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Intensive exercising
Intensive exercising can cause unexplained bruises in the parts of your body under stress. According to Dr. Debra Jaliman on WebMD, vigorous exercise like lifting weights or intensive training can cause tiny tears in blood vessels under the skin.10
Also runner’s or jogger’s toenail is one of the most common reasons for bruised toenails as the toe pushes against the front of the shoe while running or jogging.
If you notice that you have bruising after working out that is unexplained or the result of an injury, you should follow the “RICE” method to help the bruise heal quicker. The RICE method for getting rid of a bruise is:11
- Rest the injured limb.
- Ice the affected area. Remember that you should not put the ice directly on your skin.
- Compression to prevent swelling and inflammation.
- Elevation to prevent too much blood getting to the affected area.
Diabetes
If you suffer from diabetes, you may notice that you bruise easily and bruises last longer. Random bruising caused by diabetes occurs when the condition affects the blood vessels and causes peripheral vascular disease. Along with frequent unexplained bruising on your legs, diabetes causes increased thirst and urination, weight loss, nausea, and abdominal pain.
According to Dr. Melinda Ratini on WebMD, peripheral vascular disease commonly affects the legs.12 The journal Physical Therapy says that a complication of diabetes is bruising or injuries that don’t heal.13
Unexplained bruising on your legs is one of the signs of advanced diabetes. However, there are early warning signs of diabetes that can indicate you are at risk for developing the disease. If you have diabetes, it’s important to manage it properly. Your doctor may recommend controlling diabetes with diet or prescribe you medication.