Bleeding into the skin
Ecchymoses; Skin spots - red; Pinpoint red spots on the skin; Petechiae; PurpuraBleeding into the skin can occur from broken blood vessels that form tiny red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can collect under the tissue in larger flat areas (called purpura), or in a very large bruised area (called an ecchymosis).
Purpura
Purpura is purple-colored spots and patches that occur on the skin, and in mucus membranes, including the lining of the mouth.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleConsiderations
Aside from the common bruise, bleeding into the skin or mucous membranes is a very significant sign and should always be checked out by a health care provider.
Redness of the skin (erythema) should not be mistaken for bleeding. Areas of bleeding under the skin do not become paler (blanch) when you press on the area, like the redness from erythema does.
Causes
Many things can cause bleeding under the skin. Some of them are:
- Injury or trauma
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Allergic reaction
Allergic reaction
Allergic reactions are sensitivities to substances called allergens that come into contact with the skin, nose, eyes, respiratory tract, and gastroin...
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Autoimmune disorders
Autoimmune disorders
An autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissue by mistake. There are more than 80 autoimmune d...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Viral infection or illness affecting blood clotting (coagulation)
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Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)
Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia means there is an abnormally low amount of platelets. Platelets are parts of the blood that help blood to clot. This condition is ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Medical treatment, including radiation and chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
The term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Antiplatelet medicines such as clopidogrel (Plavix)
- Bruise (ecchymosis)
- Birth (petechiae in the newborn)
- Aging skin (ecchymosis)
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Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (petechiae and purpura)
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a bleeding disorder in which the immune system destroys platelets, which are necessary for normal blood clot...
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Henoch-Schonlein purpura (purpura)
Henoch-Schonlein purpura
IgA vasculitis is a disease that involves purple spots on the skin, joint pain, gastrointestinal problems, and glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney d...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Leukemia (purpura and ecchymosis)
- Medicines -- Anticoagulants such as warfarin or heparin (ecchymosis), aspirin (ecchymosis), steroids (ecchymosis)
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Septicemia (petechiae, purpura, ecchymosis)
Septicemia
Septicemia is bacteria in the blood (bacteremia) that often occurs with severe infections. Also called sepsis, septicemia is a serious, life-threate...
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Home Care
Protect aging skin. Avoid trauma such as bumping or pulling on skin areas. For a cut or scrape, use direct pressure to stop the bleeding.
If you have a drug reaction, ask your provider about stopping the drug. Otherwise, follow your prescribed therapy to treat the underlying cause of the problem.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your provider if:
- You have sudden bleeding into the skin for no apparent reason
- You notice unexplained bruising that does not go away
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your provider will examine you and ask questions about the bleeding, such as:
- Have you recently had an injury or accident?
- Have you been ill lately?
- Have you had radiation therapy or chemotherapy?
- What other medical treatments have you had?
- Do you take aspirin more than once a week?
- Do you take Coumadin, heparin, or other "blood thinners" (anticoagulants)?
- Has the bleeding occurred repeatedly?
- Have you always had a tendency to bleed into the skin?
- Did the bleeding start in infancy (for example, with circumcision)?
- Did it start with surgery or when you had a tooth pulled?
The following diagnostic tests may be performed:
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Coagulation tests including INR, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and levels of clotting factors
Coagulation
Bleeding time is a medical test that measures how fast small blood vessels in the skin stop bleeding. Because it is difficult to perform correctly, i...
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Complete blood count (CBC) with platelet count and blood differential
Complete blood count (CBC)
A complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticlePlatelet count
A platelet count is a lab test to measure how many platelets you have in your blood. Platelets are particles in the blood that help the blood clot. ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleBlood differential
The blood differential test measures the percentage of each type of white blood cell (WBC) that you have in your blood. It also reveals if there are...
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Bone marrow biopsy
Bone marrow biopsy
A bone marrow biopsy is the removal of marrow from inside one of your bones. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that helps form blood cells...
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References
Hayward CPM, Ma AD. Evaluation of the patient with suspected bleeding disorders. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 126.
Juliano JJ, Cohen MS, Weber DJ. The acutely ill patient with fever and rash. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 57.
Schafer AI. Approach to the patient with bleeding and thrombosis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 162.
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Black eye - illustration
A black eye is caused by bleeding into the tissue around the eye. This most often follows trauma. The medical term for this type of bruising is ecchymosis.
Black eye
illustration
Review Date: 4/27/2023
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.