Broken blood vessels usually happen on the face, eye, and legs. Capillaries that burst on the face or the legs can cause reddish, purplish or bluish hairline marks which are also known as spider veins. Many times there are broken blood vessels under the skin and they form a purplish welt or a tiny red spot. Blood vessels can break in any area under the skin, from head to toe and some parts of the body can also be affected. This rupture of blood vessels under the skin is called capillary rupture. Some vessels such as arteries and veins can also rupture, but they are found deep in the tissues and muscles.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqnqMCM71FM”]Blood vessels break due to a minor injury such as a fall in which a bruise will appear on the affected area. Broken vessels on the arm are caused by injury to the arm, and sometimes broken blood vessels just heal on their own without any medications.
Causes of broken blood vessels on the arms
- Trauma caused on the arm such as a fall.
- Some medications used for blood thinning can make the capillaries brittle and break easily with just slight pressure.
- Broken blood vessels can be caused by an injection given to the arm.
- Due to old age, the skin becomes fragile and makes the capillaries delicate where they break easily with just slight pressure.
- Broken blood vessels can also be caused by a fracture of the arm bone and sometimes it can be a deep seated rupture of vessels.
- Women are more susceptible to this condition than in men.
- Severe conditions such as failure of the liver and blood dyscracias can also cause ruptured blood vessels on the arms.
- Severe cold and hot weather conditions can cause damage to the superficial blood vessels.
A broken blood vessels looks like purple welts on arm or a bright red spot, and the area around the arms is tender and painful when touched if the injury is severe, but for a minor injury the broken blood vessel cannot be detected. There is swelling of the affected area when a major vessel is broken, and sometimes hematoma and collection of blood in the arms can develop.
Treatment and home remedies of a broken blood vessel
- First thing to do is to apply pressure on the affected area in order to prevent further damage to the area.
- Apply a cold compress on the arm since it helps in minimizing bleeding from the broken vessels.
- Mix a moisturizer with a few drops of chamomile essential oil and apply two to three times in day on the red spot or purple welt.
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables that contains vitamin C since it helps in building healthy capillaries.
- Eat foods that contain vitamin K such as Brussels sprouts and cauliflower since these can help in the strengthening of the tiny blood vessels.