5 shocking reasons why you bruise easily

Bruising occurs when the capillaries underneath your skin are ruptured. This commonly occurs when you bump into an object.

But what if you don't remember hitting a wall or table? Here are some of the more bizarre reasons why you have developed a bruise.

1.    Medication

Yahoo! says medications such as corticosteroids can make your skin thinner, increasing your likelihood of getting black and blue spots all over your body. These types of medicines are commonly used to treat asthma and inflammation.

Blood thinners such as aspirin and warfarin can also be culprits as they inhibit the blood from clotting. The same goes for supplements containing fish oil, garlic or ginkgo biloba says The Health Site.

2.    Old age

According to Prevention, as you age, two things can happen: your body produces less collagen and you have less fat. As a result, your skin becomes thinner and likelier to develop bruises.

Dr. Gary Goldenberg of The Mount Sinai Hospital said, "This is incredibly common in the 60+ population. It takes a lot less trauma to create a bruise than it ever did before in your life."

"As we get older, the tissue around our blood vessels gets thinner and our skin gets thinner," Dr. Silverstein told Yahoo!

Dr. Silverstein is from the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

"So we're more susceptible to having an injury to that blood vessel, because the skin isn't as strong or elastic as it is when we're younger,"

Usual areas include the back of arms and hands, says The Health Site.

3.    Vitamin deficiency

Lack of vitamins K, C, certain minerals and bioflavonoids can make you more susceptible to bruising, according to a report by The Health Site.

Vitamin K is needed by the body to keep the bones strong and the blood to clot. On the other hand, citrus fruits high in Vitamin C are needed to encourage the body to continue producing collagen and keep the skin soft and firm.

Minerals such as zinc and iron help speed up the healing process. Deficiency in iron can lead to anemia, making your skin more likely to bruise.

Not getting enough bioflavanoids in your diet can also make your skin more sensitive and prone to bruising.

4.    Rare diseases

Bleeding disorders or diseases which affect the body's ability to produce collagen are also possible culprits. Some of these medical conditions include thromphilia, hemophilia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and purpuric dermatosis, says Prevention.

5.    Chemotherapy

Certain treatments can also cause your body to bruise easier. For instance, The Health Site says chemotherapy can cause your body's platelets to drop and cause bruising.

Here are a few tips on removing bruises on your body: