Can eczema cause bruising? (+1 evidences)
By
Ivan Kahwa
Author bio
Mr Ivan Kahwa is a chemist and phytopharmaceutical scientist with expertise in chemistry, pharmacology, phytochemistry, and Nanobiotechnology. He writes and reviews content on these topics.
Mr Ivan Kahwa’s Highlights:
Guest Researcher at the University of Leipzig, Senior Research Fellow/Scientist, and Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
Professional Experience:
Mr Ivan joined PHARMBIOTRAC as a research fellow/scientist during his master of science tenure. He contributed to the development of most of the phytopharmaceutical products in the project. Furthermore, he participated in carrying out the pharmacological activities of the developed products in laboratory animals such as mice and rats in order to develop proper doses hence leading to pre-clinical studies.
With the above relevant research experience, Ivan started to work with the University of Leipzig on collaborative projects with Mbarara University to develop the chemistry of Ugandan Medicinal plants and their pharmacological activities. This was coupled with several consultative positions by different German NGOs. Mr. Kahwa is also a supporting in the teaching and learning at the Departments of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
With the increase in antimicrobial resistance globally, Ivan retooled his thinking towards developing new naturally derived antibiotic regimens from Ugandan propolis with the assistance of nanotechnology to improve their delivery to microbial cells. Kahwa has also published over 28 articles in peer-reviewed journals and he is currently reviewing for many journals.
Education:
2023-2027: PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (ongoing) with a focus on Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Nanobiology at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
2022: 2Msc. in Pharmacognosy and Natural Medicine Science at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
2018: Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
Publications:
▪ Iqbal, S., Jabeen, F., Kahwa, I., & Omara, T. 2023. Suberosin Alleviates Thiazolidinedione-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Diabetic Rats by Inhibiting Ferroptosis via Modulation of ACSL4-LPCAT3 and PI3K-AKT Signaling Pathways. Cardiovascular Toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-023-09804-7
▪ Gupta, A. K., Yadav, R., Sharma, S., Sawale, J., & Kahwa, I. 2023. Anti-ageing Activity and Antioxidant Activity of Methanol Extracts of Leaves and Flowers of Salvia officinalis and Rosmarinus officinalis. Journal of Young Pharmacists, 15(3), 448–455. https://doi.org/10.5530/jyp.2023.15.60
▪ Tolo, C.U., Kahwa, I., Nuwagira, U., Weisheit, A. and Ikiriza, H., 2023. Medicinal plants used in treatment of various diseases in the Rwenzori Region, Western Uganda. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 25, pp.1-16.
https://ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/4683
▪ Kahwa, I., Ajayi, C.O., Yadav, R., Chauhan, N.S., Shah, K., Abdelgadir, A.A., Shegena, E.A., Daniel, S., Omara, T., Asiimwe, J.B. and Ikiriza, H., 2023. Pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies as an invaluable approach for correct identification of medicinal plants: The case of Artemisia vulgaris L. substituted for Artemisia annua L. in Western Uganda. TMR Integr Med, 7, p.e23004.
https://doi.org/10.53388/TMRIM202307004
▪ Nalimu, F., Oloro, J., Kahwa, I. and Ogwang, P.E., 2021. Review on the phytochemistry and toxicological profiles of Aloe vera and Aloe ferox. Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 7, pp.1-21.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43094-021-00296-2
▪ Elamin, O.H.S., Ali, M.A., Elgezuli, I.A.A., Bashir, M.A. and Kahwa, I., 2021. Diagnosis of pre-and post-treatment of echinococcus granulosus with counter current immune electrophoresis and bacterial co-agglutination. Journal of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 11(02), pp.88-94.
https://doi.org/10.5799/jmid.951600
Published book Chapter
▪ Kahwa, I., Ayesiga, I., Nakalema, S., Alinaiswe, R., Mbabazi, R. and Iqbal, S., 2023. Natural products in the management of onchocerciasis. In Natural Products in Vector-Borne Disease Management (pp. 63-80). Academic Press. Book Chapter.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91942-5.00012-4
Submitted manuscripts Under Review:
▪ Comparison of the Wound Healing Activity of the Leaf and Leaf Ash Extracts of Vernonia amygdalina in Rats. Journal name: Clinical Phytoscience
▪ Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal plants used in the management of cancer in Uganda. Journal name: Journal of Herbal Medicine
▪ Ethnobotanical survey and phytochemical screening of medicinal plants used in treatment of epilepsy by PROMETRA-Uganda Traditional Health Practitioners in Mpigi District, Uganda. Journal name: Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Submitted book chapters under review
1.Book title: Algae as a Natural Solution for Water-Food-Energy Nexus, Section 4: Microalgae and cyanobacteria for food applications, Chapter 4.6: Safety, toxicological and allergenic aspects of using algae for food. Authors: Christine Kyarimpa, Tom Omute, Caroline K. Nakiguli, Alice V. Khanakwa4, Christopher Angiro, Ivan Kahwa, Fortunate Ahumuza, Timothy Omara*. Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore.
