Have you ever had strange blue-green spots appear on your skin, even though you don’t remember hitting yourself? If you often experience something similar and cannot find an explanation for your symptoms, it is worth clarifying the underlying causes during a hematological examination. Dr. Gabriella Halm, internist and hematologist at the Thrombosis and Hematology Center, said that these symptoms can draw attention to problems affecting the blood coagulation system.
Unexpected blue-green spots
– When blue and green bruises appear on our skin, we involuntarily think that we probably hit ourselves in a careless moment. When the little child learns to walk and takes possession of the world in a frenzy, he can get these kinds of injuries several times a day; but in old age, due to the thinning of the skin and the weakening of the walls of the capillaries, we can often find that bruises occur in the tissues under the skin. It is not uncommon for blue and green hemorrhages to develop due to a regularly taken medication, for example, patients should be made aware of this when using anticoagulantst – he explains Dr. Halm Gabriella.
In their case, these symptoms warn that the delicate balance of blood coagulation and bleeding has been upset and has shifted in the direction of bleeding, which requires an examination and dose adjustment as soon as possible due to the risk of life-threatening internal bleeding.
It can also be caused by a disturbance in the function of blood platelets
As Dr. Halm says, the normal functioning of blood coagulation can also be affected by the decrease in the number of blood platelets (thrombocytes) and their dysfunction. The role of platelets produced in the bone marrow is to clump together and stick to the vessel wall in case of injuryand with the help of the activation of other coagulation factors, blood loss is prevented by forming blood clots through complex biochemical processes. However, if the number of platelets is too low or too high (e.g. in essential thrombocythemia platelets of abnormal quality) the patient develops bleeding or an increased blood clotting tendency. In such cases, spontaneous bleeding may occur, the bleeding lasts longer than usual, and it may even start again after it subsides. This dysfunction can have both acquired and congenital causes (the inheritance process is different from hemophilia).
Among other things, the former can occur in connection with taking medication (e.g. aspirin, chemotherapy preparations) and certain autoimmune diseases. Congenital disorders are rare, genetic disorders that affect one or more functions of platelets. In order to clarify the exact causes, it is recommended to visit a hematologist, who decides on the need for treatment depending on the severity of the condition.
– We primarily strive to prevent bleeding complications: we increase the number of platelets and treat the underlying disease, but it is also important to alleviate existing symptoms, says the specialist.
Common cause of bleeding: Willebrand syndrome
Bleeding and bruises under the skin and, in more severe cases, in the joints and muscles can also be caused by the absence or reduced functioning of clotting factors. When hearing the word bleeding, laymen would usually think of hemophiliak, which is a rare, inherited disease with severe bleeding. Bleeding can affect the skin, skeletal muscles and joints, which is accompanied by extremely severe pain and can also lead to limited movement.
Bleeding in hemophiliacs occurs due to the absence, reduced quantity, or improper functioning of the factors necessary for blood clotting (usually factor VIII or IX). According to our current knowledge, the disease cannot be cured, but with individualized effective treatments, those affected can live an almost full life, says the specialist. However, the so-called von Willebrand syndrome, which is caused by the absence or reduced functioning of the coagulation factor called Willebrand. This factor is necessary for platelets to adhere to the vessel wall and to stabilize factor VIII in the plasma.
Several types of the disease are known, the symptoms can manifest themselves in varying degrees of bleeding, but they are mostly characterized by skin and mucous membrane bleeding. Smaller or larger hemorrhages on the skin that develop for no reason are common. In babies, the so-called Bleeding from the puncture site (after an injection needle) or bleeding from the gums when the tooth erupts. In the case of women, the symptoms of menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding) and heavier bleeding after childbirth can cause a serious problem. It is often revealed that the patient has Willebrand syndrome due to significant bleeding during tooth extraction or other surgical procedures. Bleeding affecting the gastrointestinal tract and bloody urine also occur.
Fortunately, the disease rarely causes intractable bleeding, but menstrual complaints can cause iron-deficiency anemia in affected women.
In the older age group, the disease can also be acquired: antibodies can be produced against the Willabrand factor, thereby causing bleeding – indicating an autoimmune disease.
– A diagnosis of Willebrand syndrome requires blood clotting testsand the level and activity of the von Willebrand factor can also be detected with laboratory tests. The disease is usually treated with drugs that help blood clotting, and in more severe cases, before certain surgical procedures, we replace the missing clotting factor with an intravenous injection to prevent more extensive bleeding complications.
Source: Thrombosis and Hematology Center
Source: www.patikamagazin.hu
