Bruise Be Gone

Bruising is a fact of life for women living on blood thinners.
Embarrassment about your bruises doesn’t have to be.

Women living on blood thinners are no strangers to bruising. A tight shoe, a light bump against a chair or an over zealous thigh slap while laughing can cause a nasty-looking mark that can be embarrassing — to a woman and her family.

“I was constantly bruised, on my arms, legs, torso and face, even dark purple dark circles around my eyes and splotching on the skin of my face.  I really looked bad.  It was to the point where my husband didn’t want to take me any place because he was compelled to say, “I don’t beat her, it’s the Coumadin®! It is really bad when your family feels they have to apologize for the way you look,”  said Mellanie True Hills.

Kay Marie Kortas a kindergarten teacher who survived a heart attack at age 34 added, “You think twice about wearing shorts or skirts or sleeveless tops, because you don’t want to go around feeling like someone has been beating you up or give off that impression by any means. It is a challenge on a daily basis.”

Simply running into something lightly can result in a huge bruise, so women on blood thinners have to be careful to avoid injury if they can.  But, as Mellanie points out, bruising can sometimes be a clue of something else.  “If your blood is too thin it can actually just leak out of your blood vessels.  If you start seeing bruises coming up on your skin and you know you didn’t bump into something, that is probably a clue that your blood is way to thin and you need to get it back under control quickly.”

Tips for bruising:
Ice it quickly:
Reduce the size and color of bruises by icing the area immediately.  Keep the ice on the area for twenty minutes.

Cover it up:
Dermablend is a great product developed to cover birth marks.  Use it on our face,  arms and legs.  The setting powder keeps it from rubbing or sweating off and it works great under pantyhose.  Find it at www.dermablend.com

Keep it under control:
If you take Coumadin® or warfarin, be vigilant in keeping your monitoring appointments.  Get your thinness level checked if you experience unusual or unexplained bruising.

Read more about the Patient’s Perspective on Blood Thinners in the Patient’s Perspective Magazine or  download the Special Report on bruising.  You may also listen to the discussion on bruising or the full conversation on blood thinners.

Share your thoughts by making a comment below

Need a tip to eat better, move more or manage your stress?

Wish Eliz would answer your question?

Add a comment below and we’ll provide the tip!

Eliz Greene is the Busy Woman’s Guide to a Health. Drawing on her experience surviving a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggling to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com