Bruises are common among children. They fall down a lot, they play outside and they’re not quite as coordinated as adults in most cases. If your child has lots of bruises—especially if they are on his or her knees or shins—you shouldn’t be too concerned.

In some cases, though, frequent bruising can be a cause for more serious concern. Read on to learn more from our AFC Urgent Care Bronx Webster Ave. team!

What Is a Bruise?

When your child collides with anything hard enough, blood vessels beneath the skin might be crushed, causing them to pool and produce a bruise.

Bruises normally start out red, then turn blue-ish black, greenish yellow, and finally heal in about two weeks. However, as you’ll see in the section below, not all bruises are the same.

Types of Bruises

• Purpura: This is perhaps the most common type of bruise, as it typically involves small bleeding under the skin.
• Hematoma: Severe bruising that is often caused by trauma, such as a car accident or major fall. A hematoma is a collection of blood outside the blood vessels that causes pain and swelling.
• Senile purpura: This type of bruising is more common among older adults. As you age, the skin becomes thinner, dryer and more prone to bruising. This condition is known as senile purpura.
• Black eye: You’ve likely heard or experienced this type of bruising before. A black eye happens when you’ve been hit in the face, and swelling and bruising causes a discolored ring to form around the eye.

How Much Bruising Is Too Much?

Like we said earlier, you shouldn’t be too concerned if your kids have bumps or bruises on their knees, shins or even elbows.

These are considered normal bruises, but there can be signs that point to your child’s bruising as being abnormal. If your child is experiencing the signs and symptoms that we’ve listed below, visit our AFC center.

Signs and Symptoms of Abnormal Bruising

• Large bruises that are raised and seem out of proportion to the injury that caused it—i.e. a huge bruise for a small bump
• Unexplained bruises that occur without any known fall or injury
• Bruises that last more than a few weeks
• A family history of bleeding, easy bruising or a bleeding disorder
• A bloody nose that lasts longer than 10 minutes after proper treatment with direct pressure
• Bruises in unusual places, like a child’s chest, back, hands, ear, face or buttocks

Does your child need non-emergency medical care? If so, we are here for your family seven days a week! Don’t hesitate to visit our AFC team today.