Menopause Symptoms: Bruising
What Causes Bruising During Menopause?
When some women go through Menopause, they often start bruising easily from minor injuries, especially to the forearms, hands, legs and feet. That’s because ageing skin loses some of its protective fatty layer and collagen as we age, thus becoming thinner.
Also, if you’ve always been a sun worshiper when you were younger, the thinning of the skin can happen much faster. If that’s not enough, the ageing process also weakens tissues that support capillaries and they become more fragile and prone to bleeding. It can take only a slight bump that you don’t even notice to cause a bruise.
According to Yale Medical Group most bruises are not a cause for concern. However, if you see a large increase of bruising, you may want to talk to your doctor to make sure that they are not a signal of something more serious or if there is an issue in relation to any medications you may be taking.
Even so, the Mayo Clinic’s Health Letter notes that if you don’t have a personal or family history of abnormal bleeding, no underlying blood disorders and no associated bleeding elsewhere, your tendency to bruise easily is probably more of a cosmetic concern.
- Arnica montana – According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, arnica montana has been used for medicinal purposes since the 1500s. It has been used to soothe muscle aches, reduce inflammation and heal wounds, especially bruises and sprains. You should only use this herb topically since it can have serious side effects when taken orally for menopause or any other reasons.
- Bromelain – This substance is a mixture of enzymes that digest protein. They are found in pineapples, which have been used for centuries to reduce inflammation as well as to treat indigestion. The University of Maryland Medical Center points out that studies have shown mixed results, but bromelain is believed to reduce bruising and healing time. This could work for your menopause symptoms.
- Vitamin C – Dr. Andrew Weil recommends taking 200 mg of this vitamin daily to ease bruising during menopause.
- Bilberry extract – Dr. Weil also points out that this natural treatment has potent antioxidants that may reduce or eliminate bruising through stabilizing the collagen. This extra also is believed to increase intercellular vitamin C levels and strengthen capillaries.
- Tincture of arnica or arnica gel – Rubbing this onto the bruise may help. This substance comes from a daisy plant that grows in the Rocky Mountains.
- Pycnogenol – This supplement, which is a potent antioxidant that is made from pine tree bark, may strengthen capillaries, arteries and veins.
- Avoid specific foods (green tea, red wine) that make blood vessels fragile and, thus, cause easy bruising during menopause.
- Eat foods with vitamin K that help blood to be more viscous and less likely to leak from blood vessels. According to Dr. Anil Shah, a cosmetic surgeon in Chicago, these foods include cabbage, spinach, broccoli and kale.
- Eat papaya, which has papain that is believed to help break up the dead material that is responsible for bruising.