2.Book title: Nutraceuticals Inspiring the Contemporary Therapy for Lifestyle Diseases. Chapter: Nutraceutical applications of Seaweeds and their Phytocompounds in Nutrition and Treatment of Diseases. Authors: Ivan Kahwa, Timothy Omara , Innocent Ayesiga , Gael Noel Neh Neba Ambe , Zehbanaz Javidbhai Panwala , Rachel Mbabazi , Shabnoor Iqbal , Christine Kyarimpa , Christine Betty Nagawa , Kamal Shah ,Nagendra Singh Chauhan* Publisher: CRC Press
You can view my works on the following professional sites:
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ivan-Kahwa
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tOwrvqoAAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6440-3437
Linkedin: https://de.linkedin.com/in/ivan-kahwa-865450159
In this article, we will discuss if eczema can cause bruising. Eczema is a skin disorder that is characterized by itching, rashes, infection, and dry patches.
Can eczema cause bruising?
Yes, sometimes eczema can cause bruising. However, bruising only occurs when the patient scratches their skin intensely and continuously. Most of the time, hyperpigmentation of skin caused by eczema is confused with bruising.
The sign of atopic eczema varies greatly in individual patients. In moderate eczema, there may just be little, sporadic itching patches of dry skin on the patient. In more severe cases, itching and inflammation occur all over the body.
On the other hand, a bruise is formed when an incident does not break the skin but damages the small blood vessels. Sometimes the bruise can be itchy, although this itching could be linked to dry skin or the healing process itself.
How eczema sufferers may experience bruising?
Eczema is often treated with topical steroids. But like other medications, steroids have a range of side effects. One such side effect is the thinning of the skin due to inhibition of collagen synthesis in the dermis.
Collagen is a protein that maintains the health, strength, and resilience of the skin, nails, and hair. If collagen is not synthesized properly then the skin will begin to show signs of thinning, ripping, and stretching.
Once the thinning of the skin occurs, the chances of bruising also increase. When the patient scratches the thin skin, he is most likely to rupture the small blood vessels present in the dermis. In addition to the hyperpigmentation caused by eczema, pigmentation due to bruising will also appear on the scratched surface (1).
How to recognize eczema-induced bruising?
The following signs can help the patient identify eczema-induced bruising:
- Initial symptoms: pain, swelling, and skin discolouration are the initial symptoms of eczema-induced bruising.
- Skin discolouration: the bruise will be pinkish-red and can be very uncomfortable to touch.
- Healing stage: as the bruise starts to heal it will first turn bluish. With time it will change the color to greenish-yellow and finally return to the original skin color.
What are the other symptoms of eczema?
Eczema can cause hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. This colour change might be confused with bruising. Hyperpigmentation occurs due to the release of melanin when the skin is scratched.
As darker skin has more melanin, hyperpigmentation is common in patients with darker skin. The patient should always consult a doctor before starting a new treatment. The symptoms of eczema include the following:
- itchy rashes,
- blister,
- cracked skin,
- swelling,
- patches on the skin.
Skin discolouration can also occur once eczema has subsided. This is known as post-inflammatory pigmentation. Hypopigmentation (pityriasis alba) causes the patches of eczema to turn pinkish and dry. Again, this might be confused with bruising.
How to manage and treat eczema-induced bruising?
Bruizing often goes on its own. The important thing is to lessen the occurrence of bruising, inflammation, and dryness caused by eczema. The following steps can help alleviate the eczema-induced bruising:
- Stop scratching: it is difficult for the patient with eczema to stop scratching. However, scratching should only be gentle and less frequent.
- Apply a moisturiser: keep the dry skin moisturized with a cream or lotion. Dry skin causes more itching than moisturized skin.
- Ice pack: ice pack can reduce swelling and help soothe the pain.
- Topical steroids: only apply steroids on the dry patches of eczema. Use these steroids for the prescribed time and never use more than the prescribed quantity.
- Good diet: include bioflavonoids, such as garlic, onion, green vegetables, and berries in the diet to reduce the chances of bruising.
- Supplements: Dietary supplements like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and rutin have been shown to reduce the chances of bruising (2).
Which other factors might cause bruising while having eczema?
Sometimes bruising can occur due to other factors, including:
- Age: Elderly patients are more prone to getting bruises compared to adults. This happens because the skin produces less collagen and blood vessels become more fragile.
- Injury: active lifestyle (sports), accident, falling, or bumping into something can cause bruising.
- Sun damage: Long exposure to skin can weaken the walls of the blood vessels. This causes easy bruising. Use sunblock while going out to reduce skin damage.
- Leukaemia: patient get bruises when they do not have enough healthy blood cells in their bone marrow. Hence, the body does not make enough platelets to clot.
- Blood clotting disorder: antiplatelet drugs, such as warfarin, and blood thinners can cause easy bruising.
- Disease conditions: Some diseases like sepsis, thrombocytopenia, liver disease, haemophilia, and Vitamin C deficiency cause the patient to bruise easily.
- Medicines: Some medicines like citalopram, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen are known to cause easy bleeding and bruising.
The fact that I have had eczema for so long makes it easier to accept and manage, but it doesn’t make it any less painful. Try to comfort the area with moisturiser and an ice pack rather than bruising the dry patch. It is important that you scratch the area less frequently and keep your nails short.
Was this helpful?
References
1.-
Abraham A, Roga G. Topical steroid-damaged skin. Indian journal of dermatology. 2014 Sep;59(5):456. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4171912/
2.-
Shah NS, Lazarus MC, Bugdodel R, Hsia SL, He J, Duncan R, Baumann L. The effects of topical vitamin K on bruising after laser treatment. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2002 Aug 1;47(2):241-4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190962202000531
