reaches an advanced age. Additionally, conditions which usually set in at an advanced age come about unusually early in diabetics. Some diabetics may therefore be experiencing easy bruising due to aging capillaries or thinning skin.
A diabetes bruise may also be a result of the medications that a person is taking. For, example, blood-thinning medications such as aspirin reduce the blood’s ability to clot. The Mayo Clinic states that because of this, “bleeding from capillary damage might take longer than usual to stop – which allows enough blood to leak out and cause a bruise.” In spite of this, don’t stop taking your medications until you have consulted with your doctor.
In any case, a diabetes bruise can be caused any amount of reasons, but should be taken seriously as some of the potential causes may be serious. Therefore, if you have had any sort of unusual bruising of any kind, you should discuss it with your doctor as soon as possible.
