Noticed Large Bruise On Stomach. Feeling Light-headed And Sluggish. What Could Be The Cause?

Posted on Sat, 11 Aug 2012

Question: I Woke up yesterday with a large bruise on the lower right hand side of my stomach. It is purple and bluish in color and approx 3-4"wide. I don't know how i got it. A few wks ago I had an unexplained bruise on my arm. Also recently i feel slightly lightheaded and sluggish.
I have a doctor's appointment for next week but i'm nervous. What could this be from?

Answered by Dr. Divya Kuttikrishnan (3 hours later)

Hello there,

Thanks for writing in.

Are you sure there was no history of trauma? Blunt trauma to the arm/stomach etc could lead to a bruise. Any unexplained bruise needs to be evaluated thoroughly.

Good thing that you are visiting your doctor next week. After an elaborate history, certain investigations will be required like Hemoglobin, platelet count, Bleeding time, clotting time, Prothrombin time,PT/INR ,Liver function test etc.Any history of bleeding tendencies like bleeding from the gums/ nose etc?
Any history of prolonged bleeding after minor injuries/dental procedures/operations?

Please relax in the meantime. Probably there was a blunt trauma, which you were unaware of at the time. Everything will be sorted out once you XXXXXXX your doc and get the relevant investigations done.

If you don't have any further questions , kindly accept my answer. Any reviews are welcome.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Dr. Divya Kuttikrishnan

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar