The Bruising and Bleeding Checklist: What to Do and What to Skip
Bruising and Bleeding: what is worth doing, what is worth avoiding, and when to stop and see a doctor.
Bruising or bleeding more easily than expected. Most has a simple explanation, and the pattern — where, how easily, and with what else — identifies the small number that do not.
Key takeaways
- Common causes: medication, ageing skin, minor trauma, alcohol
- Medicines involved: anticoagulants, antiplatelets, steroids, NSAIDs
- Most useful single change: Note where bruises appear and whether there was any injury.
- Commonest mistake: Assuming easy bruising is only age.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Do
- Note where bruises appear and whether there was any injury
- Review medicines and supplements with a pharmacist
- Mention any family history of bleeding disorders
- Report gum or nose bleeding alongside bruising
Do not
- Assuming easy bruising is only age
- Continuing NSAIDs alongside anticoagulants without advice
- Ignoring bruising with fatigue or recurrent infections
The numbers behind the list
The list is built from the numbers below, which come from the bodies cited at the end.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Common causes | medication, ageing skin, minor trauma, alcohol |
| Medicines involved | anticoagulants, antiplatelets, steroids, NSAIDs |
| Concerning pattern | bruising without injury, on the trunk, or with bleeding elsewhere |
| Tiny red spots that do not fade | petechiae; need urgent assessment |
If you change one thing
Note where bruises appear and whether there was any injury. It heads the list. If you take nothing else from this page, take that.
Where to go next
- Bruising and Bleeding: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- Why Bruising and Bleeding Matters, Explained Simply
- Bruising and Bleeding — the reference entry
- The Evidence on Iron Overload, Without the Hype
- Blood Tests Explained: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
Seek urgent medical help for bruising with fever, unexplained weight loss, fatigue or recurrent infections, for tiny red or purple spots that do not fade under pressure, for bleeding gums or nosebleeds that will not stop, or for blood in urine or stool. Any head injury while on anticoagulants needs urgent assessment.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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